If you don’t know what a wet dream is, you might be pretty shocked, confused, or embarrassed the first time you experience one. Also known as a nocturnal emission, oneirogonorrhea, or a sleep orgasm, wet dreams are when you ejaculate or ‘cum’ spontaneously (without masturbation or manual stimulation) while you’re asleep. You might wake up during a wet dream or you might sleep through it and find the evidence on your underwear, pants or sheets in the morning.
Why do wet dreams happen?
Your body goes through some rapid physical and emotional changes during puberty, which usually begins between the ages of 9 and 15. You start producing more of the hormone testosterone, which causes your body to start creating sperm, your genitals to grow, facial and pubic hair to appear, and your voice to deepen. These developments also come with changes to your thoughts and feelings around sex. It’s around this time that wet dreams might begin to happen. However, you don’t necessarily need to be having a sexual dream to experience a wet dream.
Learn more about the male reproductive system here
Are wet dreams normal?
Wet dreams are completely normal and nothing to be alarmed about. Having wet dreams won’t impact your fertility and they’re not a sign of an underlying health issue or illness. Cultural and religious beliefs can influence how wet dreams are perceived and some people can experience semen-loss anxiety. For example, Dhat syndrome is the belief that fatigue, weakness, anxiety, loss of appetite, guilt and sexual dysfunction can be attributed to semen loss through wet dreams, masturbation, and urination. If you’re feeling anxious about experiencing wet dreams, chat to your doctor or a counsellor.
Can adults get wet dreams?
Wet dreams aren’t just experienced by teenage boys. You may experience a wet dream as an adult, especially if you’re not masturbating or having sex. However, wet dreams don’t mean you’re not having enough sex or you’re unhappy with your sexual partner.
How often do wet dreams happen?
The frequency of wet dreams varies from person to person. Some people may only experience a few in their lifetime, some have wet dreams regularly, and some will never have one. It’s all normal.
Can you stop wet dreams?
There's nothing you can do to control or stop wet dreams, but once you start releasing sperm by masturbating or having sex with a partner, you may have fewer of them.
There are many different problems that can occur with ejaculation, ranging from delayed or premature ejaculation, to painful or retrograde ejaculation. Watch below to learn more about some of them.