Why Do Guys Get Morning Wood? – Intrroduction
If you’ve ever woken up and felt arousal, you’re not alone. Most men suffer from “morning wood,” which is more commonly called nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT). This may sound strange, and frankly baffling, but it is a natural and interesting aspect of male anatomy. In this post, we will discuss the reasons behind morning wood, how it affects your health and your sexual function.
What Is Morning Wood?
Wood for breakfast happens if a man gets an erection in the night or when he wakes up. It is normal and can occur multiple times throughout the night, especially during the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep. Brain activity during REM sleep is exuberant, and so are body functions (including sexual stimulation).
The Science Behind Morning Wood
The causes of morning wood can be attributed to several biological factors:
Hormonal Fluctuations
Low testosterone levels are one of the main causes of morning wood. For men, testosterone levels tend to peak in the wee hours of the morning. This raises the sexual arousal so much that at any time an erection can come and someone wakes up with one. This morning spike in the hormone not only guarantees libido but also primes the body for sex.
REM Sleep Cycles
Human sleep is controlled by a number of stages, the most intriguing of which is REM. It’s when dreams are most common and causes between 3 and 5 erections a night. From a physiological perspective, the body is not at all like NREM sleep; muscles are toned down, but it is awake otherwise, for example in the form of erections. It’s not necessarily sexual arousal or dreaming, but rather one of those things that happens when the body is lying down and resting in bed.
Physical Stimulation
Other occurrences of morning wood include physical irritants such as a burst bladder. When the bladder is filled at night, pressure is placed on the womb, sometimes leading to the penis erection. It is the body’s way of being interdependent – the bursting of a full bladder can somehow start the erection cycle, posing a challenge to the biology of humans.
Nervous System Activity
It is an unconsciously important aspect of morning wood that arises from the activity of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s involuntary processes. When we are asleep, the sympathetic portion of the nervous system involved in fight-or-flight is off the hook and the parasympathetic section takes over. It’s a part of the nervous system that’s therefore related to relaxation and better suited to getting an erection. The looser the body, the more likely spontaneous erections will occur.
Health Implications of Morning Wood
The morning wood is generally considered a testament to health and normal erectile function. A history of symptoms can suggest that blood and nerves in the genitals are in good condition. In contrast, a decrease in the incidence of morning erections might need a visit from a doctor and could reflect hormonal imbalances, psychological factors, or erectile dysfunction.
Psychological Factors
NPT is primarily a physiological response, but psychological influences can occur. In general, mental disorders like anxiety and depression can alter libido and sexual functioning. Therefore, morning wood shortages might not be just physiological, but emotional or mental as well.
Myths and Misconceptions
There are several myths surrounding morning wood that deserve to be dispelled:
Myth 1: Morning wood is the domain of the young.
A popular misconception is that only young people will encounter morning wood. Yes, it is because of the high testosterone levels that adolescents and young adults tend to experience very frequent morning erections, but this doesn’t just apply to this age range. Wood in the morning can afflict all age groups. But we need to remember that their intensity and frequency might decrease as we age, or if hormones change or if you have some specific disease. That is, while morning wood declines with age, it’s not entirely confined to youth.
Myth 2: Morning Wood Represents a Sexual Dream.
Another bogeyman: that having an erection upon waking is 100% evidence that you dreamt of having sex. Not necessarily so. Erotic dreams might lead to morning wood in the nighttime, but only on occasion. Researchers have discovered that most men wake up with erections but recall nothing sexual about the dreams they’ve had. This in some sense demonstrates that morning wood is a natural bodily activity that can be experienced independently of erotic dream or thoughts.
Myth 3: There’s A Time or Duration for Morning Wood.
There is a third fallacy regarding the timing and duration of morning wood: the idea that there is some “normal” measurement of how long it lasts or what time it happens to be. Whereas, to be fair, morning wood can occur any time, and lengths vary from one person to another so much that a typical value might be quite difficult to define. It can also depend on sleep patterns, physiology and health. In that regard, morning wood in any other hour and for any other duration would be normal and not something to be alarmed by.
Conclusion: Why Do Guys Get Morning Wood?
Morning wood, in short, is an energised, wholesome part of male biology and sex life. It reminds us of the multidimensional relationship between the body, the brain and hormones. If it’s regular, and not painful or painful, then you can regard it as a good indication of good sex health. If the number or strength of erections has declined, it may be advisable for men to visit a physician to address the problem. To better appreciate how morning wood works, it is important to deconstruct this natural process in order to gain a new understanding of how male sexual activity works.
