Talk:Nocturnal emission/Archive 1

Premature Ejaculation
Is the tendancy to experience nocturnal emissons related to premature ejaculation? - John Leguizamo
 * I know of no research linking these phenomena. It seems unlikely to me. Deco 00:19, 6 December 2005 (UTC)
 * You don't see similarities between cumming in your pants while fooling around with a woman and cumming in your pajama pants while having a sex dream? - John Leguizamo 	 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.113.104.47 (talk • contribs)
 * As the article explains, there is no evidence that nocturnal emissions result from erotic dreams. There are certainly a lot more men who have nocturnal emissions than men who have serious problems with premature ejaculation. Also, you're not really John Leguizamo. Deco 01:02, 7 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, people don't remember close to all of their dreams, so it's possible to "get off" during a sex dream and not remember having the dream. - John Leguizamo
 * Personally, no John, I don't see any similarities. Oyd11 15:18, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
 * The similarity between nocturnal emissions and premature ejaculations would, it seems, indicate a lower than typically common ejaculatory threshhold. Of course this, like all the unknown facts about wet dreams, requires research.  Where one might begin would be simply compiling survey data to see if their is a strong correlation between pemature ejaculators and those who experience many wet dreams.  Since the stimulus in a wet dream is probably almost entirely mental in most cases, this would seem to most closely match the circumstances of a premature ejaculator, who finds the real waking physical sexual stimulation so great so as to bring him quickly to orgasm, as a dream does in a nocturnal emission.  This, of course, assumes prematurely that the dream precedes and thus precipitates the emission, instead of vice versa, and the truth of this needs to be independently discovered.--Nocturnal investigator (talk) 02:01, 3 June 2008 (UTC)
 * John, loved you in Super Mario Brothers. Good to see that you're taking an interest in Wikipedia...Jmdeur (talk) 19:55, 24 September 2009 (UTC)

I've had various wetdreams and all have come during erotic dreams

My dreams are like a bad acid trip, I can't really remember any erotic dreams even though I have a wet dream almost every night (God, I sound like a pervert, well, I am seriously f*cked up sexually)-User:GeorgeFormby1

I must say that i have never had a wet dream. You would know for sure, right? i mean you would wake up with wet goo all over yourself? Thats never happened to me. ````HK Madness —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.151.244.147 (talk) 03:29, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

More Useful Information Please
Was this article written by a religious fanatic? I am having trouble making that determination, since it seems as though the article has been edited multiple times with the purpose of censorship, propaganda, or both -- from both the theological and secular flanks.--195.92.67.67 22:20, 18 August 2005 (UTC)

I am under the impression that the prostate continues to produce fluids, even during a long period of abstinance. I have found that, in my own periods of sexual abstinence -- both masturbatory and coital -- I have had wet dreams at the frequency of 1.5 per each three week period.--195.92.67.67 22:20, 18 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes, semen continues to be produced. The sperm dies after about a week and is reabsorbed into your system, just as blood cells and other cells age, die, are reabsorbed and replaced. Your own experiences are not universal. FireWorks 08:21, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
 * But blood and other cells still accumulate and cause bruises, headaches, and other effects, before the body finishes cleaning them up. Nobody's experiences are universal, but many are shared among many people.  I, also, have found that I have slightly more frequent wet dreams when I am sexually inactive during waking hours.  I can certainly see how a buildup of semen -- or maybe a buildup of something elsewhere related to hormones or whatnot -- could be related, not directly or solely, but nonetheless related to causing whatever it is that causes wet dreams to happen. 130.111.226.21 18:07, 28 January 2006 (UTC)

This article needs correcting. I need to see specific information that does not belie my own experience with abstinent nocturnal emissions.-- CaptainSurrey talk
 * Thanks for your comments. The article was written collaboratively. I wrote most of the Christianity section, but I am an atheist myself. If you don't believe the tone is sufficiently objective, please free to correct it. There may be a relation between orgasm frequency and nocturnal emission frequency, at least in some people, but there is no study that I know of that establishes even a correlation between the two. If you can find a good source that contradicts any of this information, please feel free to add it or ask us to do so - there's so little reliable information on the subject that currently it's a rather speculative topic. Deco 23:08, 18 August 2005 (UTC)


 * You sound as though you don't want there to be a correlation between "(waking) orgasm frequency and nocturnal emission frequency". Could this be a specific bias, relating to a propaganda based agenda? Just a thought. - CaptainSurrey [[Image:Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg|20px]] talk

The text is very scientific and very useless. Are there any sites out there with information to aid in dealing with wet dreams? Do most people eventually stop having them? Is there *any* conclusive information about something being related to them happening? Is there any way of preventing them, or at least keeping the mess made by them under control? Surely all you males out there aren't just living with the fact that you may suddenly cover yourself, your clothes, your bed, and anything or anybody else in your bed with sexual goo *every night*! How do most people deal with nocturnal emissions? What are effective clean up strategies? I always feel *extremely* guilty, pained, depressed, horrified, etc after waking up after this, and judging by the all-caps comment starting this page these feelings are not abnormal -- should this be mentioned? Someone told me that eating saltpeter (don't even know what it is!) would decrease wet dreams; somebody else said exercising a lot would as well -- are these true?


