Morning erection is an experience of men of all ages: from a teenager to an old man. What causes a morning erection to appear, and should you worry if it does not occur for a while? Learn the causes of morning erection.
Morning erection(or rather night penile erections, or NPT - from Englishnocturnal penile tumescence ), also commonly known as "tent "- this is a phenomenon that scientists have not really finally explained why. Several hypotheses have emerged from which, however, one conclusion can be drawn:morning erectionis essential for a man's he alth. Erections cause swelling of the erectile tissue and its oxidation. This phenomenon, in turn, affects the efficiency and prevents fibrosis of the corpus cavernosum, which could lead to impotence.
It is also worth remembering that men experience not only morning erections, but also night erections - they happen 4-5 times during sleep and last, just like an erection right after waking up, even 20-25 minutes. The time interval for their occurrence was also determined - between 4 and 8 am. Such nocturnal erections happen even to newborns sleeping in the womb.
Reasons for morning erection
The causes of morning erections are believed to come from three factors:
1. Decreased norepinephrine levels in REM sleep
The most common explanation for morning erection is sleep pattern. During the REM phase, during which we experience dreams, the level of norepinephrine in the body decreases. Norepinephrine increases blood pressure during the day, which in turn blocks an erection. And since we most often wake up in the REM phase, hence the morning "tent".
This type of erection is called psychogenic - in addition to the reduced level of norepinephrine, images appearing during sleep are supposed to stimulate it with the help of nerve signals. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine1in Texas even tested a group of young men between the ages of 20 and 26. They had an average of 4.22 erections during the night, which lasted 32.66 minutes - as many as 91.4% of them were in the REM phase.
Worth knowingMorning erection … female
The issue of morning erections and nocturnal erections in men is much better researched than in women. This is explained, first of all, by easierthe possibility of observing an erection in men. However, it has been proven that women also experience a similar phenomenon at night - clitoral erection, i.e.noctrunal clitoral tumescence(NCT).
2. Pressure on the bladder
Another cause of morning erection is bladder pressure. Scientists call this type of erection reflexogenic, i.e. reflex erection. Located in the sacral nerves of the spinal cord, erectile reflexes are expected to cause an erection when they are violated by the bladder.
See also: Kegel exercises for men to strengthen erection
3. Release of nitric oxide
Reason number three of morning erections is the release of nitric oxide at night. Nitric oxide is released by cells, which then enter the muscles and relax them. Thanks to this, the blood vessels dilate and the blood flow to the penis increases, which causes an erection. Nitric oxide is supposed to be released from the nerve fibers at night due to the increased activity of part of the sternum during the REM phase. It is worth remembering that the production of nitric oxide is also influenced by testosterone, the concentration of which in the morning is at the highest level throughout the day.
As no studies have finally emerged to validate any of the above causes of morning erections, they are simply considered essential to keeping the male body he althy.
Worth knowingDoes every man experience morning erection?
It may happen that the morning erection does not occur every day, but its longer absence should be the reason for visiting a doctor. Erection in the morning is typical for every he althy man - with age the number of erections does not change, but their intensity and length decrease.
Lack of morning erection - what are the reasons for this?
Lack of morning erection can be caused by several factors. The main culprit, as with many other disorders, is life under long-term stress, caused by e.g. big challenges at work. Avoiding physical activity, improper diet, as well as reaching for stimulants and too little sleep also work badly.
If a man notices a lack of morning erection within the next few days, he should consult a specialist, preferably a urologist or sexologist. Not experiencing morning erections does not necessarily mean serious illness: it may turn out that after implementing a he althy diet and taking care of regular meals, as well as giving up stimulants and returning to physical activity, everything will return to normal.
It is worth remembering, however, that the reason for the lack of morning erectionthere may also be problems with the prostate, the functioning of the genitourinary system, low testosterone levels or stress on the nervous system.
Sources:
1. Access to the study at: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/490634