Somnophilia is a paraphilia that is also known as sleeping princess syndrome in which the sexual interest focuses on intruding on and waking a sleeping stranger with erotic caresses without the use of force or violence. The term has been derived from the Latin word somnus meaning sleep.

Paraphilias are a group of persistent sexual behavior patterns in which unusual objects, rituals or situations are required for sexual satisfaction. Although mild forms of these conditions probably have occurred in the lives of many normal people, a paraphilic person is distinguished by the insistence and relative exclusivity with which his or her sexuality focuses on the acts or objects in question without which orgasm is often impossible.

In somnophilia a person gets sexually aroused by waking up a sleeping partner or stranger. Sometimes somnophiles also get aroused by rubbing against the body or a sleeping partner with the genitals or hands. The mode of achieving sexual excitation and gratification varies considerably, but it commonly involves kissing, fondling, rubbing or caressing the sleeping partner.

Treatment:

One of the most prominent problems in the treatment of this disorder is that most foot fetishists do not seek professional treatment for the condition, but rather receive it only when they have been caught in the act or on request of their sexual partner. Thus, their motivations for change may often stem from a desire to do it for someone else rather than from a genuine desire to change.

Treatments that combine cognitive and behavioral elements have been moderately successful in effecting changes in deviant arousal and behavior patterns of fetishists. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that these treatments can result in significantly reduced rates of recidivism than seen in untreated individuals.

Another key component of treatment involves techniques commonly known as aversion therapy— aversive conditioning to deviant sexual fantasies. Other important forms of treatment comprise of cognitive behavioral programs that include social skills training and restructuring cognitive distortions that may be helping to maintain the deviant sexual arousal and behavior patterns.