America’s secret nightlife: the hidden prevalence and patterns of sexual dreams

Sexual dreams represent a fascinating yet understudied component of human experience.1,2 While often considered private or taboo, they occur across virtually all populations and may influence mood, physiology, and behavior.1,2 To investigate their prevalence and potential psychological implications, the Sexual Dreams Longitudinal Effects and Emotional and Physical Impact (SLEEP) Study surveyed 301 adults residing in the United States. The survey assessed the frequency, gender content, and physical or emotional consequences of sexual dreams. Participants were female-identifying adults aged ≥18 years, residing in the United States, who completed a single-wave anonymous online survey via the Prolific platform between May 2024 and November 2024. The survey was conducted after the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, during a period in which pandemic-related restrictions in the United States had largely been lifted, although residual stressors may still have influenced sleep and dream patterns. Using this same SLEEP Study cohort, the present Brief Communication addresses a distinct set of questions directly relevant to sexual medicine practice. A companion article based on this cohort, published in Sleep Research, focused on the association between sexual dream frequency, post-dream symptoms, and self-reported mental health diagnoses using logistic regression models.3 In contrast, the present Brief Communication is intentionally limited to a concise description of the prevalence, frequency, gender content, and immediate emotional and relational impact of sexual dreams, along with demographic correlates that are most relevant to sexual medicine practice. The two manuscripts therefore address complementary questions using overlapping data but report distinct outcomes and analyses.