Disclaimer: This article about morning wood or Nocturnal Penile Tumescence (NPT) is based on information from various online resources and should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a healthcare provider. Please seek more assistance from your doctor if you experience any of the unusual symptoms mentioned in the guide.
Morning wood is one of those bodily functions that’s often misunderstood. People think that the guys who have it just had an incredibly erotic dream or that they’re just *that* horny that their penis can’t hold it in. But the truth is, having an erection in the morning is caused by several factors, none of which are sexual in nature.
But before we talk about the causes of morning wood, let’s have a quick refresher…
What is Morning Wood?
Morning wood, medically known as Nocturnal Penile Tumescence (NPT), happens when the penis is fully erect right as you wake up in the morning. Experiencing this is pretty normal and is even considered a sign that your penis is healthy. It means there’s enough blood supply to your penis and that all of your penile nerves are working.
As for its history, sleep-related erections were noted by German researchers in the 1940s of the 20th century. However, even before that, morning wood has been a major cause of divorce. As explained in this study published in July 2014 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine:
“From the fifteenth to the end of the 17th century, severe erectile dysfunction (ED) was ground for divorce. The ecclesiastical court records show that if necessary, the members of the jury sat at the defendant’s bedside at night to be able to judge any SREs (sleep-related erections) occurring.”
People believed that having erections while sleeping was the same as masturbating, which was seen as a sinful practice at the time. The perception eventually changed in 1920 when Psychoanalyst Wilhelm Stekel acknowledged that morning wood is a naturally occurring phenomenon in healthy men.
Why Morning Wood Happens
As mentioned at the beginning, several factors could cause NPT:
1Physical Stimulation
Did you know that even if you’re completely asleep, the penis can still react to physical stimulation?
According to a study from the Boston University School of Medicine, the body has a “reflex center” located in the lower part of the spinal cord, specifically between the T12 and S3 vertebrae. If the penis is touched, nerve signals travel from the penis to this center in the spine. The spine then signals right back to the penis without involving the brain, leading to an erection. Because of this local touch-based signal loop, some guys who have major spinal cord injuries can still get erections.
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2REM Sleep
Another interesting theory regarding why NPT occurs is related to REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.
The REM sleep stage kicks in about 90 minutes after you fall asleep. Your brain is active, your eyes are moving rapidly in different directions, and your muscles are limp to prevent you from acting out your dreams. During this period, there are neurological stimulators that increase blood flow to the penis, resulting in an erection. Since there are around four to five REM stages in one sleeping session, that could also mean you’re experiencing four to five erections every night.
But you might be wondering… If you’re already awake and out of REM sleep, how does the erection stick around?
It’s because people spend more time in the REM sleep stage as the cycle progresses throughout the night. So, by the time you’ve opened your eyes, your body is still coming out of the REM sleep.
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3Changes in Testosterone Level
Another reason why you end up erect in the morning is because men’s testosterone levels are at their highest after they wake up. The spike can definitely play a role in getting NPT. This is also one of the reasons why older men experience a decrease in morning erections, as testosterone levels naturally decline with age.
4Active Parasympathetic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system comprises two primary types. We have the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. The first one is responsible for our body’s fight-or-flight response, while the second type inhibits the body from overworking and helps you get that much-needed recharge.
When you’re sleeping, the sympathetic autonomic nervous system is turned off, and the parasympathetic system is turned on. While the parasympathetic system is working to repair your body, the sacral nerve, which is part of the parasympathetic system, can become activated, potentially leading to NPT.
While a full bladder and erotic dreams are often mentioned as causes of NPT, they’re actually just factors that help stimulate the sacral nerve.
How to Deal With Morning Wood
So, what do you do if you end up waking up with a good ‘ol erection?
If you’re living alone or with a partner, you don’t necessarily have to do anything. Wake up, pee as usual, then wait for it to subside. You can have fun with it if you want to and instead have a nice morning sex with your partner or a quick self-pleasure session with your hands or sex toys like masturbators.
But if you’re living with roommates or family members, it’s understandable that you don’t want them to see you walking around with an erect penis. In that case, you can always squeeze your thighs or other muscles in your body so that the blood flow can move in those areas. You can also change the direction of your erection, like pointing it upwards or on the side, so it won’t bulge as much.
When to See a Doctor
There are symptoms that may require extra medical attention, such as the following:
1You suddenly stopped getting morning wood.
If you’re still young and NPT suddenly stopped from happening, it could be a sign of an underlying condition, like erectile dysfunction. That means there’s no longer enough blood or nerve supply to let you naturally get those morning erections.
Erectile dysfunction could be caused by certain factors like:
- Being overweight
- Having high cholesterol levels
- Having medical conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes
- Taking medications, such as antidepressants
For those currently experiencing this issue, see a doctor immediately to determine the root cause. If you do end up getting diagnosed with erectile dysfunction, your doctor may prescribe oral medications or recommend noninvasive treatments. They might also suggest lifestyle changes, like exercising more, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, or managing stress with the help of a therapist.
2You woke up with painful and prolonged erections.
Another symptom that needs immediate medical attention is painful and prolonged erections. Having a morning wood shouldn’t be a painful experience, so there’s certainly an underlying medical condition that’s causing those unbearable hard-ons.
In some cases, it may be due to priapism, in which the person experiences a long-lasting erection that could last for hours. This happens when the blood stays on the penis and can’t drain out of it.
Priapism often occurs because of another health condition, like sickle cell disease, penile cancer, malaria, leukemia or blood cancer, thalassemias, or spinal cord injury. This is why it’s so vital to get yourself checked as soon as you start experiencing the main symptoms of this condition. Not having checked doesn’t just lead to permanent damage, but it’ll also worsen the underlying condition.
But before you panic, not all painful erections are caused by priapism. There’s also Peyronie’s Disease, in which the shaft can’t fully stretch out during an erection due to a scar tissue buildup in the area. You might also have a penile fracture from an intense sexual activity and might not realize it until you’ve woken up the next morning. That’s why, if you experience those painful hard-ons, go to the doctor as soon as possible for further clarification.
Takeaway
Contrary to what some people think, having a morning wood is pretty normal. It’s even seen as a clear sign that your penis is getting enough blood supply, so don’t get stressed if you wake up with a bulge in your shorts. Just squeeze some of your muscles or cover up if you don’t want your housemates to see it up in the morning.
And for those who suddenly don’t get the morning erections like they used to, get yourselves checked immediately so you’ll get to sort it out as early as possible. The longer it goes unchecked, the more likely it could start affecting your erections during sex.
