In the Book
In his book, "Sleepsex: Uncovered," Michael Mangan, Ph.D., reveals some interesting facts about this little known disorder. As far as I know it's the only book available about sleepsex. Although clinical in nature, it's written in a language that the lay person can understand. Most important are the dozens of stories, true stories and interviews that have been submitted to Dr. Mangan and which he has reproduced, in whole or in part, in his book.In chapter one, the author has anticipated a few of the possible questions about the condition and provided answers gleaned from recent clinical articles written by sleep experts. One question: Is sleepsex a sleep "disorder?" is answered, in part, as follows:
"Currently sleepsex has not been classified as a unique type of sleep disorder."
He goes on to explain that it is, in fact, a variant of sleepwalking. Sleepwalking is classified as an arousal disorder, and, more generally, as a parasomnia.
He also discusses how people feel about the problem, possible causes and dangers - for instance, legal implications. Some people have been falsely accused of rape and/or assault while in the throes of an attack of sleepsex.
Chapters Two to Five
Chapter two expands on the explanation of what sleepsex is and its effects. The results of a survey from Dr. Mangan's website, Sleepsex.org, reveal, for one thing, that the majority of people indicated how difficult it was to find information on the topic of sleepsex.Chapters three and four discuss the dark side and the bright side of sleepsex. The dark side, for instance, involves things like fear, guilt, shame and frustration. On the bright side, we find that, for some "It's a real turn-on." Others found it a way to develop a deeper trust and a deeper level of passion.
In chapter five the author reproduces a series of stories and interviews with women who have been the victims or instigators of sleepsex, for, although it is more prevalent in men, some women do suffer from their own bouts of sleepsex.
One woman says she incorporated her husband's sleepsex into a dream she was having about being raped. Others find it a real turn-on. She was frightened and angry. Another woman discovered she was the instigator and remembered accusing a man of rape. She wondered if she might have led him into the sexual encounter. The stories run from tales of fear, anger and humiliation to those of satisfaction and enjoyment.
Interviews and Siummary
Chapter six - the interviews and stories from the men, also cover the entire spectrum of emotions. Some found their partners responded well and found the experience very positive. Others lost friends and lovers because of sleepsex episodes. Some reveal tales of being accused of rape and sexual assault and losing good friends or being threatened with police action.In the concluding chapter, Dr. Mangan gives us a summary and his conclusions about sleepsex. He covers the negative experience and the positive experience including another look at the dark and bright sides of the disorder. Finally, he has some suggestions as to things one can do about sleepsex.
From Dr . Mangan's Biography
Psychologist Michael Mangan, Ph.D., has studied human behavior and experience for over ten years. Dr. Mangan holds an M.A. in Academic Research Psychology from Humboldt State University, and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of New Hampshire. For the past three years, he has been conducting Web-based research on sexual behavior that occurs during sleep. He is an expert in the varieties of sleepsex experience. He publishes the only Web site that focuses specifically on sleepsex, and has written "Sleepsex: Uncovered," the first book on this topic.Dr. Mangan teaches psychology at the University of New Hampshire, Durham.
I would recommend "Sleepsex: Uncovered" to anyone who has experienced this disorder, either as the instigator or as a victim. I also suggest it as an excellent source of information for those who have never heard of this disorder and would like to learn more.
