Expert: Arthur Goldstein, M.D. - 6/23/2006

Question
Does a 45 year old man have wet dreams. Would he have traces of semen in his underwear from a dream or do men have to have an orgrasm to product semen?

Answer
Barbara, some men may have wet dreams well into old age so this would be normal for a 45 year old man.   Usually with a wet dream there is orgasm and the ejaculation of semen, just as in the awake state.  In fact, a synonym is "nocturnal emission".  There is also a phenomenon called pre-ejaculate.  Pre-ejaculate ("precum") is a normal secretion of a mucous like material from the paired Cowper glands that empty into a man's proximal urethra.  This substance is produced in response to sexual arousal.  The amount of pre-ejaculate varies with each individual but will be greater if one has not been sexually stimulated for a while.  The function of the pre-ejaculate is to lubricate the urethra thus allowing the semen to be discharged more easily. The Cowper glands gradually become smaller with age and the secretion, likewise, lessens over time.  Just as in the awake state, a man may have only pre-ejaculate or a complete orgasm and ejaculation depending on his degree of arousal. During the REM stage of sleep, a man averages 3-5 erections per night.  Although most of these dreams are not remembered, the "evidence" may be there on awakening!