What are wet dreams?
During puberty, a guy begins to produce sperm in his testicles. (Sperm are reproductive cells that can start a pregnancy. To learn more about pregnancy, click here.) Sperm mixes with fluids from nearby glands to create semen. Semen is a milky white, sticky fluid that includes millions of sperm. It comes out of the tip of the penis when a guy ejaculates (or “cums”). When teen guys first start producing sperm, the testicles sometimes get overloaded and need to release the sperm. This results in a discharge of semen, usually when a guy is sleeping. This is called a “wet dream.” (The technical name is “nocturnal emission.”) It’s normal for guys to have a lot of wet dreams, anywhere from one to three times a week. It’s also normal for guys to never have wet dreams or have only one their whole life. A guy who ejaculates on a regular basis—either during sex with someone or masturbating alone—is less likely to have wet dreams. Wet dreams also tend to slow down as guys get older.
