In some cases, a sleeping brain is a sexy brain. This is not limited to out-of-control sex dreams, either: on occasion, women climax while fast asleep. So why do women orgasm in their sleep, and is there any way to control this phenomenon? Getting a full night's rest could be more desirable than imagined.
Men experience nocturnal emissions, also known as wet dreams. According to WebMD, it is common for pubescent men to orgasm during sleep and these orgasms tend to produce evidence in the form of ejaculate, so there is no guesswork involved. Understanding the female body's reaction to arousal and orgasm during sleep is tricky, however, given the general lack of physical evidence. This is where brain studies help researchers get a better sense of what is going on in there.
In general, the sleeping orgasm results from cognitive and physical effects taking place during slumber. According to Kinsey Confidential, both men and women experience increased blood flow to the genitals when REM sleep occurs. What else causes more blood flow to genitals? Arousal. In certain instances, this boost in circulation is so intense it results in an orgasm. Who knew the sleeping brain was so skilled at multitasking?
Additionally, these instances of peaking while sleeping are not uncommon. As noted by Broadly, around 37 percent of women aged 45 or younger have experienced a sleep orgasm. As noted by Buzzfeed, however, research on female sleep orgasms is somewhat tricky to find, because they occur at random, produce little to no physical evidence, and may be forgotten as soon the person wakes up.
Is there a way to set the stage for orgasm during sleep? Maybe. According to the website for Women's Health, giving the body more orgasms during the waking hours is one way to prime the system, so to speak. This particular experiment has no downside either way. In addition, indulging in some sexy fantasies while drifting off to sleep might set the right mood for a nighttime climax. (Again, this experiment presents no downside.) Whatever the case, here's to pleasant slumbers.
