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Your heart is still beating fast as you collapse into your partner's body. The street light coming through the bedroom window along with the film of perspiration gives your skin a sensual luster. Satiated after a pleasurable evening you both eventually fall into a deep slumber. Okay, so maybe this romanticized account of a sexual experience is something more out of a movie. But, what holds true for most is that sleeping part after sex. Maybe women may want to cuddle a bit afterwards and men just want to take a snooze. Eventually, the order of things is sex, then sleep.

However, researchers are starting to identify some situations in which people are sleeping while they are engaging in sex. This phenomenon is not entirely understood and is referred to as sleep sex which is a type of parasomnia. Parasomnias are disruptive sleep-related disorders. What is known about people who engage in sleep sex or sexsomnia is that they don't remember a thing about their sexual behavior when they final wake up. Sexsomniacs initiates sexual activities that may or may not involve their partner such as:

1. Moaning or talking in a sexual manner
2. Engaging in oral sex
3. Having sex with their partner
4. Masturbating

Some partners report that the sexual behavior greatly differs then when their mate is actually awake and a few have even stated that the sleep sex is preferred. However, engaging in sleep sex may land some in court facing rape charges. That was, Jan Luedecke in 2005. The Canadian man was accused of raping a woman he didn't know while he was sleeping. He stated he had no recollection of the sexual encounter. After a psychiatrist testified that Luedecke suffered from sexsomnia he was acquitted. His accuser, however, is appealing the court's decision.

The neurological and physiological aspects of sleep sex are still being explored. People who engage in sleep sex also have other sleep-related issues (e.g., sleepwalking). The first step toward doing something about a condition is to know you have it. Since these people don't remember anything about their behavior it is up to their partners who observe this activity to bring it to light. Practicing good sleeping habits like not eating or drinking too close to bedtime, avoiding caffeinated beverages before sleep, exercising and sleeping at same time each night could help improve sleeping problems. If no improvements are seen then talking with a health professional is the next step toward tucking away your sleeping woes for good.

Learn more about this author, JL Francis.
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