Does a wet dream break my fast?

Why your fast is still valid

In Islam, you're only held responsible for what you choose to do. The Prophet ﷺ taught that the pen is lifted from a person who is asleep until he wakes up, meaning nothing they do in their sleep is counted against them. A wet dream is completely outside your control, so scholars of all four schools agree it doesn't break the fast and doesn't need to be made up.

Compare this with someone who eats by mistake. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever forgets and eats or drinks while fasting should complete the fast, because Allah fed them (Sahih al-Bukhari 1933). If an honest mistake is forgiven, something that happens in your sleep is too.

What you need to do

• Take a ghusl (full ritual bath) before your next prayer. A wet dream with discharge puts you in a state of major impurity (janabah). See Do I need ghusl after a wet dream?
• Rinse your mouth and nose gently during ghusl, without letting water go down your throat.
• Keep fasting. Don't eat or drink; nothing has changed.
• No dream, no discharge, no ghusl: if you remember a dream but find no wetness, ghusl isn't required.

Waking up in janabah before Fajr

You can start your fast in a state of janabah. The Prophet ﷺ sometimes woke at dawn in janabah, then took a bath and fasted (Sahih al-Bukhari 1926). So if you have a wet dream at night and wake up close to Fajr, eat suhoor first if time is short, then take your ghusl and pray. Your fast is fine. If you're unsure where the line is, see What time do I start and stop fasting in Ramadan?

Daytime naps

The same applies if it happens during a daytime nap in Ramadan. It isn't something to feel guilty or embarrassed about; it's a normal part of how the body works. For step-by-step help with the bath itself, see How do I do ghusl? The only thing that would be a problem is deliberately causing ejaculation while awake, which most scholars say breaks the fast.