Nocturnal emission

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A nocturnal emission, also known as a wet dream, sex dream, or sleep orgasm, is a spontaneous orgasm during sleep that includes ejaculation for a male, or vaginal lubrication and/or an orgasm for a female. [1]

Contents

Context

Nocturnal emissions happen after stressful dreams in REM sleep which activate the sympathetic nervous system hence leading to ejaculation. [1]

Nocturnal emissions can start as early as age nine [2] and are most common during adolescence and early young adult years, but they may happen any time after puberty. It is possible for men to wake up during a wet dream or simply to sleep through it, but for women, some researchers have added the requirement that she should also awaken during the orgasm and perceive that the orgasm happened before it counts as a wet dream. Vaginal lubrication alone does not mean that the woman has had an orgasm. [3]

Composition

Due to the difficulty in collecting ejaculate produced during nocturnal emissions, relatively few studies have examined its composition. [4] [5]

In the largest study, which included nocturnal emission samples from 10 men with idiopathic anejaculation, the semen concentration was equivalent to samples obtained from the same men by penile vibratory stimulation, although the proportions of sperm which were motile and which were of normal morphology were higher in the nocturnal emission specimens. [4]

Frequency

In a detailed study, men and women reported that roughly 8% of their everyday dreams contain some form of sexual-related activity. 4% of sex dreams among both men and women resulted in orgasms. [6]

In males

The frequency of nocturnal emissions is highly variable. Some reported that it is due to being sexually inactive for a period of 1–2 weeks, with no engagement in either intercourse or masturbation. Some males have experienced large numbers of nocturnal emissions as teenagers, while others have never experienced any. In the U.S., 83% of men experience nocturnal emissions at some time in their life. [7]

For males who have experienced nocturnal emissions, the mean frequency ranges from 0.36 times per week (about once every three weeks) for single 15-year-old males to 0.18 times per week (about once every five and a half weeks) for 40-year-old single males. For married males, the mean ranges from 0.23 times per week (about once per month) for 19-year-old married males to 0.15 times per week (about once every two months) for 50-year-old married males. [8]

In Indonesia surveys have shown that 97% of men experience nocturnal emissions by the age of 24. [9]

Some males have the emissions only at a specific age, while others have them throughout their lives following puberty. The frequency with which one has nocturnal emissions has not been conclusively linked to frequency of masturbation. Alfred Kinsey found:

"...some correlation between the frequencies of masturbation and the frequencies of nocturnal emissions. In general the males who have the highest frequencies of nocturnal emissions may have somewhat lower rates of masturbation."[ citation needed ]

One factor that can affect the number of nocturnal emissions males have is whether they take testosterone-based drugs. In a 1998 study by Finkelstein et al, the number of boys reporting nocturnal emissions drastically increased as their testosterone doses were increased, from 17% of subjects with no treatment to 90% of subjects at a high dose. [10]

Thirteen percent of males experience their first ejaculation as a result of a nocturnal emission. [11] Kinsey found that males experiencing their first ejaculation through a nocturnal emission were older than those experiencing their first ejaculation by means of masturbation. The study indicates that such a first ejaculation resulting from a nocturnal emission was delayed a year or more from what would have been developmentally possible for such males through physical stimulation. [12]

In females

In 1953, sex researcher Alfred Kinsey found that nearly 40% of the women he interviewed have had one or more nocturnal orgasms or wet dreams. Those who reported experiencing these said that they usually had them several times a year and that they first occurred as early as thirteen, and usually by the age of 21. Kinsey defined female nocturnal orgasm as sexual arousal during sleep that awakens one to perceive the experience of orgasm. [3]

Research published by Barbara L. Wells in the 1986 Journal of Sex Research indicates that as many as 85% of women have experienced nocturnal orgasm by the age of 21. This research was based on women waking up with or during orgasm.[ citation needed ]

Studies have found that males typically have more frequent spontaneous nocturnal sexual experiences than females. However, female wet dreams may also be more difficult to identify with certainty than male wet dreams because ejaculation is usually associated with male orgasm while vaginal lubrication may not indicate orgasm. [3] [13]

Cultural views

Numerous cultural and religious views have been advanced related to nocturnal emissions. Below is a limited summary of some perspectives.

Jewish and Samaritan

Some examples of passages under the Mosaic law of the Hebrew Bible teach that under the law of Moses, a man who had a nocturnal emission incurred ritual defilement (as with any other instance of ejaculation):

"If a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean [Hebrew tameh] until the evening. And every garment and every skin on which the semen comes shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening."

