What are nocturnal emissions or wet dreams?
Teenage boys or adult men might sometimes notice that their pants or their bed is wet, while out of bed. This could be very embarrassing to them, as most of them misunderstand it to be bed wetting. This may be or may not be true. It is what is called wet dreams or nocturnal emissions. Nocturnal means “during night”.
During puberty or later, a spontaneous ejaculation referred to as wet dreams or nocturnal emissions occurs in an individual, while they are in sleep. Ejaculation is the process of releasing a fluid of semen from penis. Girls can also experience wet dreams, but mostly boys experience it. Girls can often misinterpret the emissions to be some vaginal discharge. It is to be noted that the emissions are not orgasms that ejaculate after a sexual intercourse. They are a normal healthy process, which both boys and girls experience during puberty.
From the medical point of view, these emissions are a result of rapid eye movement during sleep. In this sleep phase, the blood circulation is too high causing intense brain activity. In boys, it leads to collection of excess semen in the testicles, which automatically gets released during wet dreams.
The religious view on the nocturnal emissions or the wet dreams are not negative. Since it is a normal sleep activity of the adolescents, it is not considered impure. However, some there are some cultural beliefs that say it is necessary to take bath after such emissions. It should be noted that they are treated similar to menstruation and sexual intercourse.
On the other hand, the social view of the nocturnal emission is not so positive. This is due to the wrong understanding of the nocturnal emissions. It is often perceived that the adolescents experiencing wet dreams are causing it due to increased sexual arousal. The act of masturbation and wet dreams are often confused as one. The individual, parents and society must understand that such emissions are only the process of releasing the excess semen stored in the testis.
See Also: What are the step-by-step changes occurring in an adolescent boy during puberty?
