Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat HappensAge They StartCausesPreventionWhat to Do If You Have a Wet Dream
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Happens
Age They Start
Causes
Prevention
What to Do If You Have a Wet Dream
A wet dream is a spontaneousorgasmduring sleep that is typically associated with erotic images and thoughts. These so-called nocturnal emissions can also happen because of hormone levels and even light stimulation of the genitals.
People of all sexes who have gone throughpubertycan experience wet dreams, though they are most common in the teen years. They don’t happen to everyone but are a perfectly normal occurrence.
This article explains what happens during wet dreams and what causes them. It also provides tips for how to stop wet dreams and how to cleansemenfrom your sheets.
What Happens During a Wet Dream?
Sometimes, a person may only realize that they’ve had a wet dream when their bed sheets or undergarments are moist with semen or vaginal fluid.
At other times, an orgasm during a wet dream can be intense enough to awaken a person.
A wet dream is different from “sexsomnia.” The latter is sometimes called a disorder of arousal in which people engage in sexualized behavior while asleep, similar to people who sleepwalk.
Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments of Sleep Behaviors Called Parasomnias
Ages When Wet Dreams Start and Stop
Wet dreams can start at age 13 or 14.Around 38% of teenage males experience a wet dream before learning what it even is.
Nocturnal emissions are more common during the teenage years because sex hormones are surging. They are also more common during periods of prolonged sexual abstinence. Wet dreams tend to occur less frequently with age but do continue beyond puberty.
Not everyone experiences a wet dream. A survey of more than a thousand males and more than a thousand females revealed that 66% and 42% of them, respectively, had experienced at least one wet dream.
What Causes a Wet Dream?
During sleep, the blood flow to your sexual organs may be increased. For males, this can lead to anerection(“hard-on”). This is the common cause of “morning wood” in which you awaken with an erection, typically without ejaculation but sometimes withpre-seminal fluid(“pre-cum”).
Nocturnal emissions differ in that orgasm occurs during a wet dream. The underlying cause is unknown but there are several theories. Among them:
The cause of nocturnal emission in females is less clear, in part because female wet dreams are harder to identify due to the lack of ejaculation.
Are Frequent Wet Dreams Normal?Wet dreams are normal and natural. If you frequently have them, that’s normal too. They’re not harmful to your health, and they’re not a signal that you have an underlying problem.
Are Frequent Wet Dreams Normal?
Wet dreams are normal and natural. If you frequently have them, that’s normal too. They’re not harmful to your health, and they’re not a signal that you have an underlying problem.
How to Stop Having Wet Dreams
Wet dreams are normal, but some people believe there are a few ways to reduce how often wet dreams occur. One way is to have more sex or engage in more frequent masturbation that ends with orgasm and ejaculation. This mayrelieve the need for males to ejaculateduring sleep.
Reducing contact with the genitals might also be helpful. Try sleeping on your side or back instead of your stomach to see if it helps. You can also try wearing pajama bottoms instead of sleeping in the nude.
In the rare cases that wet dreams are troublesome, a doctor might prescribe a medication such as anantidepressant. These medicines might reduce the frequency of wet dreams, but they might also make it hard for males to ejaculate when awake.
Typically, you’ll need to clean your sheets or clothing that became wet from semen or vaginal fluids.
If the stain is fresh, rinse the area with cold water before washing normally. For older stains, use a soft brush to scrub away any crust. Then blot the stain with a product containing enzymes before washing normally.
If your sheets are wool or silk, you can mix lukewarm water and a mild detergent before washing.
Summary
Wet dreams occur when you ejaculate while sleeping, sometimes as a response to sexual dreams. They mostly happen to teenage males or people going through periods of abstinence, but they can occur in females and older people, too.
Wet dreams can be a healthy and normal part of sleep. Aside from the need to clean up clothing or bedding, there’s no particular problem with them. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns or questions about your wet dreams.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gul A, Yuruk E, Serefoglu EC.Frequency of nocturnal emissions and masturbation habits among virgin male religious teenagers.Rev Int Androl. 2020 Jan-Mar;18(1):21-26. doi: 10.1016/j.androl.2018.08.002.Pastor Z, Chmel R.Female ejaculation and squirting as similar but completely different phenomena: a narrative review of current research.Clin Anat. 2022;35(5):616–625. doi:10.1002/ca.23879Idir Y, Oudiette D, Arnulf I.Sleepwalking, sleep terrors, sexsomnia and other disorders of arousal: the old and the new.J Sleep Res. 2022 Aug;31(4):e13596. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13596.Lee MJ, Yan GE, Chueh HW, Park JH, Hoo JH.The effect of first nocturnal ejaculation timing on risk and sexual behaviors of Korean male adolescents.Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab.2017;22(1):43–8. doi:10.6065/apem.2017.22.1.43Emmerson L.Overcoming the ignorance of basic sex education.Nurs Child Young People. 2016;28(8):13. doi:10.7748/ncyp.28.8.13.s15Herbenick D, Fu TC, Patterson C, Dennis Fortenberry J.Exercise-induced orgasm and its association with sleep orgasms and orgasms during partnered sex: findings from a U.S. probability survey.Arch Sex Behav. 