Sleep and Sex

SEXY SLEEP SURPRISE 1
People Get Busy While Snoozing
You’ve heard of sleepwalking, but a small number of people have sexsomnia, a real condition that spurs erotic activity like masturbation, fondling, and intercourse while sleeping, according to psychologist Michael Mangan, PhD.

Scientists believe it’s linked to specific areas of the brain. ‘Most brains shut down behaviourally during sleep, but a sexsomniac’s hypothalamus, which controls basic needs like food and sex, revs up and stimulates the libido,’ says psychiatrist Carlos H. Schenck, author of Sleep: The Mysteries, the Problems, and the Solutions (Avery Publishing Group).

SEXY SLEEP SURPRISE 2
Chicks Have Wet Dreams (Sort Of)
While we don’t ejaculate like men do, about 40% of women get off when they sleep, usually during sexual dreams. ‘With an erotic fantasy, your heart rate and genital blood flow increase, boosting lubrication like a waking arousal,’ explains Dr. Schenck. It can even happen a few times a night, thanks to the über-relaxed state that makes women more susceptible to orgasm.

SEXY SLEEP SURPRISE 3
You Can React to Stimulation in Slumber
Ever sidled up to your sleeping man and had him reflexively cozy up in response? On some level, our bodies automatically respond to touch, even if we’re not conscious of craving closeness. ‘The body and brain react sexually as well as snugglewise,’ says Dr Schenck. ‘Even while you’re sleeping, your hypothalamus is monitoring your needs, which include contact.’

SEXY SLEEP SURPRISE 4
Your Shut- Eye Affects Your Libido
‘Sleep is when the body replenishes its hormone supply so sleep-deprived people may have lower levels of sex-drive-fueling testosterone,’ says Dr. Schenck. Still, some women actually become hyperaroused when they’re running on fumes, possibly because the brain reverts to more primitive patterns of activity.

SEXY SLEEP SURPRISE 5
There’s a Reason Why Men Pass Out Postsex
Sorry, ladies, but you’ve got to give your guy a break when he drifts off after he gets off. When men ejaculate, it’s not only physically exhausting, but they get a flood of the hormone prolactin in their systems, which triggers feelings of satisfaction and drowsiness, explains Dr. Schenck. In women, prolactin – as well as oxytocin – actually stokes our bonding tendencies, so that’s why we prefer to snuggle rather than snooze.

Author: Holly Eagleson