It’s very common for men to experience some form of an erection upon waking. Many people have questions about why it happens. What causes men to get “morning wood”? The good news is that most morning erections are a healthy part of being a man. Healthy erections are a part of sleep, the nervous system, blood, and hormones.
It is not usually a symptom of having a sexual dream or of sexual thoughts that night. In fact, it is common for men to have multiple erections while sleeping. This is especially common during REM sleep. The presence of an erection upon waking is most likely due to the fact that it was present during sleep.
It is important for men to know the facts about it in order to differentiate a natural bodily occurrence and an occurrence that is an anomaly and may be indicative of a health concern.
What Is Morning Wood?
The term “morning wood” describes a sleep time erection or an erection that is present upon waking. The medical community uses nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT).
It is common for men to have multiple erections throughout the night. The changes that the nervous system and blood go through while we sleep is part of the reason for this. But, as mentioned before, these are not always noticed in the morning.
Nocturnal erections can happen even if a man did not have a sexual dream. This is why they should not be thought of as a response to sexual stimulation.
What Causes Morning Wood?
There can be many contributing factors to the occurrence of an erection in the early morning. One of the more prominent factors is the REM stage of sleep. During the REM stage of sleep, there can be changes to the autonomic nervous system which can contribute to the presence of an erection.
Blood flow is also important. An erection is when blood enters the erectile tissues of the penis and is temporarily held there.
Hormones can also play a part. Testosterone levels can fluctuate during the day but are generally higher in the morning. However, other factors are also important in erections.
Sometimes, a full bladder can be another factor.Because a full bladder applies pressure on the nerve that may, in fact, influences It the fact remains it’s not the primary cause.
Why Does Morning Wood Happen?
Why does morning wood occur when a man is not even thinking about sex?
The answer is that it is natural for an erectile dysfunction to occur for no reason while a man is sleeping. This can happen while a man is in the REM stage of sleep. During this stage, blood flow to the penis can increase due to the balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
It is possible to have several erections throughout the night and if it occurs soon before a man wakes up then he would typically be aware that it has happened. It is the fact that erections may occur at night which suggests that the man’s erectile tissue and the penis are working correctly, however it is not an indicator of sexual health
How Long Does Morning Wood Last?
There is no definite answer to this and an erection can disappear shortly after waking, or can last longer.
There are many reasons why an erection can go away, including the need to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, shift focus, and other normal body changes.
Day to day, the strength of morning erections can be different. A strong morning erection can happen one day, while there can be no noticeable morning erection the next day. This can be a normal variation.
Normal it is NOT painful and / or does not go on for more than hours (This is a case of medical emergency so seek medical help urgently).
Is Morning Wood a Sign of Good Testosterone?
Is good morning wood a good sign for testosterone? The answer is no, it is not a good sign for testosterone.
Testosterone is a key hormone when it comes to sexual function and libido, but there are many different systems that are involved when talking about it.
Regular it cannot confirm that a man has good levels of testosterone. On the other hand, infrequent it cannot be used to confirm that a man has low levels of testosterone.
If a man has regular morning wood but starts to experience low libido, fatigue, and/or a decrease in strength and muscle mass, he should visit a doctor to discuss the possibility of testing his testosterone levels.Â
Does Morning Wood Stop When You Get Older?
 There is no specific age when morning wood stops, but it can become less frequent.
As men get older, the aging process coupled with changes to testosterone levels, the health of blood vessels, medications, sleep changes, and general health will affect erectile ability. Diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, obesity, and certain medications may also affect erectile ability.
Although older men may have erectile function affected by some of these conditions, they may still have nocturnal and morning erections. Gradual changes may not be of concern, but doctors should be consulted for sudden changes and changes that are persisting.
Is Morning Wood Healthy?
The answer is yes! Since morning wood or morning erections are considered totally normal; they are one of the signs of a healthy individual.
Nocturnal and morning erections can be used by clinicians to assess erectile function; however, the frequency of nocturnal erections should not be used in isolation to determine the state of one’s health.
What to Do to Get Rid of Morning Wood?
There is usually no reason to get rid of morning wood, because it typically resolves soon on its own.
If you want it to go away before you get out of bed, just get out of bed and walk around or use the bathroom. Another suggestion is to try and not focus on sex to get the erection to go away, as it can last up to several hours. You may want to visit a doctor if the erection becomes painful, or if it continues for a number of hours.
Conclusion
 It is mostly a natural phenomenon of sleep. Morning erections mostly happen after REM sleep when blood flow to the genitals occurs and the nervous system gets stimulated. It is sometimes intermittent all throughout the night, some guys notice it more when getting up out of the bedroom “Morning wood is a physical phenomenon, not primarily psychological; while you have the physical, you’d technically go right out of that physical upon arousal/stimulation,” said sexual health educator Nicole Cuschieri. Its prevalence in occurrence varies as well as some men’s physical condition.
Even if morning wood occurs regularly, that does not mean that a man has high testosterone levels. Conversely, the health of a man is not called into question if he occasionally does not have it. However, problems with morning wood and changes to its regular occurrence should be addressed if they occur with other health issues.
There is no other reasoning to explain the phenomenon that occurs with morning wood. In most instances, morning wood is a natural phenomenon that is caused by the normal functioning of the body while it sleeps.