Wet Dreams Aren't Just For Men: Lubricated Vagina Increases Likelihood Of 'Sleep-Gasms'
A good night’s sleep, experts say, consists of eight hours of rest, a cool room about 65 degrees — and for some women, a “sleep-gasm.” Waking up pleasantly flushed by the intense pleasure of an orgasm for women is not a myth. Wet dreams are not just a guy thing; women can experience several sleep-gasms in one night and, unfortunately, not even know it.
During the REM stage of sleep, the body begins to periodically engorge the genital region with blood, just as if you were aroused. The increase in blood flow can peak and release, which results in a penis erection for males and vaginal secretions in females. However, this does not necessarily indicate that the sleeper is experiencing a sexual dream.
In women, blood flow to the genitals increases anywhere from a little during REM sleep to about as much as when women masturbate or watch erotic films. This suggests REM-induced genital arousal is similar to waking sexual arousal. Some women even wake up from deep sleep to find themselves sexually stimulated or just having experienced a sleep-gasm.
The female wet dream has been seldom studied because it’s difficult to identify, since women’s organs are on the inside. Men, on the other hand, possess “ejaculatory evidence” when they have a wet dream, whereas vaginal secretions in women could be a sign of sexual arousal without orgasm.
A study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that 85 percent of women had experienced nocturnal orgasms by the age of 21, while some before they turned 13. A female nocturnal orgasm occurs only when sexual arousal during sleep awakens the sleeper to perceive the orgasm. Women who do have these orgasms during sleep are susceptible to having them several times a year.
Girls and women who don’t know whether or not they’ve had orgasms in their sleep are not alone. Lifetime’s YouTube channel’s installment of Street Doctors “Do Women Have Wet Dreams” found most women were not sure about the existence of a sleep-gasm. Dr. Ross I. Donaldson says in the video, "It's normal for both sexes to have dreams of an erotic nature, and frequently that does lead to orgasm or ejaculation. ... But it's totally natural."