Status: Real (though difficult to accept as an excuse for criminal behavior)
I first reported about the phenomenon of sleep sex
over a year ago. It's a rare disorder that causes people to engage in sexual behavior while asleep. It's also potentially one of the greatest excuses for sexual impropriety ever devised. Now there's
a case in Canada in which a guy successfully defended himself against charges of sexual assault by arguing that he's a sexsomniac:
Jan Luedecke, 33, met his victim at a party on July 6, 2003, and both had been drinking, the Toronto Sun reported. The woman, who can't be named, fell asleep on a couch and said she awoke to find him having sex with her. She pushed him off, then called the police. Luedecke claimed he fell asleep on the same couch and woke up when he was thrown to the floor. Sleep expert Dr. Colin Shapiro testified Luedecke had sexsomnia, which is sexual behavior during sleep, brought on by alcohol, sleep deprivation and genetics. The judgment outraged women's groups, the newspaper said.
I'm willing to bet that as popular awareness of sexsomnia grows, it'll begin to be used as a defense more and more often. It'll be like the mirror image of the repressed memory mania (i.e. a mania of not remembering, instead of remembering). The phenomenon itself may be real, but it sure seems like it's a malady tailor-made for con artists.
Comments
Whether you're drunk, sleepy, high or mentally disturbed, it doesnt change the fact you did it, it should just be mitigation when sentencing.
But personally, the worst I have ever done is to kick the shit out of my husband when he starts snoring. I have actually woken up in pain after kicking him so hard. You have no idea the remorse you feel when that happens.
I mean please, men have a hard enough time getting the darn things on awake. Besides, if your asleep then how in the heck would he have the idea to put on some kind of protection. His body is CRAVING sex not craving sex in a responsible and protected manner.
I believe the phenomenon might happen but this story is a load of crap.
I've heard of that, too, but it was the men who were asleep at the time, not the knife-wielding women.
See Lorena Bobbitt for further info.
Now my standard excuse has been blown... if you'll pardon the expression. :coolmad:
Ever driven to work and arrived without being able to recall exact details of the journey? Same procedure from a neurological viewpoint.
Sorry to hear about your spouses HIV status. How are they responding to medication, if they are on a regime?
it won't be any better on me or my wife if someone kills my kids when they're awake or asleep. if they're a danger, put them away.
-MB
-sexsomniatically yours
comnine
And frankly, if I was getting regular visits from a Lilith-like creature I am not entriely convinced that I would desire an end to it . . .
I don't mind those dreams but I didn't like the time when I was pregnant, and breathing heavily, and he dreamt that I was being raped, jumped on top of me, knelt on my arms and punched me in the face.
On the other hand the time he thought a tree was falling on the bed so he leapt out the (fortunately open) window stark naked was very funny. It was a bright full moon night, so just as well we live out in the country.
My experience occurred during my college years, I suffered from sleep apnea, where I stopped breathing about 10 times while sleeping. Its a potentially life threatening condition. But a couple side effects are irregular sleeping habits then leading into sleep walking. I found myself in a awkward position one night, when I woke up with my ex girlfriend strattling on top of me. She told me we were having sex for the last 20 minutes in various positions, missionary, doggy, oral...But I had no memory.
OK you hear a lot of talk that sexomnia is a sleep disorder and people don't realise what they are doing. Then how come they know how to open a packet and put on a condom. I tried to do it in the dark once, not as straight forward as I thought. So I can imagine it aint going to be that easy with your eyes shut.
Then i started catchign myself mid act.
i thought i was alone, so im glad sucha site exists.
apparantly, not only have i been loving n gentle in my sleep but also violent holding my partner at the time down, etc.
its gotten to the point i just cant fall asleep next to anyone, and try to resist it. Its unfortunate, because fallign asleep next to a loved one is one of the simple pleasures of life that i cant privelage myself with. I will never be able to fall asleep with my un-born child, or share a bed witha mate due to circumstances, etc.
oh well, small price to pay i guess if it means legal proceedings or hurting those you care about.
But remember, it is a disorder and deserves the recognition, study and compassion that it merits. Public awareness of the disorder should enable people who suffer the condition to take better responisbility and not fall asleep next to anyone. rapists and other degenerate individuals will always find excuses for their acts. there should be a verifiable neuropsychical and medical way of measuring wether one suffers from the condition, prohibiting it being used as an excuse.
Well the person is cognisant of his actions if he is able to put a condom on.
The person knew he had this problem and put himself in the position that he knew would trigger the response (drugs, acohol and sleep deprivation), all of which he admitted to.
If the male is looking for sex in his sleep and he ISN'T cognisant of his actions; then how come he never manages to target a man in their sleep.
2. I have sex while fully asleep, never waking up, or knowing about it until she tells me the next day. (maybe she is a liar)
3. She will turn me on while sleeping to get me to do it some nights. I've caught her.
4. But I also sleep walk, and will do things like laundry and dishes and never be aware that I did them.
5. Sometimes the only way I know I was "up" in either sense is where I wake up.