 * The article is scientific because this is an encyclopedia and not a self-help book or advice column. (Although the community is usually quite open, as evidenced here already, to offering advice on the talk page. :) FireWorks 08:21, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm interested to know why one would feel extremely guilty simply because one has covered oneself with cum during ones sleep. I believe these are definately unhealthy feelings. It used to happen to me on a semi-regular basis, but doesn't anymore. About half of the time, my dreams would have nothing to do with sex at all. I suggest you got to a doctor and tell him your problem. It really isn't anything you should be embarassed about. 207.157.121.50 10:03, 6 October 2005 (UTC)mightyafrowhitey


 * I exercise regularly and rarely suffer nocturnal emissions. I sleep in underwear so clean-up is not such a problem as I am able to remove the underwear and return to bed after cleaning groinal area. If your reasons for guilt or depression stem from a religious or philosophical outlook then I advise considering Saint Augustine's treatment of the matter. He too felt guilty after suffering nocturnal emissions but recognised that the conscience was not polluted by the emissions and was therefore able to overcome his feelings of culpability for the act due to the suspension of the will during sleep. One could blame latent sexual desire for the occurrence of nocturnal emissions but as the sexual drive is largely uncontrolled by the will even during waking hours, for example the lack of control over erection of the penis, feelings of guilt *can* be defeated through contemplation of the issue. - (anonymous poster)


 * There has not been, as far as I know, any scientific study, or even convincing statistical study, demonstrating the effectiveness of any proposed "remedy". Your feelings of guilt stem from the teachings of your religion rather than the process itself. Why should you be responsible for an act that you did not choose to do? And who does it hurt? I've noted in the article that no one seems to have any convincing evidence of the source of wet dreams; many men have reported them without accompanying sexual dreams of any sort. It's just a thing humans do, and nothing to be ashamed of. As for dealing with it, well, it's not unlike washing spilled food or mud off your body. If anyone would like to add a discussion of the psychological effects of nocturnal emissions in people of some religions, feel free. Deco 06:03, 9 August 2005 (UTC)

"In the United States, a mere 2% of men will experience nocturnal emissions at some time in their life.[2]" As groundbreaking as Kinsey was in 1948, it is completely unacceptable to use data that is over 60 years old as the sole source for information about prevalence of nocturnal emissions. 209.6.96.210 (talk) 19:05, 26 February 2013 (UTC)

Source
Can I have a source for "Contrary to popular belief, the frequency that one has nocturnal emissions is completely unrelated to one's frequency of masturbation, as widely-known sex researcher Alfred Kinsey claimed"?
 * I'm confident that this is correct, but I'm having difficulty finding a source. Be careful, because there's a lot of misinformation out there coming from seemingly authoritative sources. I'm trying to find a paper from a medical journal or something that can be trusted. Deco 00:11, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)

"Contrary to popular belief, the frequency that one has nocturnal emissions is completely unrelated to one's frequency of masturbation, as widely-known sex researcher Alfred Kinsey claimed"? I really find this hard to believe. Why is the above person so confident this is correct? This line really should be removed. I would assume it is related to frequency of ejaculations which may or may not be from mastubation. If this is true, it can't be completely unrelated. Either way this line is very vague, with a poor source.

I'm going to assume one of the above people added the next line, as I came here to say that "Contrary to popular belief, the frequency that one has nocturnal emissions is completely unrelated to one's frequency of masturbation, as widely-known sex researcher Alfred Kinsey claimed. However, many do find that they experience more wet dreams if they do not ejaculate." is completely self-contradictive. Someone, please remove one of the two sentences!--195.92.168.167 22:29, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * I haven't found a source that there is no relationship, but I also haven't found a source that there is a relationship. For now I've added that there is no conclusive link between the two, which I'm pretty sure is accurate. Deco 22:48, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Anecdotally I'd agree with Deco. FireWorks 08:23, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

More Source
What's the source for "It is a common misconception that nocturnal emissions are the direct result of the stimulation caused by either erotic dreams or memories of waking sexual activities. ... In reality, nocturnal emissions occur without any type of stimulation."? According to Indigenous Drugs in Male Sexual Disorders, and to Adolescence: myths and misconceptions nocturnal emissions are the direct result of stimulation or dreams.
 * These sources do not provide experimental evidence, but I have made changes to acknowledge that some researchers believe this. However, there is also extensive evidence of men who claim to have had nocturnal emissions without accompanying sexual dreams (although there is the question of whether they merely don't remember the dreams). Deco 05:37, 9

August 2005 (UTC)

I can personally vouch for this. I was dreaming one night about climbing a mountain, a dream which had no sexual imagery and all of a sudden I started having an orgasm and I woke up.207.157.121.50 14:36, 25 October 2005 (UTC)mightyafrowhitey

My personal belief is that all wet dreams are caused by physical or psychological stimulation, even if there is nothing obviously sexual about the dream. I have had wet dreams from dreaming of hugging something I am terrified of, the drastic change of emotions from fright to affection somehow becomes arousing, dreaming of killing many people (this was a little disturbing), dreaming of being subjected to extreme pain, dreaming of just seeing a female from a distance with nothing sexual involved, dreaming of watching others masturbate, or dreaming of really enjoying just about anything. It will also invariably cause me a wet dream when I am sleeping on my back and a cat falls asleep between my legs -- I suppose it's the warmest spot in the house -- and sleeping on my belly will usually cause one too. I can certainly see how a wet dream could be caused by exultation in climbing to the top of a mountain, even if there is no sexual imagery involved; or it could be something external or more subconscious.

Link to Wet Dreams page at HealthyStrokes.com
?

