Wet dreams are a natural part of development for many young men. Even so, it can be confusing and embarrassing for them.
It’s good for parents to talk to their kids about wet dreams, and reinforce the fact it’s a normal part of growing up, wrote About.com.
According to KidsHealth.org, a wet dream is also known as a nocturnal emission. Nocturnal means "at night" and emission means "discharge."
A wet dream is when semen (the fluid containing sperm) is discharged from the penis during ejaculation while a guy is asleep. Boston Children’s Hospital added that they wake up to find their bed sheets wet and sticky.
Wet dreams begin during puberty because that’s when the body starts making more testosterone, the major male hormone, said KidsHealth.org.
WebMD cautioned that once guys make testosterone, they can release sperm which also means they can get a girl pregnant during sex.
Usually wet dreams occur during dreams with sexual images, wrote KidsHealth.org. Sometimes males wake up from a wet dream, but sometimes they sleep through it. Others may think they’ve accidentally wet the bed, said About.com.
The Boston Children’s Hospital website wrote that most wet dreams are reported in teenage boys and young men, though sometimes they occur well into adulthood.
Girls can have wet dreams as well, but they are far more common in guys, wrote About.com.
WebMD added that although girls can't ejaculate, they can orgasm during a dream.
Columbia University’s Go Ask Alice column referred to a study published in the Journal of Sex Research in 1986. It found that 85 percent of women who experienced wet dreams had done so by age 21. Some had wet dreams even before they turned 13 years old.
Wet dreams typically can’t be controlled, wrote About.com, so there’s no reason to ever feel guilty about having a wet dream.
Even if a guy has a lot of wet dreams it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with him, wrote WebMD.
Some guys have wet dreams a few times a week. Others may only have a couple of wet dreams during their lifetime.
And not every teenager has wet dreams. Not having them doesn't mean there's anything wrong with a guy either.
WebMD advised for those who’ve had a wet dream to clean up when they wake. Leaving sticky sperm on the body could lead to an infection.
Wash the penis and testicles with soap and water, including the area under the foreskin for those who aren't circumcised.
Talking about wet dreams is the best way to help your kids feel more comfortable about this natural part of development, wrote Boston Children’s Hospital.
Sources:
"Do women have wet dreams, too? | Go Ask Alice!" Go Ask Alice! N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2012.
http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/do-women-have-wet-dreams-too
"Dry up my wet dreams! | Go Ask Alice!" Go Ask Alice! N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2012.
http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/dry-my-wet-dreams
Hardcastle, Mike. "Teen Advice Information Sheet About Wet Dreams." Teen Advice - Advice and Community For Teens. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2012.
http://teenadvice.about.com/od/factsheetsforteens/a/10thingswetdr.htm
O'Donnell, Jennifer. "Wet Dreams - What are Wet Dreams?" Parenting Tweens. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2012.
http://tweenparenting.about.com/od/physicalemotionalgrowth/f/Wet-Dreams.htm
"The Facts About Wet Dreams." Teen Health Center: Information on Teen. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2012.
http://teens.webmd.com/boys/wet-dream-faq
"Wet Dreams." Young Men's Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2012.
http://www.youngmenshealthsite.org/wet_dreams.html
"What Are Wet Dreams?" KidsHealth - the Web's most visited site about children's health. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2012.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/guys/expert_wet_dreams.html
Reviewed December 28, 2012
by MIchele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith