Why do men wake up with an erection?

The erections that some men have when they wake up are normal. This is the first thing we should know, because even today it seems to be a subject that generates taboos and misinformation, which is why some men may doubt whether it is something bad.

The reasons why men get up with an erection respond to purely physiological reasons. The proper name for this reaction is "nocturnal penile tumescence" And as already mentioned, it is normal and does not represent any risk.

Why do men wake up with an erection?

Contrary to popular belief, a morning erection has nothing to do with sexual desire. One of the explanations that is given to this situation refers to repressed sexual desires or sexual stimulations in dreams, but this is false. Here we tell you why.

The reason that men wake up with an erection has nothing to do with this. This phenomenon of the male anatomy it actually happens by physiological processes that occur when men are in different phases of sleep.

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What happens in a man's body that causes a nighttime erection?

Morning erections are related to the proper functioning of the nervous system. During the sexual act, a significant amount of blood and oxygen are pumped into the penis to achieve an erection. In the case of morning erections, something similar happens, but the stimulus is not sexual in nature. As already mentioned, this process has nothing to do with erotic or stimulating dreams.

Erections are related to the parasympathetic nervous system. When there is an exciting stimulus, this system triggers the release of neurotransmitters. This is what causes blood to reach the penis by dilation of the arteries. During the night, depending on the sleep phase you are in, the parasympathetic system is more active, producing erections.

In addition to this, another reason for erections is due to the presence of testosterone, which is more present in the morning. These two situations are the cause that men when they get up have an erection. So, as already mentioned, this physiological process is not linked to erotic dreams, repressed emotions or desires, or sexual desire. It is a physical and not a psychological event.

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What is the function of morning erections?

So far no specific function of morning erections has been found. As already explained, this function is the result of the work of the parasympathetic system during the night. That is it is one of several indications that the operation of this system is working normally. Although the frequency of erections is higher in adolescence, they never really go away completely.

Nevertheless, some urologists have ventured to say that these erections could serve as a type of maintenance exercise for the penis and therefore be of help for a good functioning during the sexual act. This explanation is based on the fact that these erections occur between 4 and 5 times throughout the night and the first hours of the day on a routine basis.

It is a good way to keep the penis soft and elastic, which can help the penis muscles not to contract too much. That is, if the man's sex life is low to moderate, exercises performed unconsciously with morning erections may help keep muscles in good condition to act at the time of a sexual relationship.

When could a morning erection be a cause for concern?

Morning erections is not a cause for concern. Actually, a warning sign might be not having these morning erections. In some men these erections are quite frequent, others report having them only sporadically. The two situations are totally normal.

The frequency of these erections does not indicate anything worrisome. What may require medical attention is not having these erections in the morning.

If more than three months pass without one of these morning erections appearing even once, a visit to the doctor is recommended to rule out any other problems. Although it does not necessarily indicate some type of erectile dysfunction, it could serve as information for the doctor to determine if there is an underlying psychological or physiological problem.

It does not hurt to keep an eye on the amount and frequency of morning reactions that are registered, as well as if there are any problems during sexual intercourse. Sometimes men do have erections, but when they change their position, they disappear. All this is important to keep an eye on and even keep a record of this in case any medical consultation is required later.

However, it must be taken into account that morning erections tend to be more frequent between the ages of 13 and 18. After this they can appear more widely but still very frequently. Around the age of 40, all the functioning of the reproductive system and the parasympathetic system change and they are modified over the years, at which time it is convenient to keep an eye on any change.

Bibliographic references

• Kumamoto Y. (2014). AB25. What would YES (Morning Erection / Sleep-related Erection) be without NO (Nitric Oxide) induced by Teststerone?. Translational Andrology and Urology, 3 (Suppl 1), AB25. doi: 10.3978 / j.issn.2223-4683.2014.s025

• van Driel, Mels F. (2014) Sleep Related Erections Throughout the Ages. The journal of sexual medicine.