Who is the user to judge what is a relevant link? The wet dreams page at HealthyStrokes.com is perhaps the most comprehensive information about the subject on the web, containing a summary of expert opinion from pre-Kinsey to Masters and Johnson, and also questions from site readers. The fact stands naked that there is little information on the web or in print about nocturnal emissions, scholarly or popular, and HealthyStrokes.com happens to have the best compendium available. If you believe the site contains misinformation, state exactly what, and also state the authorities that have other information Doug22123 03:50, 13 December 2005 (UTC)
 * I'm sorry for not noticing sooner that you had posted this comment on the talk page. This page seems to be little more than a collection of popular myths about wet dreams presented as fact. Practically the first thing it says is:
 * Sexual desire is but a small cause of wet dreams; they result mostly from the body's need to eliminate the sexual fluids that have accumulated since the last ejaculation. The content of wet dreams is not necessarily sexual, although it is apt to involve the penis in some way, similar to the way people often dream about urinating if they happen to have a full bladder at that moment.
 * All of this information is completely false. It also identifies the involuntary ejaculation with sexual dreams in questions such as "Will I remember if I have a wet dream?". It also claims "Once a male starts masturbating, he is likely to never have another wet dream." which is also completely false. Practically everything they say is untrue. I don't know of any better source on the subject, but this site is at least 85% lies and extremely misleading. To be fair, the Q&A about Kinsey's studies seem to be mostly accurate. Deco 03:56, 13 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, Deco's stated the misinformation, and as for the sources, one doesn't need a source to disprove ("Once a male starts masturbating, he is likely to never have another wet dream" is patently false), and I don't have my high school bio book anymore, but if you really want, we can dig up the scientific facts about how sexual fluids do not "accumulate" to the point of requiring ejaculation--the body simply reabsorbs non-viable material. We shouldn't be linking to that kind of misinformation unless we clearly present it as such. FireWorks 08:30, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I don't agree that it is misinformation. I didn't say it was not possible or unheard of for males experienced with induced orgasms (Burg's term) to have wet dreams, merely that it was unlikely. How, then, could the statement be "patently false"? It accurately reflects the experience of 50%+1 males, which is the standard for likelihood. What I put in that part of the wet dreams page on HealthyStrokes is based on what I hear from people, that they had a few wet dreams when they were 12-13, etc., but not since. This is highly consistent with what Kinsey and others have published. To repeat what I said above, this link contains the best information on the web about wet dreams. Not perfect, just more and better information than is available elsewhere. I think the page is more than fair to people who have other opinions. It contains the contrary opinions of authoritative sources (Kinsey, Masters & Johnson) and also the statements of ordinary readers reflecting a variety of wet dream experiences (some of which I say on the page I don't believe are true). If a Wikipedia reader wants more information about nocturnal emissions, the page on HealthyStrokes is the place they ought to go, and that is the purpose of the link.Doug22123 21:54, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Ah, so not only is it misinformation, but it's misinformation that you wrote yourself - you should know that the community frowns upon linking to one's own webpage; it's often seen as self-promotion. If you do have control over the page, however, that does mean you can fix it. If you have a scientific study or other formal experimental results supporting your statement that 50% of males who masturbate cease to have wet dreams, then first of all state it in these terms rather than false absolute terms, and second cite it so that it can be verified. If you know of no such study, then just say that it's an inconclusive rumour supported by limited anecdotal evidence. There's a big difference between "[n]ot perfect" and a site that takes large amounts of false, misleading, or purely speculative information and presents it as undisputed fact. I wouldn't mind linking to it as long as the link is clear about which information on the site should not be believed (which is pretty much all of it). In the meantime, I'm removing it. Deco 23:20, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
 * This is a silly edit war, not even about content on Wikipedia but that of an external link. Without the link to HealthyStrokes, there are no external links on the page.  As noted, the main reason for that is that nocturnal emission has been a greatly understudied topic, and this has been true since time immemorial.  The HealthyStrokes page aptly summarizes existing knowledge on the topic and augments it with case studies and other information from users.  Readers of Wikipedia ought to have a link to this information, and they can judge whether they will accept the anecdotal information from the (mostly juvenile) people who write to HealthyStrokes or, for that matter, the statements that Kinsey so authoritatively proclaimed and which are summarized on the page.  As of now, the editorial content of this Wikipedia page is not in conflict.Doug22123 00:46, 15 December 2005 (UTC)
 * I'm sorry for reverting you before discussion was complete. It's true that NPOV does not apply to external links. However, to link a site without qualification is to make an implicit assertion that it is accurate and authoritative. I will add a suitable disclaimer to the link and I hope (perhaps with some editing of your own) that this will satisfy both of us. Deco 00:53, 15 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes, I agree that that is fair.Doug22123 23:11, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

In other animals?
Just curious, could anyone provide information about nocturnal emissions in other animals, or if they even occur at all?
 * That's an excellent question. I have no idea. Deco 06:05, 21 February 2006 (UTC)

Probally in insects. Probally I'm just making this up. :P--68.89.189.165 23:18, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

I saw my cat moving as in intercourse while dreaming... then some white stuff came out212.25.124.157 (talk) 20:29, 27 October 2008 (UTC)

I have had four male dogs and all of them had full ejaculations during their sleep from time to time; typically once or twice a year.Harjasusi (talk) 21:34, 27 October 2009 (UTC)

Link to Wet Dream Forum
Dcoetzee, Thanks for taking a look at the link to:

www.wetdreamforum.com

I agree that this site has some deficiencies but I believe it deserves a second look. There is realy a lack of good information on wet dreams on the internet and as far as I know a lack of really scientific studies that readers can turn to and study. While imperfect, I believe that wetdreamforum helps fill this gap of information. I know the site is slightyly cumbersome to get through but in particular it has a links page that includes links to a helpful FAQ and also a male anatomy page. The FAQ provides information on wet dreams and the correlation between wet dreams and masturbation/sex.

The site also has data that shows that wet dreams can happen beyond the teen years contrary to popular belief. Based on the data this site has gathered, the disappearance of wet dreams in males is related to masturbation and sex as opposed to aging to adulthood. This is an opposing view to the healthystrokes stance that older males are unable to have wet dreams.

I am unaware of any other site on the internet that provides this much information on the causes of wet dreams or offers more possibilies for getting information. While it would be helpful to some day have more scientific research on wet dreams to rely on and a more organized site, I believe that in the interim this site fills a much needed gap. While it may need a qualifing statement explaining the content, from an information standpoint it provides the reader with the possibility of further study on a topic currently short on detailed information.

I would like a link included so that readers have that chance for further study.


 * Hi there. Wikipedia is free for anyone to edit, so don't think you need my permission. I have no problem with adding this link, but the data gathered by this site is only polls with self-selected subjects. They aren't scientifically gathered and have not been published as research. This means the information is original research &mdash; I have no objection to linking the site as a discussion board, but I don't believe we should discuss any of its theories as though they were fact or even well-supported. Deco 07:32, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

Barrylb. Thanks for reviewing the article and adding your thought concerning the external links section. If a minimalist approach is taken, you are absolutely right that an external link is unnecessary.