2021;50(6):2631–40. doi:10.1007/s10508-021-01996-9Gul A, Yuruk E, Serefoglu EC.Frequency of nocturnal emissions and masturbation habits among virgin male religious teenagers.Rev Int Androl. 2020;18(1):21-26. doi:10.1016/j.androl.2018.08.002Jing E, Straw-Wilson K.Sexual dysfunction in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and potential solutions: a narrative literature review.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(4):191-196. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.07.191Good Housekeeping.The best way to remove semen stains.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gul A, Yuruk E, Serefoglu EC.Frequency of nocturnal emissions and masturbation habits among virgin male religious teenagers.Rev Int Androl. 2020 Jan-Mar;18(1):21-26. doi: 10.1016/j.androl.2018.08.002.Pastor Z, Chmel R.Female ejaculation and squirting as similar but completely different phenomena: a narrative review of current research.Clin Anat. 2022;35(5):616–625. doi:10.1002/ca.23879Idir Y, Oudiette D, Arnulf I.Sleepwalking, sleep terrors, sexsomnia and other disorders of arousal: the old and the new.J Sleep Res. 2022 Aug;31(4):e13596. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13596.Lee MJ, Yan GE, Chueh HW, Park JH, Hoo JH.The effect of first nocturnal ejaculation timing on risk and sexual behaviors of Korean male adolescents.Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab.2017;22(1):43–8. doi:10.6065/apem.2017.22.1.43Emmerson L.Overcoming the ignorance of basic sex education.Nurs Child Young People. 2016;28(8):13. doi:10.7748/ncyp.28.8.13.s15Herbenick D, Fu TC, Patterson C, Dennis Fortenberry J.Exercise-induced orgasm and its association with sleep orgasms and orgasms during partnered sex: findings from a U.S. probability survey.Arch Sex Behav. 2021;50(6):2631–40. doi:10.1007/s10508-021-01996-9Gul A, Yuruk E, Serefoglu EC.Frequency of nocturnal emissions and masturbation habits among virgin male religious teenagers.Rev Int Androl. 2020;18(1):21-26. doi:10.1016/j.androl.2018.08.002Jing E, Straw-Wilson K.Sexual dysfunction in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and potential solutions: a narrative literature review.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(4):191-196. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.07.191Good Housekeeping.The best way to remove semen stains.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Gul A, Yuruk E, Serefoglu EC.Frequency of nocturnal emissions and masturbation habits among virgin male religious teenagers.Rev Int Androl. 2020 Jan-Mar;18(1):21-26. doi: 10.1016/j.androl.2018.08.002.Pastor Z, Chmel R.Female ejaculation and squirting as similar but completely different phenomena: a narrative review of current research.Clin Anat. 2022;35(5):616–625. doi:10.1002/ca.23879Idir Y, Oudiette D, Arnulf I.Sleepwalking, sleep terrors, sexsomnia and other disorders of arousal: the old and the new.J Sleep Res. 2022 Aug;31(4):e13596. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13596.Lee MJ, Yan GE, Chueh HW, Park JH, Hoo JH.The effect of first nocturnal ejaculation timing on risk and sexual behaviors of Korean male adolescents.Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab.2017;22(1):43–8. doi:10.6065/apem.2017.22.1.43Emmerson L.Overcoming the ignorance of basic sex education.Nurs Child Young People. 2016;28(8):13. doi:10.7748/ncyp.28.8.13.s15Herbenick D, Fu TC, Patterson C, Dennis Fortenberry J.Exercise-induced orgasm and its association with sleep orgasms and orgasms during partnered sex: findings from a U.S. probability survey.Arch Sex Behav. 2021;50(6):2631–40. doi:10.1007/s10508-021-01996-9Gul A, Yuruk E, Serefoglu EC.Frequency of nocturnal emissions and masturbation habits among virgin male religious teenagers.Rev Int Androl. 2020;18(1):21-26. doi:10.1016/j.androl.2018.08.002Jing E, Straw-Wilson K.Sexual dysfunction in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and potential solutions: a narrative literature review.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(4):191-196. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.07.191Good Housekeeping.The best way to remove semen stains.
Gul A, Yuruk E, Serefoglu EC.Frequency of nocturnal emissions and masturbation habits among virgin male religious teenagers.Rev Int Androl. 2020 Jan-Mar;18(1):21-26. doi: 10.1016/j.androl.2018.08.002.
Pastor Z, Chmel R.Female ejaculation and squirting as similar but completely different phenomena: a narrative review of current research.Clin Anat. 2022;35(5):616–625. doi:10.1002/ca.23879
Idir Y, Oudiette D, Arnulf I.Sleepwalking, sleep terrors, sexsomnia and other disorders of arousal: the old and the new.J Sleep Res. 2022 Aug;31(4):e13596. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13596.
Lee MJ, Yan GE, Chueh HW, Park JH, Hoo JH.The effect of first nocturnal ejaculation timing on risk and sexual behaviors of Korean male adolescents.Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab.2017;22(1):43–8. doi:10.6065/apem.2017.22.1.43
Emmerson L.Overcoming the ignorance of basic sex education.Nurs Child Young People. 2016;28(8):13. doi:10.7748/ncyp.28.8.13.s15
Herbenick D, Fu TC, Patterson C, Dennis Fortenberry J.Exercise-induced orgasm and its association with sleep orgasms and orgasms during partnered sex: findings from a U.S. probability survey.Arch Sex Behav. 2021;50(6):2631–40. doi:10.1007/s10508-021-01996-9
Gul A, Yuruk E, Serefoglu EC.Frequency of nocturnal emissions and masturbation habits among virgin male religious teenagers.Rev Int Androl. 2020;18(1):21-26. doi:10.1016/j.androl.2018.08.002
Jing E, Straw-Wilson K.Sexual dysfunction in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and potential solutions: a narrative literature review.Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(4):191-196. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.07.191
Good Housekeeping.The best way to remove semen stains.
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