Imagine that you are in peacefully sleeping on your bed after a tiring day at work. In the middle of the night or in the early hours of the morning, your penis gets erected in your sleep. When you wake up, you see yourself waking up with a penis hard like wood.
While imagining this, did it cross your mind that it has happened to you before? If yes, then, well, you have “morning wood” or sometimes called as “morning glory”
Have you wondered why this happens? You are in luck, because we are just going to tell you that in this article. So, read on and get enlightened. Thank us, later!
What Causes “Morning Wood”?
If you were of the view that you must have had a naughty dream last night and hence, the morning wood; sorry to break it because the reason is much complex than that!
So, as you know, we have a nervous system which controls everything we do, voluntarily or involuntarily. To give you an example of a voluntary function, let say, you want to hold your partner’s hand. Your brain will send signals which, through a complex process, will make you reach out your hand and hold your partner’s hand. Mindboggling! Isn’t it?
Well, there are also many involuntary functions such as breathing, digestion, and sexual arousal that your nerves perform. The nervous system which does involuntary functions is called parasympathetic nervous system.
This part of nervous system is active when you are sleeping, especially during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This is a sleep stage where you dream. Most people tend to wake up after or during REM sleep. Hence, you wake up to morning wood.
It might be interesting to know that you may have almost 5 erections every night during your sleep. However, studies have shown that as you get older, the likelihood of erections at night may be reduced.
Who gets “morning wood”?
Anyone with a penis can get “morning wood.” From young boys to older adults, anyone may experience morning wood. It is completely normal. In some, erections may last up to 30 minutes and most of them ease within minutes of waking up. If your erection lasts longer than an hour, see your doctor.
Is something wrong with me if I wake up with morning wood?
No. There is nothing wrong with you! In fact, waking up with morning wood can be an indicator that you are getting a healthy blood and nerve supply to your penis. It also indicates that you can achieve and maintain erection. So, it is something you might want to be happy about!
On the other hand, if you have stopped getting morning wood for a long time now, it might be something you must be concerned about. There might be something happening internally, that might be stopping the blood and nerve supply to your penis. This might, most likely, be a sign of physical erectile dysfunction. Before, things get complicated, see your doctor!
“Morning wood” is a completely normal occurrence and is actually a sign of good health. However, it might be embarrassing for some to wake up with an erected penis. Although there is nothing to worry about, you might want to talk to your trusted friend or counsellor to make yourself more comfortable.
