Wet Dreams Are Normal. Here’s Why They Happen

A wet dream, or nocturnal emission, is when a male releases semen (the fluid that contains sperm) or a female orgasms and releases vaginal fluids while sleeping. Some people wake up in the process, but others sleep through it. A nocturnal emission is often the result of a sexual dream, but not always.

If you’ve ever experienced a wet dream, you’re in good company. Millions of people have had wet dreams—they’re completely normal and healthy.

Who Gets Wet Dreams?

While many people associate wet dreams with teenage boys, nocturnal emissions can happen to anyone. Studies suggest that 66-85% of men and nearly half of women have had wet dreams at some point. Of these women, some had even experienced wet dreams prior to the age of 13, and many of them experience wet dreams several times per year.

Keep in mind that there is less research on wet dreams in females than in males, and it may be easier for males to identify wet dreams because they have more physical evidence: semen. Only 10% of females ejaculate (spurt out fluid) during orgasm, even when they’re awake.

Since men’s nocturnal emissions are more obvious, many researchers define their wet dreams more loosely than women’s. A female has to wake up in the middle of an orgasm for their experience to count as a wet dream—a male does not. This may be one of the reasons more men report wet dreams than women.

Wet dreams typically begin during puberty. While wet dreams are more common among teenagers, many people continue to experience them throughout life. Even married adults have reported wet dreams.

Everyone’s body is different, so regardless of your age or gender, it’s perfectly normal if you experience wet dreams on a regular basis—or not at all.

What Causes Wet Dreams?

Wet dreams can be confusing, especially if they’re new to you. There are several factors that might contribute to nocturnal emissions.

REM Sleep

When we sleep, our bodies go through various stages, including REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. During REM sleep—which is typically when we dream—people tend to experience genital arousal, faster breathing, and an increased heart rate. Some experts believe that this may be enough to cause nocturnal emissions in certain people.

This is true for both males and females. While the process is more obvious in males—since it can be difficult for them not to notice “morning wood”—females do experience clitoral erections and vaginal engorgement during REM sleep, even if they don’t realize it.

Dreams

As with orgasms in waking life, many wet dreams are triggered by sexual content. Dreaming about sex is common—2007 research found that, regardless of gender, 8% of people’s dreams involved sexual activity, and of these dreams, about 4% resulted in orgasm.

Even people who are sexually active can have erotic dreams, and it doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t sexually satisfied in real life.

Interestingly, some people report nocturnal emissions during dreams that don’t involve any sexual content at all, but involve some other form of physiological stimulation such as going to the bathroom.

Hormones

Since wet dreams typically begin during puberty, it’s natural to assume that hormones may play a role, and there’s some evidence to suggest this may be the case. A small 1998 study of adolescents with delayed puberty found that boys had more nocturnal emissions when they were given a moderate dose of testosterone.

Exposure to Sexual Content During the Day

A 2020 study of 113 religious boys found that those who watched more television tended to have more nocturnal emissions, so it's possible that the media you consume during the day may affect your dreams.

Genital Stimulation While Sleeping

Some people stimulate their genitals while sleeping—with their bedsheets or blankets, for example—without realizing it. Since blood flow can make the genitals more sensitive during REM sleep, this might lead to wet dreams. Because of the pressure it places on your genitals, sleeping on your stomach can also make wet dreams more likely.

What To Do if You Have a Wet Dream

There’s not much you need to do after having a wet dream. Of course, your first step is to wash yourself off. You can take a shower if you have time, but it’s not strictly necessary—you may do just fine with soap, water, and a washcloth or some tissues.

Once you’re washed off, change into clean clothes and throw your wet clothes in the wash. If your bedsheets are also wet, don’t forget to wash those, as well.

Can You Prevent Wet Dreams?

Wet dreams are very common, and nothing to be ashamed of. Since they happen while you’re sleeping, there’s really not much you can do to prevent them, but there are some steps you can take to make them less likely.

• Change your sleeping habits: Sleeping on your stomach has been associated with sexual dreams, so it is something to avoid if you want to prevent nocturnal emissions. You may also want to wear loose-fitting clothes to avoid stimulating your genitals.
• Cut back on TV: Try watching less television, and see if that has any impact on your dreams. Your mental and physical health will thank you for it, too. 
• Lucid dream: If you learn how to lucid dream, you may be able to control your dreams. However, lucid dreaming can be tricky to master, and even the most experienced lucid dreamers typically aren't able to control all of their dreams.
  

Keep in mind that not every nocturnal emission is associated with a sexual dream to begin with, so even if you manage to avoid erotic dreams, that doesn't guarantee that you won't wake up with a wet patch in your underwear every now and then.

Some people get fewer nocturnal emissions when they masturbate more often, and many people naturally have fewer wet dreams as they get older.

There’s no foolproof way to avoid wet dreams. If you’re worried about having wet dreams away from home, bring a change of clothes with you, and perhaps a towel, washcloth, or some tissues.

It's likely that many of the people around you have also experienced wet dreams at one point or another, so there's no need to feel ashamed.

A Quick Review

Wet dreams are a normal and healthy experience for people of all ages and genders. During wet dreams, males release semen, and females orgasm and release vaginal fluids. Nocturnal emissions are often—but not always—caused by sexual dreams.

Generally speaking, all you have to do after a wet dream is clean yourself up, get changed, and wash any affected clothing or blankets. There’s nothing wrong with having wet dreams, but if you feel that your nocturnal emissions are interfering with your life, it wouldn’t hurt to chat with a therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider.