Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Getting Urge To Masturbate During Sleep. Is It Normal?
Question: hello,
am having a peculiar problem. sometimes knowingly i wake up in middle of sleep and masturbate. is this something normal or abnormal. all this happens with my concern.
and even sometimes i wake up in the middle of night i wake up with a strong sexual urge and try to hold the one sleeping beside me. all this happen with my concern but couldn't control it for few minutes. but after a few minutes i get to realize myself that am doing something wrong and come to my understandable level. the last night worst thing happened to me is i try to hold a guy for sometime and later within a minute or two i realized and came back to my normal position. am getting embarrassed with this. this doesn't happen to me generally and the last time i had was when i was in school. i try to be perfect and doesn't want to touch anyone other than my wife. i don't understand why this is happening to me. please help me.
am having a peculiar problem. sometimes knowingly i wake up in middle of sleep and masturbate. is this something normal or abnormal. all this happens with my concern.
and even sometimes i wake up in the middle of night i wake up with a strong sexual urge and try to hold the one sleeping beside me. all this happen with my concern but couldn't control it for few minutes. but after a few minutes i get to realize myself that am doing something wrong and come to my understandable level. the last night worst thing happened to me is i try to hold a guy for sometime and later within a minute or two i realized and came back to my normal position. am getting embarrassed with this. this doesn't happen to me generally and the last time i had was when i was in school. i try to be perfect and doesn't want to touch anyone other than my wife. i don't understand why this is happening to me. please help me.
Brief Answer:
Please find detailed answer below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Though getting up in the middle of sleep and masturbating to sexual thoughts can be normal, holding or touching the person sleeping next to you (except your partner/ wife) is abnormal and may have legal implications too.
In your case, you’ve been masturbating during your sleep. It seems fairly common for women and men to recall experiences of orgasm during sleep or even to wake up in the middle of the night and find that they are rubbing their genitals against the bed, possibly in the middle of a sexual dream.
What is less common is active masturbation or sexual behavior while sleeping. As you are sleeping when this happens, you cannot know what you are doing. As such, you might ask your partner how it is that you are masturbating while sleeping. Are you using your hands? Rubbing against the bed? Do you tend to speak while masturbating? And are your eyes open or closed?
This type of information may help your doctor/ healthcare provider to better figure out what may be happening during your sleep. You may even ask your healthcare provider about the possibility of being referred to a sleep clinic as sexual behavior during sleep – what has been called sexsomnia or sleepsex – is often associated with sleep disorders. You may be able to undergo testing to determine how it is that your sleep cycles may be functioning. In some cases, medication can help to improve your sleep.
In the mean time, you may find it helpful to talk with your partner about this behavior. It is unlikely a sign of a psychological condition. Rather, your sleep masturbation is more likely to be a symptom of a sleep disorder or to be a normal variation of sleep behavior.
It can be important to seek attention from a doctor/ healthcare provider as, in some cases, people have attempted to have non-consensual sex with others while asleep. In some instances, sleeping adults have even tried to have sex with complete strangers, and not recalled any of it after the fact. This can lead to legal and social problems.
I hope this helps,
Any further queries are welcome.
Dr. A Rao Kavoor
Please find detailed answer below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Though getting up in the middle of sleep and masturbating to sexual thoughts can be normal, holding or touching the person sleeping next to you (except your partner/ wife) is abnormal and may have legal implications too.
In your case, you’ve been masturbating during your sleep. It seems fairly common for women and men to recall experiences of orgasm during sleep or even to wake up in the middle of the night and find that they are rubbing their genitals against the bed, possibly in the middle of a sexual dream.
What is less common is active masturbation or sexual behavior while sleeping. As you are sleeping when this happens, you cannot know what you are doing. As such, you might ask your partner how it is that you are masturbating while sleeping. Are you using your hands? Rubbing against the bed? Do you tend to speak while masturbating? And are your eyes open or closed?
This type of information may help your doctor/ healthcare provider to better figure out what may be happening during your sleep. You may even ask your healthcare provider about the possibility of being referred to a sleep clinic as sexual behavior during sleep – what has been called sexsomnia or sleepsex – is often associated with sleep disorders. You may be able to undergo testing to determine how it is that your sleep cycles may be functioning. In some cases, medication can help to improve your sleep.
In the mean time, you may find it helpful to talk with your partner about this behavior. It is unlikely a sign of a psychological condition. Rather, your sleep masturbation is more likely to be a symptom of a sleep disorder or to be a normal variation of sleep behavior.
It can be important to seek attention from a doctor/ healthcare provider as, in some cases, people have attempted to have non-consensual sex with others while asleep. In some instances, sleeping adults have even tried to have sex with complete strangers, and not recalled any of it after the fact. This can lead to legal and social problems.
I hope this helps,
Any further queries are welcome.
Dr. A Rao Kavoor
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you very much for your response. Actually am aware of everything that's happening during that time. My problem is I wake up with strong urge. I know what is happening around me. I have a strong urge during that time. Till now I haven't done anything wrong with my partner who is sleeping beside me. But I am afraid that my urge would put me in trouble during that time. And my eyes are opened during that time. I end up the scene by masturbating with my hand. Actually this has happened around 3 times within the past 10 years.
Brief Answer:
Not related to OCD.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
You are welcome and thanks for writing in to us with an update.
If such an event has occurred 3 times in the past 10 years then it is unlikely to be related to OCD.
As said in my earlier reply, you may even ask your healthcare provider about the possibility of being referred to a sleep clinic as sexual behavior during sleep – what has been called sexsomnia or sleepsex – is often associated with sleep disorders. You may be able to undergo testing to determine how it is that your sleep cycles may be functioning. In some cases, medication can help to improve your sleep.
I hope this helps,
Any further queries are welcome.
Dr. A Rao Kavoor
Not related to OCD.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
You are welcome and thanks for writing in to us with an update.
If such an event has occurred 3 times in the past 10 years then it is unlikely to be related to OCD.
As said in my earlier reply, you may even ask your healthcare provider about the possibility of being referred to a sleep clinic as sexual behavior during sleep – what has been called sexsomnia or sleepsex – is often associated with sleep disorders. You may be able to undergo testing to determine how it is that your sleep cycles may be functioning. In some cases, medication can help to improve your sleep.
I hope this helps,
Any further queries are welcome.
Dr. A Rao Kavoor
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
