Sexsomnia is a newly identified and a rare medical condition whose sufferers engage in sexual behavior during their sleep. Sexsomnia is a discrete alternative of sleepwalking called sleep sex that includes behaviors of sexual arousal with autonomic activation (e.g. erection and orgasms). Sexual Behaviors in Sleep, Sleep Sex, and Sexsomnia all refers to sexual behavior that occur during sleep. If one has sexsomnia then they are sexsomniac. According to experts and sleep professionals this sex usually happens in bed with people who are already partners and there are no therapies.

There have been cases of rape charges where victims of sexsomnia are not capable of discerning their intended partners, which means anyone can be at risk. Those with sexsomnia are often tried in court for rape, but are often acquitted because they really have no idea what is happening.

The complication is that it often goes unreported because of shame and embarrassment. Furthermore, little is known about this condition's demographics and clinical features. Persons who are romantically involved with those prone to sexsomnia are often aware of their partners' strange behavior.

The most common medication given to patients of sexsomnia is generally anti-anxiety drugs. Sometimes people who suffer of sexsomnia are aware of their problem and don't seek help.

Instances of sexsomnia are purportedly more common if the individual is under the influence of alcohol or sleeping medication.

References:

Andersen ML, Poyares D, Alves RS, Skomro R, Tufik S. 2007. Sexsomnia: abnormal sexual behavior during sleep. Brain Res Rev. 56:271-82

Mangan MA, Reips UD. 2007. Sleep, sex, and the Web: surveying the difficult-to-reach clinical population suffering from sexsomnia. Behav Res Methods. 39:233-6