page_title: Sleep sex
section_title: Polysomnography
hierarchical_section_title: Sleep sex / Diagnosis / Clinical tests / Polysomnography
caption_attribution_description: English: The illustration shows the standard setup for a polysomnogram. In figure A, the patient lies in a bed with sensors attached to the body. In figure B, the polysomnogram recording shows the blood oxygen level, breathing event, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage over time.
context_page_description: Sexsomnia, also known as sleep sex, is a distinct form of parasomnia, or an abnormal activity that occurs while an individual is asleep. Sexsomnia is characterized by an individual engaging in sexual acts while in non rapid eye movement sleep. Sexual behaviors that result from sexsomnia are not to be mistaken with normal nocturnal sexual behaviors, which do not occur during NREM sleep. Sexual behaviors that are viewed as normal during sleep and are accompanied by extensive research and documentation include nocturnal emissions, nocturnal erections, and sleep orgasms.
  Sexsomnia can present in an individual with other pre-existing sleep-related disorders.
  Although they may appear to be fully awake, individuals who have sexsomnia often have no recollection of the sexual behaviors they exhibit while asleep.
  In some cases, a medical diagnosis of sexsomnia has been used as a criminal defense in court for alleged sexual assault and rape cases.
context_section_description: Polysomnography is a study conducted while the individual being observed is asleep. A polysomnograph (PSG) is a recording of an individual's body functions as they sleep. Complete sleep studies are most commonly facilitated at a designated sleep center. Specialized electrodes and monitors are connected to the individual and remain in place throughout study. Video cameras can be used in certain cases to record physical behaviors occurring while the individual is asleep. Typically the unwanted sexual behaviors do not present on film, therefore the majority of information is taken from a sleep study.
caption: The image above depicts an individual undergoing a sleep study.
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