Imagine a better world of dreams and orgasms….

Wet dreams. Only boys have them and they are just one of the many signs of their continuing arousal that began around puberty. Right?

No, not even close.

There are almost as many myths about wet dreams as there are women – yes, women – who have them. Also known by the less sexy name of nocturnal emissions, wet dreams are basically orgasms during sleep (or, as I like to call them, sleep orgasms).

People of all genders can have wet dreams, so why should it be exclusive to penis owners? The answer to that probably lies in what happens.

For many people with penises, wet dreams result in a wet patch on the sheets when they wake up. If you have a vulva, on the other hand, the moisture can remain largely inside your body. And given that sexual science has historically been limited, especially when it comes to research focused on women, females, and LGBTQIA people, and that female sexuality still remains largely taboo in various countries, women and female wet dreams have gotten less attention.

“I started having them around middle school when I had major crushes too,” said Michelle, a student from San Francisco. “I would wake up a little breathless and physically aroused, usually after a dream I would have sex with a real human, or with a big tits sex doll that I bought a few months ago, even if I hadn’t done it yet.”

When Michelle shared her experience, one of her relatives seemed a little horrified. So Michelle kept these events to herself for years, feeling a little embarrassed and wondering what was “wrong” with her.

With a greater understanding of these natural events, perhaps we can prevent others from feeling ashamed of them.

Why “female wet dreams” happen

No one knows exactly why many women and vulva owners have wet dreams, but a number of factors may contribute.

“Previous research, including my own study, has found that many factors can influence the occurrence, such as hormonal fluctuations (such as when ovulating, or during pregnancy), lucid dreaming, sexual dream imagery, and periods of sexual frustration or sexual abstinence,” said Lyndsay Mercier, a physician and sexologist, who recently completed her own doctoral research study on women who orgasm during sleep.

In other words, you might experience dreams more often at certain times of the month, if you’re menstruating, or when it’s been a while since you’ve had sex or masturbated.

No one knows for sure whether orgasm during sleep starts in the body or in the mind, but ‘it’s likely to be a combination of both systems working together’. And while they happen most often in the morning or just before waking up from a nap, indications that sleep and relaxation play a role, they can also happen rather randomly.

The piquant benefits of wet dreams

Wet dreams can be a sign that your body is functioning well sexually. Both arousal and orgasm require sufficient blood flow to the genitals, so if you experience a nocturnal orgasm, you’re probably not experiencing circulation problems that could interfere with either.

Beyond this, and perhaps the greatest benefit of so-called ‘female wet dreams’, is the sheer enjoyment they can bring. They release pleasant brain chemicals, such as dopamine and oxytocin, so you might end up starting your day on a brighter or more relaxed note.

You may look and feel more vibrant for up to 48 hours, according to research published by the Association of Psychological Sciences, thanks to that postcoital glow. Sleeping pills can also help you feel more connected to your sexuality and desires in a world where too many barriers stand in the way of many women.

“People with vaginas usually enjoy the experience and find it exciting, relaxing, and pleasurable, and many women feel a sense of pride just for having this ability,” said Mercier, who coined the term “sleepwalking orgasm” to describe the uniquely female experience of orgasm during sleep.

Not only that, but many women describe orgasms during sleep as the best and most intense they’ve ever had, she said. For some girls, they are the only orgasms they have had so far.

Given that orgasms are often assumed for men and considered a potential sex bonus for women within heterosexual relationships, knowing that your body is capable of inviting climactic pleasure could help pave the way for bliss even while awake.