—  Leviticus [14]

"When you are encamped against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every evil thing. If any man among you becomes unclean [Hebrew lo yihyeh tahor, literally 'will not be clean'] because of a nocturnal emission [literally: 'by reason of what happens to him by night'], then he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come inside the camp, but when evening comes, he shall bathe himself in water, and as the sun sets, he may come inside the camp."

—  Deuteronomy [15]

The first of these is part of a passage [16] stating similar regulations about sexual intercourse and menstruation. Leviticus 12 makes similar regulations about childbirth.[ citation needed ]

A third passage relates more specifically to priests, requiring any "of the offspring of Aaron who has ... a discharge", among other causes of ritual defilement, to abstain from eating holy offerings until after a ritual immersion in a mikveh and until the subsequent nocturnal emission. [17]

In Judaism, the Tikkun HaKlali, also known as "The General Remedy", is a set of ten Psalms designed in 1805 by Rebbe Nachman, whose recital is intended to serve as repentance for nocturnal emissions.[ citation needed ]

Patristic Christian

Saint Augustine held that male nocturnal emissions, unlike masturbation, did not pollute the conscience of a man, because they were not voluntary carnal acts, and were therefore not to be considered a sin. [18]

A similar view was expressed by Aquinas, who wrote in the Summa Theologica II-II-154-5:

"For there is no one who while sleeping does not regard some of the images formed by his imagination as though they were real, as stated above... ...Wherefore what a man does while he sleeps and is deprived of reason's judgment, is not imputed to him as a sin, as neither are the actions of a maniac or an imbecile."

Islamic

A wet dream (Arabic : احتلام, ihtilam) is not a sin in Islam. Moreover, whereas a person fasting (in Ramadan or otherwise) would normally be considered to have broken their fast by ejaculating on purpose (during either masturbation or intercourse), nocturnal emission is not such a cause. However, they are still required to bathe prior to undergoing some rituals in the religion.[ citation needed ]

Muslim scholars consider ejaculation something that makes one temporarily ritually impure, a condition known as junub, meaning that a Muslim who has had an orgasm or ejaculated must have a ghusl (consisting of ablution followed by bathing the entire body so that not a single hair remains dry on the whole body—may also require one to rub the body according to Maliki school of thought, dalk in Arabic—while showering) before they can read any verse of the Quran or perform the formal prayers. Informal supplications and prayers (du'a) do not require such a bath.[ citation needed ]

Indian traditions

The Hindu text Manusmriti suggests Brahmans who had nocturnal emissions to bathe and chant mantras praying to return their virility. Vinaya suggests masturbation is a sin, but a nocturnal emission is not. During the third Buddhist council, it was suggested that having wet dreams as an Arhat does not count as a sin. [19]

Medieval Europe

In European folklore, nocturnal emissions were believed to be caused by a succubus copulating with the individual at night, an event associated with sleep paralysis and possibly night terrors.[ citation needed ][ dubious – discuss ]

East Asia

Traditional East Asian medicine considered it problematic, because it was considered to be an act of evil spirits that tries to rob the life of a person. The literature suggests a "cure" for nocturnal emissions, which prescribes fried leek seeds three times a day. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orgasm</span> Intense physical sensation of sexual release

Orgasm or sexual climax is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region characterized by sexual pleasure. Experienced by males and females, orgasms are controlled by the involuntary or autonomic nervous system. They are usually associated with involuntary actions, including muscular spasms in multiple areas of the body, a general euphoric sensation, and, frequently, body movements and vocalizations. The period after orgasm is typically a relaxing experience, attributed to the release of the neurohormones oxytocin and prolactin as well as endorphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pre-ejaculate</span> Clear fluid emitted from the urethra of the penis during arousal

Pre-ejaculate is a clear, colorless, viscous fluid that is emitted from the urethra of the penis during sexual arousal. It is similar in composition to semen but has distinct chemical differences. The presence of sperm in the fluid is variable from low to absent. Pre-ejaculate functions as a lubricant and an acid neutralizer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Female ejaculation</span> Expulsion of fluid during orgasm

Female ejaculation is characterized as an expulsion of fluid from the Skene's gland at the lower end of the urethra during or before an orgasm. It is also known colloquially as squirting or gushing, although research indicates that female ejaculation and squirting are different phenomena, squirting being attributed to a sudden expulsion of liquid that partly comes from the bladder and contains urine.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a male sexual dysfunction that occurs when a male expels semen soon after beginning sexual activity, and with minimal penile stimulation. It has also been called early ejaculation, rapid ejaculation, rapid climax, premature climax and (historically) ejaculatio praecox. There is no uniform cut-off defining "premature", but a consensus of experts at the International Society for Sexual Medicine endorsed a definition of around one minute after penetration. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) applies a cut-off of 15 seconds from the beginning of sexual intercourse.

