Often, it is “down there” that the warning signs appear first. It is an important indicator of men’s health.
Waking up to a spontaneous erection – popularly known as “morning wood” – may seem like just an inconvenience associated with the urge to urinate or a memory of adolescence.
But, for experts, these involuntary erections, technically called nocturnal penile tumescenceare an important indicator of the general state of men’s health.
During sleep, especially in the REM sleep phases, the parasympathetic nervous system comes into action, promoting the relaxation of blood vessels and facilitating increased blood flow to the penis.
This mechanism works as a kind of “automatic test” for the maintenance of the vascular, nervous and hormonal system. When morning erections are regular, it is generally a sign that these systems are working properly.
Therefore, doctors often use the presence or absence of morning erections to understand the origin of erectile dysfunction problems, according to the magazine.
If a man has difficulty maintaining an erection during sexual intercourse but continues to wake up with spontaneous erections, the cause is often psychological – stress, anxiety or performance pressure.
On the contrary, when these erections begin to become rarer or disappear completely, they may be at stake. vascular problems, low testosterone or medication side effects.
Among the 25 and 45 years oldthe loss of these erections can have a significant emotional impact. At a stage in life when many men still expect to have an active and spontaneous sex life, waking up repeatedly without an erection can fuel doubts about their own masculinity and trigger anxiety. An isolated episode is not a cause for alarm; but a persistent change in the pattern warrants attention.
Several factors can contribute to the disappearance of morning erections: high levels of stress and cortisol, alcohol consumption and poor sleep quality, drugs such as some antidepressants or finasteride, chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes or cardiovascular problems. Often, it is “down there” that the warning signs appear first.
Experts emphasize that it is not necessary to wake up every day with an erection to be considered healthy; what matters is the trend over time. When the change is clear, the next step should be to speak to a healthcare professional.
More than the loss of a morning erection, what worries partners is often the emotional withdrawal, stress and silence surrounding the problem. Seeking help and information can be the first step to breaking this cycle.
