OP: Wet Dreams

Have you ever woken up to a “sticky situation” on your nightwear or bed sheets? It’s called a nocturnal emission, or wet dream, and most men have had one at some point in their lives. During a wet dream, men – and reportedly, some women - spontaneously ejaculate in their sleep. A common way to view a wet dream is as a spontaneous Orgasm, though emissions can occur with or without an erection.

Just like unintended erections, nocturnal emissions just happen and, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to support that this completely involuntary form of ejaculation occurs as a result of an erotic dream; it is simply nature’s way of ‘cleaning the pipes’, so to speak.

Overview
Wet dreams are a lot like a girl’s first period, according to the book ‘Sex: A Man’s Guide’. As with menarche – the initial Menstruation - these inadvertent ejaculations are physically impossible for boys to achieve until their Sexual Organs have reached a particular stage in development. Only when the ‘sperm machine’ – which includes the testicles, the prostate, and the seminal vesicles - is fully matured, can these nocturnal emissions happen. When you look it at like that, wet dreams are actually a good indication that you are ‘good to go’!

Why Do They Happen?
It is believed that wet dreams may simply be your reproductive system running a check on itself. Scientists believe that overnight, the penis might not get all the oxygen it needs, and to compensate it pumps up to three hours of blood flow a night. That’s a lot of time for accidental spillage to occur!

Incidence
Wet dreams are most common during adolescence, but they can occur during or after puberty - and can also happen to grown men. Additionally, there is quite a correlation among men who take testosterone-based drugs. Though women are reported to experience their own version of nocturnal emissions, wet dreams are most commonly associated with men, and needless to say, there are facts that support an overwhelming incidence of this occurrence:

One study concluded that 83% of men in the United States have experienced nocturnal emissions at some time in their life

An Indonesian survey showed that 97% of men experience nocturnal emissions by the age of 24.

Frequency
For those who actually experience them, the frequency of wet dreams can vary. A Belgian study found that the average age of first ejaculation is 13, and as the authors of ‘Sex: A Man’s Guide’ point out, “once they [wet dreams] commence, they come on like gangbusters; the late Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey, a pioneer in the field of sex research, found that boys under age 15 could have as many as 12 a week.” That’s a lot of extra laundry!

Wet Dreams and Masturbation
There has not been a conclusive link found between the frequency of Masturbation and the prevalence of wet dreams. However, there is some evidence indicating that men who have the highest frequency of wet dreams generally have lower rates of masturbation. Perhaps there is a little less “tension” built up in the body to drive guys to masturbate in their waking hours; alternatively, frequent masturbation may lower the need for an involuntary release.

Religious View on Wet Dreams
There are a number of references in Christian, Islamic, and Judaic texts that that deem nocturnal emissions as impure acts, which naturally would lead young men into thinking there is something wrong with having these functions of the body. For some, wet dreams become a source of shame, regardless of the fact they are both natural and completely involuntary.

Final Thoughts
If boys live in a household where sexuality is not spoken of, or is frowned up, they may not have been taught what is happening to their bodies when a wet dream occurs. Thus, it may become a cause for confusion or embarrassment, and can lead boys into believing that they have ‘wet the bed’. It is therefore important that specific information about wet dreams is shared as part of their overall sex education.

If you’ve experienced a wet dream, be assured that there is nothing to be ashamed of. Despite people’s beliefs about their existence, they happen to many, if not most, men. Because there is no actual way to prevent them from happening, the only thing you need to concern yourself with is tidying up the spill in the morning!

Posted: 17 Aug 21:25