There is however limited information on wet dreams and some of it, such as frequency and causes, is conflicting because of the limited research in this area. Some studies show no correlation between wet dreams and sex/masturbation and other researchers claimed such a correlation existed.

Including external links provides a valuable service to Wikipedia readers that are intersted in more information on a topic. The current link to the Wet Dream Forum provides further insight into the causes and frequency of wet dreams. As noted above the link also include a disclaimer. This site is the most thorough one that I am aware of on this topic.

I wish there were more good sites available and there are probably a couple more that could be added. If you are aware of any they could be added to provide better coverage for this section. Gtrav 22:30, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

I believe the Wet Dream Forum link is a valuable link to this article. I understand there is concern about including it. I know that the various editors of this article are striving to make sure it is accurate. I have searched the topic extensively on the internet and have also reviewed scientific journal articles and published books concerning the topic. I found as I am sure others have that the researched information concerning noncturnal emissions is quite limited and falls short of answering some of the basic questions this article is striving to accurately document.

If I were asked where to look to better understand nocturnal emissions, there are only three internet sites that I am aware of that offer much information. The first being this site and the other two being HealthyStrokes and the Wet Dream Forum. These other two sites actually led me to some of the research published in book and journal format. Additionally the Wet Dream Forum offered me insight into wet dreams that is simply unavailable from published literature. I know that the forum offers valuable information to readers but also understand that its format is eclectic in nature and includes only theories where research data is unavailable or inconclusive. It is after all a forum. While I believe it is important to include this link for completeness I also understand it makes sense to present the link in the proper context. --Gtrav 02:40, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Cause
The body does not in fact need to do this (remove excess semen), as evidenced by the men who rarely experience nocturnal emissions. (If I misworded this quote, let me know) I don't think that is entirely accurate. Just because some men only experience wet dreams on rare occasion doesn't mean that their bodies don't need to get rid of excess semen. It simply means that their bodies manufacture the fluid more slowly than those of others. Bug Eyed Monster 23:12, 28 April 2006 (UTC)
 * This is only one piece of evidence. The body does not need to dispose of accumulated semen; it reabsorbs it. This is well-documented and I've added an appropriate reference. Deco 07:09, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

^Not So
I wanted to look into religious "handlings" of this today. Anyway, semen may be reabsorbed for some bodies, but it's definitely not so much by mine. If I don't masturbate at least once a week, NE is inevitable. Choosing between the two bothers, NE is by far the more disturbing alternative. I often forget to masturbate, and pay the price. NE for me is almost never accompanied by erotic dreams. It's original research, but I suspect saying there is not a direct correlation here for many men, is just not reflecting peoples real life experiences. Because few men probably have enough of a general disinterest in sex/masturbation, there is probably not a lot of reliable numbers here.

When I was younger I self-experimented with not masturbating just because I'm inclined to doing contrarian things. I would wear a sock more or less to see how long to go before NE, anticipating the disturbance (peeing the bed kind of disturbance) involved. I think for myself I wanted to dispel the religious pov that abstinence involves not masturbating too, or the secular pov that masturbation is not a natural excretory function like anything else.--72.173.5.119 (talk) 01:01, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

Additional Information
I heard from somewhere that, in males, nocturnal emissions cease after the first conscious orgasm. Is this true or false? Such information would be a good addititon to this article.
 * No. This is false, an urban legend. I'll look for a reference. Deco 07:09, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

Believe my experience, that is false. In fact, this morning I awoke finding myself near the conclusion of a nocturnal emission (I am 50 years old!) and managed to "think it down," then cleaned myself up of residue. It is against my Faith to masturbate. This has happened as a complete surprise with no dream or pre-indication of arousal. The darn thing simply happened. I might attribute it to the two Tylenol 3s I had before going to bed for a bad headache, because they are high in codeine. That is the only cause I can even guess at for this occurence. stingafurt 20 May 2009

Introduction Needs Changing
"A nocturnal emission is an ejaculation of semen experienced during sleep. It is also called a "wet dream", an involuntary orgasm, or simply an orgasm during sleep.

Nocturnal emissions are most common during teenage and early adult years. However, nocturnal emissions may happen any time after puberty. They may or may not be accompanied by erotic dreams. Some males will wake during the ejaculation, while others will sleep through the event."

Is a nocturnal emission really limited to only being defined as an ejaculation of semen? I think it may need to be changed to allow females to be included. At first I thought maybe it could just be defined as an orgasm during sleep, but then I realized the word "emission" suggests that something emits from sleep. Therefore, even if you orgasm during sleep whether you be a male or female, unless you ejaculate then maybe it is not technically considered a nocturnal emission. However, females can still ejaculate, just not semen of course, but I feel if a female ejaculates during sleep then it should be counted as a nocturnal emission as well. Therefore, I think limiting the definition to an ejaculation of semen is faulty and needs to be changed.

Also, saying some males will wake during the ejaculation, while others will sleep through the event probably should be changed as well. This is because it is not dependant on the male, but rather just that specific nocturnal emission. I'll demonstrate this example so you can better understand what I mean. The way the sentence is structured now is like saying: Male A will always wake during ejaculation, Male B will always sleep through the ejaculation. This makes it sound like depending on the guy he will either always sleep through the ejaculation or always wake up during the ejaculation. When in actuality, the same guy may wake up on some nocturnal emissions and stay asleep on others. Therefore the sentence should be more along the lines of: One may wake up during the nocturnal emission, or one may stay asleep during the nocturnal emission.

One last thing, it refers to male again in that last sentence when it could also be a female.

So if anyone has any input about this please say so. If nothing is said then in a few days I will liekly reconstruct the introduction myself. Jamesters 02:52, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

Comments: I prefer the current wording for the introduction over the suggested changes. Current use and definition of a wet dream means by definition there is a male ejaculation of semen. The use of the term erotic dream in my opinion a much more accurate defintion for female sexual dreams or male sexual dreams that occur without an ejaculation of semen.

I am unaware of any findings that there are female ejaculations during sleep. If indeed such a phenomena exists it would warrant a seperate topic to avoid confusion with wet dreams which are understood to involve male ejaculations.

