A 38-year-old man repeatedly tries to force his wife to have sex in the middle of the night but has no memory of his actions when he wakes up.
A married woman in her mid-20s often tears off her clothing and masturbates but remembers nothing when her partner rouses her.
For a dozen years, a 31-year-old man masturbates while asleep, at times injuring his groin. Embarrassed due to his unconscious behavior, he avoids relationships for eight years.
These are all clinically documented cases of sleep sex, or sexsomnia, part of a family of sleep disorders called parasomnias that include sleepwalking, sleep talking, sleep eating and sleep terrors.
The level of jokes in this comment thread (circa 7:28PM PT Apr. 28) tells me that people really, really don't have great frames of reference for mental disorders of any kind. The article subheadings literally go
Sexsomnia can ruin lives
What triggers sexsomnia?
Behavioral treatments are also available
This shit ruins lives. Lost relationships, arrests, and a complete inability to find any amount of support because of the sensitive nature of the condition. I have ARFID, a condition I won't even explain because it's gonna attract trolls like flies. I have lived in fear because of how it is associated with kids. It dictates my entire life. I have to plan where I can and cannot go to all the time, every day, monitoring what I consume so I don't fall into self destruction.
spoiler And yes. I wrote this to spur your imagination wild. Don't mention it. Let the kneejerkers respond.
There is no direct cure for ARFID, just like the article explains for sexsomnia. I have had immense help with my condition when I found the right doctor. The fact that they understood my diagnosis and approached me with extreme respect made me cry. That's how deprived of support I was at 22 years old.
Love thy neighbor. Don't assume anything because you don't someone's demons.