Coitus reservatus, also known as sexual continence, is a form of sexual intercourse in which a male does not attempt to ejaculate within his partner, avoiding the seminal emission. It is distinct from death-grip syndrome, wherein a male has no volition in his emissionless state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retrograde ejaculation</span> Redirection of ejaculated semen into the urinary bladder

Retrograde ejaculation occurs when semen which would be ejaculated via the urethra is redirected to the urinary bladder. Normally, the sphincter of the bladder contracts before ejaculation, sealing the bladder which besides inhibiting the release of urine also prevents a reflux of seminal fluids into the male bladder during ejaculation. The semen is forced to exit via the urethra, the path of least resistance. When the bladder sphincter does not function properly, retrograde ejaculation may occur. It can also be induced deliberately by a male as a primitive form of male birth control or as part of certain alternative medicine practices. The retrograde-ejaculated semen, which goes into the bladder, is excreted with the next urination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual stimulation</span> Stimulus that causes and maintains sexual arousal

Sexual stimulation is any stimulus that leads to, enhances and maintains sexual arousal, and may lead to orgasm. Although sexual arousal may arise without physical stimulation, achieving orgasm usually requires it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ejaculatory duct</span> Male anatomical structures

The ejaculatory ducts are paired structures in the male reproductive system. Each ejaculatory duct is formed by the union of the vas deferens with the duct of the seminal vesicle. They pass through the prostate, and open into the urethra above the seminal colliculus. During ejaculation, semen passes through the prostate gland, enters the urethra and exits the body via the urinary meatus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Facial (sexual act)</span> Sexual activity involving ejaculating on the face of another

A facial is a sexual activity in which a man ejaculates semen onto the face of one or more sexual partners. A facial is a form of non-penetrative sex, though it is generally performed after some other means of sexual stimulation, such as vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, manual sex or masturbation. Facials are regularly portrayed in pornographic films and videos, often as a way to close a scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edging (sexual practice)</span> Orgasm control technique

Edging, sometimes also referred to as gooning or surfing, is a sexual technique whereby an orgasm is controlled. It is practiced alone or with a partner and involves the maintenance of a high level of sexual arousal for an extended period without reaching climax. Orgasm control involves either sex partner being in control of the other partner's orgasm, or a person delaying their own orgasm during sexual activity with a partner or through masturbation. Any method of sexual stimulation can be used to experience controlled orgasm.

Anejaculation is the pathological inability to ejaculate despite an erection in males, with (orgasmic) or without (anorgasmic) orgasm.

Delayed ejaculation (DE) describes a man's inability or persistent difficulty in achieving orgasm, despite typical sexual desire and sexual stimulation. Generally, a man can reach orgasm within a few minutes of active thrusting during sexual intercourse, whereas a man with delayed ejaculation either does not have orgasms at all or cannot have an orgasm until after prolonged intercourse which might last for 30–45 minutes or more. Delayed ejaculation is closely related to anorgasmia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masturbation</span> Sexual stimulation of ones own genitals

Masturbation is a form of autoeroticism in which a person sexually stimulates their own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve the use of hands, everyday objects, sex toys, or more rarely, the mouth. Masturbation may also be performed with a sex partner, either masturbating together or watching the other partner masturbate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human penis</span> Human male external reproductive organ

In human anatomy, the penis is an external male sex organ that additionally serves as the urinary duct. The main parts are the root, body, the epithelium of the penis including the shaft skin, and the foreskin covering the glans. The body of the penis is made up of three columns of tissue: two corpora cavernosa on the dorsal side and corpus spongiosum between them on the ventral side. The urethra passes through the prostate gland, where it is joined by the ejaculatory duct, and then through the penis. The urethra goes across the corpus spongiosum and ends at the tip of the glans as the opening, the urinary meatus. It is a passage both for excretion of urine and the ejaculation of semen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semen</span> Reproductive biofluid of male or hermaphroditic animals

Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is a bodily fluid that contains spermatozoa. Spermatozoa are secreted by the male gonads and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize the female ovum. In placental mammals, semen also contains secretions from the male accessory glands and is discharged from the penis through the urethral orifice during ejaculation. In humans, seminal fluid contains several components besides spermatozoa: proteolytic and other enzymes as well as fructose are elements of seminal fluid which promote the survival of spermatozoa and provide a medium through which they can move or "swim". The fluid is adapted to be discharged deep into the vagina, so the spermatozoa can pass into the uterus and form a zygote with an egg.

Intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) is the time it takes to ejaculate during vaginal penetration. Average IELT varies between people and tends to decrease with age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ejaculation</span> Euphoric stimulative semen discharge of the male reproductive tract

Ejaculation is the discharge of semen from the male reproductive tract. It is normally linked with orgasm, which involves involuntary contractions of the pelvic floor. It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. Ejaculation can occur spontaneously during sleep, and is a normal part of human sexual development. In rare cases, ejaculation occurs because of prostatic disease. Anejaculation is the condition of being unable to ejaculate. Ejaculation is normally intensely pleasurable for men; dysejaculation is an ejaculation that is painful or uncomfortable. Retrograde ejaculation is the condition where semen travels backwards into the bladder rather than out of the urethra.

Postorgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is a syndrome in which human males have chronic physical and cognitive symptoms following ejaculation. The symptoms usually onset within seconds, minutes, or hours, and last for up to a week. The cause and prevalence are unknown; it is considered a rare disease.

The prohibition of extracting semen in vain is a Biblical prohibition derived from, this is explained in the Midrash and Talmud. The prohibition forbids a male from intentional wasteful spilling of his semen. Unintentional wasting of seed is also a (lesser) sin according to the Oral Torah.

Shenkui is a traditional Chinese medicinal term in which the individual suffers withdrawal like symptoms including chills, nausea, and even flu-like symptoms with anxiety, believed to be caused by an orgasm and loss of semen. The symptoms can last weeks to months after a single orgasm. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, shen (kidney) is the reservoir of vital essence in semen (ching) and k’uei signifies deficiency.

References

  1. 1 2 Hall, John E. (2010-07-19). Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN   978-1-4377-2674-9. Archived from the original on 2023-01-13. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  2. ↑ "What is a Wet Dream?". AMAZE. Archived from the original on 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  3. 1 2 3 "Do women have wet dreams, too?". Go Ask Alice!. 1999-05-07. Archived from the original on 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  4. 1 2 Meng, X; Fan, L; Liu, J; Wang, T; Yang, J; Wang, J; Wang, S; Ye, Z (2013). "Fresh semen quality in ejaculates produced by nocturnal emission in men with idiopathic anejaculation". Fertility and Sterility. 100 (5): 1248–52. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.07.1979 . PMID   23987518.
  5. ↑ Hovav, Y; Dan-Goor, M; Yaffe, H; Almagor, M (1999). "Nocturnal sperm emission in men with psychogenic anejaculation". Fertility and Sterility. 72 (2): 364–5. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(99)00239-3 . PMID   10439013.
  6. ↑ American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2007-06-15). "Sexual Activity Reported In Dreams Of Men And Women". ScienceDaily. Archived from the original on 2007-06-16. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  7. ↑ Kinsey, Alfred C. (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Indiana University Press. p. 190. ISBN   0253334128 . Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  8. ↑ Kinsey, Alfred C. (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Indiana University Press. p. 190. ISBN   0253334128 . Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  9. ↑ "Knowledge about Human Reproduction and Experience of Puberty" (PDF). Indonesia Young Adult Reproductive Health Survey 2002–2003. Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS-Statistics Indonesia), Jakarta, Indonesia; National Family Planning Coordinating Board, Jakarta, Indonesia; Ministry of Health, Jakarta, Indonesia, ORC Macro, Calverton, Maryland, U.S. p. 27. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2011-04-07.
  10. ↑ Finkelstein, Jordan W.; Elizabeth J. Susman; Vernon M. Chinchilli; M. Rose D’Arcangelo; Susan J. Kunselman; Jacqueline Schwab; et al. (1998). "Effects of Estrogen or Testosterone on Self-Reported Sexual Responses and Behaviors in Hypogonadal Adolescents". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 83 (7). The Endocrine Society: 2281–2285. doi: 10.1210/jcem.83.7.4961 . PMID   9661595.
  11. ↑ Kinsey, Alfred C. (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Indiana University Press. p. 190. ISBN   0253334128 . Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  12. ↑ Kinsey, Alfred C. (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Indiana University Press. p. 299. ISBN   0253334128 . Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  13. ↑ Absolute Zero (2009-09-01). "Nocturnal Orgasm...or...Female wet dream?". Newsvine. Archived from the original on 2010-06-30. Retrieved 2012-07-29.
  14. ↑ 15:16–17
  15. ↑ 23:9–1123:9–11
  16. ↑ Leviticus 15
  17. ↑ Leviticus 22:4
  18. ↑ This view is confirmed by the Protestant theologian Philip Schaff. S.23 Archived 2017-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ "NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS". Guide To Buddhism A To Z. Archived from the original on 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  20. ↑ "[갓 쓴 양반들의 性 담론 ③] 자위행위". Joongang Ilbo. 2005-07-27. Archived from the original on 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-03-08.

Bibliography

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