I agree with your suggestions concerning being awake vs. sleeping during a wet dream. You are right that is possible for a guy to either awaken or sleep through a wet dream ejaculation.

All right well I just changed that one sentence then. I am somewhat busy these days and probably won't want to concern myself with checking back up on this article again. Jamesters 03:52, 12 May 2006 (UTC)


 * This is reasonable, but generally the term "nocturnal emission" is understood to refer to male emissions of semen during sleep, even though interpreted literally it seems more generic. The article already mentions involuntary ejaculation by females and while awake, which are (or were) collectively described by the German word Pollution. Deco 07:09, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

Women
Orgasm during sleep redirects here, thus the article should be more clear regarding women, currently it begins "... ejaculation of semen experienced during sleep", and mentions women only indirectly women, and does not even contain the word 'female', I think the Kinsey Reports mentioned around 40% of women experiencing orgasm during sleep. At least something should be mentioned within the introduction, and maybe the redirect should be removed. Oyd11 15:30, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
 * - Data from Alfred Kinsey's studies, shows:

I suggest this is somehow incoporated into the article. Might Nocturnal orgasm be a better title? Oyd11 15:54, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Nocturnal Sex Dreams - 37% of females by age 45 experienced them
 * 5% of females listed Nocturnal Sex Dreams as "Sources of first orgasm"
 * Oh my God! Get real! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.92.49.32 (talk • contribs)
 * Hrm, I'm unsure whether there should be one article or two (say, this one and orgasm during sleep, which could be turned into its own article and linked from here). We do need to discuss women somewhere, but I think there's a lot more interest in - and information about - the more common male nocturnal emissions. Currently there is some minimal discussion of female orgasms, but only lower down in the article. Deco 04:05, 24 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Oh my God! Get real! - wow, what a reaction? what did I say?
 * Having Orgasm during sleep directed to a page opening with the words "A nocturnal emission is an ejaculation of semen experienced during sleep", is slightly bizzare. I'm not suggesting a "split" or anything. As for interest - I don't know, should we make a poll? Personally - if I try 'getting real', why shouldn't there be anything about female orgrasms during sleep in the opening paragraph? Is there some taboo I was not told about? Oyd11 02:34, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * That appears to be the reaction of an anonymous reader who does not believe in female orgasms during sleep. Ignore them. A poll wouldn't do much good for lack of interested contributors. I agree that the current state doesn't seem quite right. I think a move is probably most appropriate, but will require some reformatting. Deco 03:03, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Ok, I'm sorry, I've read the unsigned reply as a part of yours, which coloured your reply differently. As for the poll - I ment that as a joke (obviously?), as I find female sexuality more interesting. A split with a short paragraph shouldn't be that hard, it would be better if someone with (scholar) background would do this, as all my background is reading the mentioned webpage, and reports from several close female friends. Oyd11 17:53, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, this article seems horribly male-centric (and orthodox Christian for that matter too). The problem with creating a male-female balance will be to find citable sources, I think. The only thing I've found so far is http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/78308 and that's not exactly a reliable source! (Wet dream redirects here too). We've got that Kinsey ref found by Odyll above. Is there anything else anyone knows of? --Nigelj 18:57, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Orgasms during sleep shouldn't redirect here! "nocturnal emission" is a medical term referring to the secretion of semen by sleeping males: it has absolutely nothing to do with women. Therefore another article should be made referring to orgasms during sleep, and this page should be left as is. (216.165.144.147 21:28, 22 March 2007 (UTC))
 * If the term "nocturnal emission" applies to men only, then the pages for orgasm during sleep and wet dream should be separate articles and should not redirect here. This is a male-centric article. Neoalec 22:18, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

I also agree there should be mentioning of women under orgasm during sleep and wet dream etc.. Women do have them just like men do. 156.34.237.144 (talk) 00:02, 10 January 2008 (UTC)


 * I have them quite a lot (I'm a woman), I wake up shaking and thinking "oh here we go again, where are my hands? Oh resting beside me, is it over yet? Ok cool". I guess there haven't been done a lot of studies on women in this field. But I agree with some others here, women shouldn't be mentioned under "nocturnal emission". Either merge them or just leave it be. Right now, it states specific that this is a male-only thing, yet mentions women further down. Fix it! --88.88.168.238 (talk) 01:38, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

From my perspective this Panamanian in both genders is more the exception then the rule, even during adolescence. --124.148.110.35 (talk) 10:18, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

Christian section may have bias
The christian section seems to talk mainly about orthodox christians as the "example". I think this section should instead be renamed Orothodox Christians or have a subsection for Orthodox Christians, Protestant Christians and Catholics. The three main branches of Christianity are, Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant. Ergzay 21:08, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Ummm... The whole demon sex fundie thing. Well I think thats false. I went to the south and it did not suck THAT bad. (MJW) June 16, 2007

Rates in 50-year old males
"For married males the mean ranges from 0.23 times per week for 19 year old married males to 3.78 times per week for 50 year old married males.[3]"

There's no way a 50 year old married man is having a wet dream every other night. Can someone check this out?

Well, I am a 50 year old single man (not gay) and I have just experienced my first nocturnal emmission since my youth, before daybreak. There was absolutely no warning or dream preceding it. The only possible explanation, and it is far out, is that I took two Tylenol 3s before bed for a headache. Perhaps the codeine had something to do with it. stingafurt  20 May 2009

I'm thinking that the wording is a bit off in the "married males" math. The way I figured it, 0.23 (wd / wk)...you have to ask yourself "how many weeks to have 1 wet dream (wd). So, it ends up being 1/0.23 = 4.34 weeks for a wet dream...which averages 1 / month. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vastr8fit (talk • contribs) 22:10, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

Modern View
I didn't see any citations here, so I went ahead and marked it.
 * I removed it. I couldn't find any doctor named Ben Pierce or any Hawking Institute. This stuff is made up. Whoever added it, provide a good reference. Dcoetzee 06:20, 1 April 2007 (UTC)

(I agree with your deletion. That's almost certainly a tongue-in-cheek reference to Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce from M*A*S*H. -68.186.182.202 02:58, 3 May 2007 (UTC))

Possible Copyright Violation
"Regarding women, Kinsey found in 1953 that nearly 40 percent of the 5,628 women he interviewed experienced at least one nocturnal orgasm (orgasm during sleep), or 'wet dream,' by the time they were forty-five years old. A smaller study published in the Journal of Sex Research in 1986 found that 85 percent of the women who had experienced nocturnal orgasms had done so by the age of twenty-one, some even before they turned thirteen. In addition, women who have orgasms during sleep usually have them several times a year. Dr. Kinsey and his colleagues defined female nocturnal orgasm as sexual arousal during sleep that awakens one to perceive the experience of orgasm. It may be easier for men to identify their wet dreams because of the semen. Vaginal secretions could be a sign of sexual arousal without orgasm." Is overly similar to: http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1498.html - published May 07, 1999. --Marumari (talk) 15:30, 18 November 2007 (UTC)
 * Definitely a copyvio. Good find. I rewrote the paragraph, and cited the source correctly. I think this should be sufficient, so I removed PCV. Does this look good to you? Dcoetzee 03:28, 19 November 2007 (UTC)
 * I think it's much better now; definitely sufficient enough to remove the PCV. That said, I think it's still worth mentioning that it can be harder for women to detect if they've had a wet dream.  I know I've woken up sometimes, wondering.  Great work, though! --Marumari (talk) 17:58, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

Relevance of the Christian section
I'm having a hard time seeing the relevance of the Christian section, as it has no scientific importance to the issue at hand. please clarify.

--Anolis


 * I agree, this section seems to be coming from left field, and seeing that most of it needs citation, it is probably a better idea to just take the whole section out.
 * -IR Mongoose (talk) 21:33, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

It is not out of left field. I wish I had the exact Old Testament reference, but I recall reading about a man fornicating with a woman and, not wanting to make her pregnant, "spilled his seed." A deed for which God abruptly ended his life. This to me is Christian relevance, in that God the Father objects to INTENTIONAL emissions. stingafurt 20 May 2009

Picture
Does anybody know if there is a picture we could use of like a underwear stain or bed stain? Inks.LWC (talk) 23:31, 3 March 2008 (UTC)
 * The wetdreamforum website has photos of bedsheets and undergarments after a wet dream. Their authenticity is undetermined but appear to resemble in fact the aftermath of a typical nocturnal emission.--Nocturnal investigator (talk) 02:10, 3 June 2008 (UTC)
 * To be honest I don't think this would illustrate much - it would look exactly like a bedsheet/undergarment stained with a bit of water. I'm all for informative images but I think the images at ejaculation suffice. Dcoetzee 06:11, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

Poorly written
I think this article could use some cleaning up. There are a few places that don't read well at all; e.g.: "It is possible to wake up during, or to and the frequencies of nocturnal dreams." I can't even figure out what this sentence is trying to say. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.180.12.234 (talk) 02:40, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

I would de-cipher it to say "It is possible to wake up during a nocturnal erection, according to the frequencies of nocturnal dreams." I guess. It was likely written by someone who doesn't know English. stingafurt 20 May 2009


 * Don't females also experience this?  "Sexual Dreaming" also redirects to Nocturnal emmision.  This is more like Cause and Effect - where effect it the subject of the article, but cause can be any number of things, dreams being only one of the stimuli.  The article tends to present a male POV.   Many sexually-oriented dreams do not lead to emission.  Needs work. --71.245.164.83 (talk) 03:14, 20 January 2011 (UTC)

"Remedies" section is wrongly inserted, needs quote/citation styling
The entire text of the Remedies section appears to be an unmarked quote with no citation. This might as well constitute plagiarism (though not a copyvio, as according to the Tikkun HaKlali article, the text is from 1805, so its copyright has expired almost everywhere in the world). The text is hard to read, and needs wikification. I am not even sure it's appropriate for an encyclopedia - probably a rephrased, NPOV-ized, modern-English version should be put in its place, with a pointing to the original text. --NetRolller 3D  21:52, 10 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Just re-checked, it appears to be a recent insertion by a single editor, possibly qualifying for WP:MADEUP. --NetRolller 3D  21:59, 10 November 2008 (UTC)

Recent edits
I have removed the "remedies" section - which was a rather verbose and biased discussion of the Tikkun HaKlali psalms from Judaism - and just replaced them with a link to the article on the psalms, which is pretty good and which I linked back here.

I re-added the informative and well-documented section on "Frequency" which was deleted without justification in September 2008 by User:Pkrangerown. It's unfortunate that this edit slipped through the cracks - this article needs more people watching it. Please add it to your watchlist if you're reading this.

I deleted text that had been added - based on dubious sources - asserting a couple of the classical mythical causes for nocturnal emissions. There have many similar edits in the past. I added a new section on myths, just to clarify that these are myths and to (hopefully) avoid new additions asserting them as fact in the future.

Finally, I removed a couple statements that had been long standing without sources and are quite possibly untrue, such as the one about the "tingling sensation" and "the subject often still has a functional erection afterward." Dcoetzee 23:28, 10 November 2008 (UTC)

Untrue or unsubstantiated? Seems to me wet dreams are a very private subjective experience and unless there are statistically significant numbers of wet dreams happening in sleep laboratories and studies, there is not much more to go on. Even if the information is collected by a "legitimate" survey, the answered questions will still be subjective. That said, the bit about the tingling sensation seems pretty unique to the individual dreamer's experience, but an erection afterward either happens or does not. (By the way, what is the difference between a functional and non-functional erection? Either the penis is erect or not, unless it is specifying relative hardness of the erection?) If males experience erections during REM sleep and wake up, they will most certainly have an erection still, quite typically the hardest erection they are capable of which goes down much less quickly than other daytime erections. Whether he wakes up to notice his erection, or he has a full bladder and difficulty during urination draws extra attention to it does not matter, and it seems if he wakes up following a wet dream his penis would likely still be erect.

