What is the cause of morning wood?

what is the cause of morning wood

The state of “morning wood” is when the penis is filled with blood and becomes erect. Morning erection right after a man wakes up is very common. Do many people still wonder why the penis is erect in the morning? Let’s explore what is the cause of morning wood in this article!

Morning erection

Morning wood is officially known as nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT). In fact, most men have about 3 to 5 erections per night while sleeping without even realizing it. From 6 to 8-year-old boys to 60 to 70-year-old men will experience nighttime erections while sleeping. Each such erection will likely last about 30 minutes regardless of the dreams they are seeing. Some men even get an erection for up to 2 hours while sleeping.

Waking up when the penis is in an erect state is very common for men of all ages, especially young people and teenagers. In essence, this is a sign of health, indicating that blood circulation as well as nerve cells in and around the penis are working properly. Most morning erections will subside within a few minutes after a man has woken up.

Why is the penis erect in the morning?

Many people believe that morning erection are a sign of sexual arousal, but this is not the case. Penis “saluting” in the morning is more likely the body’s natural response. There are many causes of morning erections. Although no specific medical evidence has been found, several theories have been put forward by doctors to explain why the penis is erect in the morning, including:

Physical stimulation

In fact, when the eyes are closed during sleep, the body is still aware of a lot of things going on around. If the man himself or his partner touches and rubs the genitals, the penis can become erect. The male body senses the stimulation and responds with an erection in the “boy”.

Hormonal changes

Men’s testosterone levels are highest in the morning right after they wake up when the body has just gone through REM (also known as a dream or paradoxical sleep) sleep. stage of sleep). This increase in hormone levels can be the cause of an erection, even without any physical stimulation. For middle-aged men from 40 to 50 years old, natural testosterone levels begin to decrease, leading to morning erections no longer appearing as often.

Brain relaxation

During the day, the male body releases a hormone that inhibits erection – the scientific name is noradrenaline. However, during sleep, the brain relaxes, which also causes this inhibitor to secrete less. This fact may be the cause of nighttime erections and morning erections.

On the other hand, some have suggested that an all-night erection keeps men from urinating while they sleep and that the penis “saluting” in the morning is a sign of the need to urinate. However, experts have confirmed that this notion is not correct. Also, morning wood is not a sign of sexual desire either. In many cases, nocturnal erections will even disappear if men have sex-related dreams or thoughts.

Be careful when you no longer have an erection in the morning

Why is an erection in the morning necessary? As mentioned at the beginning, a morning penis “saluting the flag” is common in healthy men. The presence of nocturnal erections also indicates a man’s physiological function and ability to maintain an erection during sexual intercourse.

Therefore, if a man no longer has an erection at night or the penis has stopped “saluting” every morning, this could be an early warning sign of an underlying health problem.

The older men are, the more likely they are to experience problems related to erectile dysfunction, which also makes morning wood less common.

At this time, the blood circulation in the body has been hindered, causing the penis to no longer be supplied with the necessary amount of blood, from which the nerve cells in this area can not perform the erectile function as usual. rate. Risk factors for erectile dysfunction in men include:

  • Overweight
  • Hypertension
  • High cholesterol levels
  • Diabetes
  • Depression

In addition, certain physical disabilities, or age, as well as the effects of pain relievers and antidepressants can also interfere with nighttime and morning erections.

When should I see a doctor?

In general, morning erections are considered very healthy and rarely cause men to see a doctor. However, you should visit a medical facility if you fall into the following two situations:

Pain during morning erection:

Most morning wood will subside within 30 minutes of waking up. But if an erection lasts more than an hour or is painful for a man, scheduling an appointment with a gynecologist is essential.

No more morning erections:

Although sleep erections are less common as men get older, if the frequency of morning “saluting” in young people suddenly decreases, it is necessary to go to the hospital and talk to the doctor to find out the cause. and have appropriate treatment.

However, how often nighttime erections during sleep is normal has not been determined. Some men will have morning wood every morning when they wake up, others show up less than once a week. Therefore, men should also consult their doctor about the frequency of their morning erections during their annual physical exam.

Final thought

In summary, morning erection is very common, indicating normal blood supply and nerve activity in the penis. Most young men will have morning erection in the morning several times a week. However, this condition becomes less common as men get older. If this suddenly goes away or there is a suspicion that his morning erections are unusual, men should talk to their doctor as this could be a sign of an underlying health problem.

Top News hopes this article can help you learn more about what is the cause of morning wood and wishes you all the best!

Maybe you are interested: