Sexsomnia was reported by almost 8% of patients at a sleep disorders center and was more common in men than women.
Results of the study, presented at SLEEP 2010, indicate that 7.6% of patients (63 of 832) at a sleep disorders center reported that they had initiated or engaged in sexual activity with a bed partner while asleep. The prevalence of reported sexsomnia was nearly three times higher in men (11%) than in women (4%).
"There have been no previous studies of how frequently sexsomnia occurs," said co-investigator Sharon A. Chung, PhD, sleep research laboratory staff scientist in the department of psychiatry at the University Health Network in Toronto. "While our finding of 8% of people reporting sexsomnia seems really a high number, it should be stressed that we only studied patients referred to a sleep clinic. So, we would expect the numbers to be much lower in the general population."
The study involved a retrospective chart review of 832 consecutive patients who were evaluated for a suspected sleep disorder; the sample consisted of 428 men and 404 women. Patients completed a questionnaire about sleep disorders symptoms, behaviors during sleep, sleepiness, fatigue, and mood.
Symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, and depressed mood were similar between people reporting sexsomnia and other patients at the sleep disorders center. Both groups also had similar rates of smoking and caffeine consumption. However, people who reported sexsomnia were twice as likely as other sleep center patients to admit using illicit drugs (15.9% vs 7.7%).
Although sexsomnia was common, patients rarely mentioned the problem to their doctor. Chung noted that only four of 832 patients expressed a complaint about sexsomnia during a consultation with a sleep specialist.