Opinionatedexpert (talk) 00:27, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

Nocturnal Emission and stages of sleep
I was thinking about remarking that Nocturnal Emission seems to happen in one of the deepest stages of sleep, but I think that this statement is solely based in my own personal experience, anyone? Daëmon (talk) 05:19, 27 November 2008 (UTC)

It seems that intuitively wet dreams would happen more often during REM sleep for the simple matter that most erections occur during REM sleep and most of our dreaming, especially the vivid ones, happen during REM sleep. My own experience would confirm this because I do in fact remember the wet dreams I have, which happen usually late morning when I can sleep late and have longer dreams. There is also the erection, of course. Some claim to have had nocturnal emissions with no dream (or sensation to go along with it?) but I don't know if this is just someone who never remembers dreams anyway, and we can't say as a result they must never have REM sleep. This site: http://www.dreamgate.com/dream/library/idx_science_rem.htm says "Nocturnal emissions have not been associated with REM sleep, but this may be due to the feelings of inhibition that occur in sleep laboratories." but I can't tell if this is because the wet dreams are not happening in the lab or that when they happen the sleeper is not in REM sleep. Opinionatedexpert (talk) 00:19, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

Recent edit
I have edited the wording because I believe the word "myth" is quite biased. If there is no conclusive evidence yet why would you call the current possible reasons "myths?"

Also, for the frequency category, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that exposure to sexual material such as pornography will increase the frequency. Just like the mind is active at night with helping us remember what we studied for school, it also logically will be affected by pornography we have just viewed. I believe no concrete studies have been carried out to figure out wet dreams' in relation to sexual stimulation, but I will definitely look this up for you. Zoodly (talk) 03:19, 20 January 2009 (UTC)


 * I'm not aware of any study connecting any sort of sexual arousal or erotic dreams to wet dreams, and I'm skeptical that such a connection exists (I place more credence in the idea that it's a spontaneous biological function unrelated to sex). If you find a study let me know. Dcoetzee 03:49, 20 January 2009 (UTC)

Wouldn't you agree that exposure to sexually stimulating material or frequent thinking about sex would increase the change of having an erotic dream resulting in ejaculations? I found one book for adolescents online that said looking at pornography and thinking about sex a lot before sleep can cause wet dreams, but a scholarly journal article is harder to find, as this may be a somewhat controversial topic. I am curious to find out and will try to ask a psychologist for their input. 70.156.79.131 (talk) 04:56, 20 January 2009 (UTC)


 * I would believe that exposure to sexual material increases the chance of erotic dreams, but I don't think it would cause ejaculation (intuitively it seems like that would require a lot more stimulation). While there is no evidence in either direction that I'm aware of, I think the position that erotic dreams and wet dreams are completely unrelated is currently tenable. Dcoetzee 05:54, 20 January 2009 (UTC)

I know exposure to pornography increases wet dreams. As a small youth, I would picture naked women whenever I went to bed. Sure enough I was surprised by frequent nocturnal emissions as well as orgasms. I literally had to reverse-program my mind out of it to have a good night's sleep! Of course, it depends on how over-sexed you are. :> stingafurt  20 May 2009

Little Cleanup & Female Nocturnal Orgasms
This article has obviously been edited a few times by different people; some of the sentences are not making sense. Additionally, at least one source is incorrect. I'll see what I can do. Squishycube (talk) 22:03, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Ok, I did the cleanup. There is now no citation for the possible causes (only one for not finding connections between wet dreams and sexual thoughts etc.).

Additionally, I removed references to female nocturnal orgasms. Although this could be interesting, it does not belong in the article about male nocturnal emission. (Feel free to discuss this, my opinion on this is not set in stone.) Squishycube (talk) 22:24, 20 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Yeah, the female issue has come up a few times, wondering whether since there's no separate article for that it should be covered here or whether this article should be retitled to something more general or whatever. People are persistent about adding causes and explanations with no reliable source to support them. To try and placate them I added the paragraph about "myths", which they promptly changed to present the "myths" as fact. It's exasperating. Dcoetzee 05:29, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm not quite sure how this is a male-only article. It's a nocturnal emissions article, and women do have them, so it is worth noting.  However, noting anything about female NE in the description of mens' would be inappropriate.  Also, because female NEs are less frequent and not as noticeable, I don't consider it a big enough point to make into a separate Wiki article. Shakesomeaction (talk) 09:34, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

Christian views
Tonguewagg has added the following text:

Some examples from the New Testament of the Bible which many Christians believe help guide their life and hence discuss implicitly the issue of nocturnal emissions:

"First cleanse the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of them may be clean also." Matthew 23:26.

"And the voice spoke to him again the second time, What God has made clean, you do not call unclean." Acts 10:15.

"I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2.

My problems with it are that:
 * 1) There is no interpretation offered. Does the Christian viewpoint consider it sinful?
 * 2) It is not referenced to any Christian scholars and therefore could be original research.
 * 3) The text is not encyclopedic.

I invite discussion on the subject. I have no agenda here and would welcome a properly researched section on the Christian view, whatever that is. Is Catholicism not Christian? Perhaps the various subsections of Christian views should be given, for instance Evangelical, Roman Catholic, etc. LittleOldMe (talk) 11:47, 27 May 2009 (UTC)


 * I don't think that the seperate Christian denominations are different enough concerning this subject to warrant their own mentions. Squishycube (talk) 06:24, 25 June 2009 (UTC)


 * I agree that the added text is original research, in the sense that it offers a novel interpretation without citing an authoritative religious scholar. It should remain removed. Additionally, I've removed some original research that I added a much longer time ago, now realising that it has the same problem (the bit about it possibly indicating disease). I've also removed the bit about "Psalms are still recited on Yom Kippur at night as a supposed aid against nocturnal emissions," which has had a fact tag for over a year. Dcoetzee 17:41, 27 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Catholics are not protestant, but they are still Christian. Shakesomeaction (talk) 09:37, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

spontaneous orgasm?
The article says that a nocturnal emission "may be considered a type of spontaneous orgasm". I suggest that there are three types of nocturnal emissions: (1) those with no apparent cause; (2) those associated with erotic dreams and no physical stimulation; (3) those associated with physical stimulation, such as humping the bed while dreaming of intercourse. I suggest that these are different phenomena, and I suggest that some individuals may experience none, one, two, or all three types. I further suggest a type 3 nocturnal emission is not spontaneous orgasm, just as intentionally masturbating to orgasm is not spontaneous orgasm.

I also think that the term "Nocturnal emission" should be restricted to ejaculation and that female orgasm while dreaming or sleeping is valid Wikipedia topic, but belongs in an article other than nocturnal emission. -Orgasm categorizer —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.41.18.20 (talk) 07:44, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * The points you make sound interesting, but in order to be able to use them in the article, we would need references to reliable sources where the same points are made. See WP:V and WP:RS. Do you have any such refs? --Nigelj (talk) 09:15, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * I have found no scientific reliable source connecting nocturnal emissions to erotic dreams. Also, the idea of masturbating to orgasm during sleep seems highly speculative - I've never seen any evidence that it has ever occurred. Dcoetzee 21:02, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Difference in semen in wet dreams
I have heard on the wet dream forum that wet dreams have different kinds of semen produced versus normal sex or masturbation. They also said the semen came in to components: a watery one and a more thick one. Maybe a section should be written on this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 27.32.31.245 (talk) 09:30, 20 February 2011 (UTC)
 * As far as I know there is no scientific evidence for this. Dcoetzee 21:00, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

More religious views than scientific facts?
It's such a shame that instead of scientific explanations, it's religious views that dominate this page. I guess a lot of teenagers visit this page; but instead of explaining why this happens and it's not a thing to be ashamed of, doctrinal views (very unscientific up to a very large limit) are published here. Someone who has good knowledge in the medical field should update this page.Muthuppattar (talk) 13:54, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

Connection to erotic dreams
I've been trying rather forcefully to insist in this article that there is no known connection between erotic dreams and nocturnal emissions (despite the name), which is a very common misunderstanding, and as far as I know this is true because I've never run across a reputable study that purports to demonstrate such a connection. It's pretty hard to provide a citation for a negative like this, especially when I don't have a background in medicine. Could anyone provide any tips on how I could help justify this claim? Thanks. Dcoetzee 03:08, 29 October 2011 (UTC)

I agree. There are of course wet dreams with sexual dreams, but there are the two other kinds: with non-sexual dreams and with no dream whatsoever. I've never had a wet dream without a dream but I have certainly had non erotic dreams. This is hard to explain though because even though they are not sexual they may still feel good physically, so I don't know if that is erotic or not. For example several wet dreams have resulted from the sensation of having to urinate very badly and feeling an intense build up followed by an uncontrolled release. In such a dream one might imagine he is actually wetting the bed, or feeling himself urinate, or it may result in a series of rhythmic pulses which nevertheless are interpreted in the dream as an interrupted flow of urine. Seems there should be a discussion or mention about the various sensations one experiences during a wet dream no matter what the dream is about. A wet dream is not just a dream plus an ejaculation. There is the sensation aspect that is usually the most memorable but hard to describe. It is not so easy to say it feels like an ejaculation because for many the first wet dream IS the first ejaculation (like mine) and so has no idea what it feels like, but there is a sensation that is worked into the dream somehow to explain it. I heard about an educational video that describes the sensation like a spigot being opened and closed quickly several times, but I can't locate this online. Opinionatedexpert (talk) 00:36, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

Masturbation and Wet Dreams
SOME MORE INFORMATION PLS. IS A WET DREAM A RESULT OF MALICIOUS THINKINGS. OR WATCHING PORNO FILMS ETC. OR READING AN IMMORAL TEXT ETC — Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.175.97.163 (talk) 07:17, 13 March 2005 (UTC)

As the article says, it's the result of accumulated semen production.

Is not surprising given that erection is _physiological_ during REM sleep. (march 2005)
 * Where is this information from?

"As the article says, it's the result of accumulated semen production."

doesn't that contradict with the line: "Contrary to popular belief, the frequency that one has nocturnal emissions is completely unrelated to one's frequency of masturbation" ?
 * Good catch. I fixed it. Deco 02:18, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Also contradicts: "Another misconception is that wet dreams are the way the body disposes of 'built-up' semen, to make room for more; the body does not in fact need to do this, as is evident from the many men who ejaculate only on rare occasions. It is not known why nocturnal emissions actually occur."

Wet Dreams does not nessasarily occur due to sexual dreams. It can also happen in some horror dream which are totally unexpected. I have experienced. in morning totally confused as why it happened to me. (even though not done mastrubation since long time.) In india due to mastrubation or wet dreams can lead to many mental disorders inclusing susuidal tendancies, due to social impact.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 118.94.109.168 (talk) 13:55, 8 February 2009 (UTC) The point here is right that nocturnal emission occur not only from sexual images but also from horror or some else normal dreams and teenage boy after get irritated just continue to think what now ?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 103.14.183.68 (talk) 08:32, 8 June 2014 (UTC)

I concur that wet dreams need not be sexual in nature. Although I have not had any resulting from a nightmare, I have had some in which I believed I was urinating, albeit in a more pleasurable manner, with more intensity and a feeling of the flow being repeatedly interrupted. In these cases, such as in my very first one which was my first ejaculation, maybe the reason is the sleeping brain has no other sensation in that region to compare to. Sometimes the feeling is just a single burst. But the dream can be anything, swimming, or just seeing something mildly erotic like a breast or someone attractive, or feeling yourself briefly bump or press against something. Or, disappointingly, there can sometimes be no dream at all, or sensation that can be recalled.

There is no source for "The frequency that one has nocturnal emissions has not been conclusively linked to frequency of masturbation." Can we get a page or something on the Kinsey report? Is there really no data on this? Anorderofmagnitude (talk) 17:41, 27 September 2015 (UTC)