Doctors reveal surprising reason for 'morning wood' and it probably isn't what you think

Doctors have revealed the reason that many men wake up with ‘morning wood’ and it might not be the reason you think.

It would be easy to assume that it’s because you’re having dreams of a spicy nature, but it is not entirely down to that - it could tell you more about your overall health.

Men often wake up with ‘morning wood’

You know what we’re talking about here - some people call it morning wood, others call it morning glory, and there are a whole load of other things that you could call it.

However, there is a scientific name for it too.

It’s not quite as friendly sounding - in fact it’s a little over-clinical.

The scientific term is nocturnal penile tumescence.

It can happen at any time, but oftentimes it’s the middle of the night or in the early morning when you are asleep, and - obviously - you’ll probably only notice it when you wake up.

It’s totally normal, and it happens to most men.

In fact, it might even be a good sign.

But, why does it happen at all?

It's perfectly normal to experience 'morning wood'. Credit: Pexels

The reason morning wood happens to many men

You might think that you’ve gotten a bit… carried away in your dreams and have woken up with a bit of a hangover from that, but there is actually a more interesting scientific reason behind it.

Not to say that you weren’t having a spicy dream - it just might not be the actual cause.

It’s all to do with your parasympathetic nervous system.

That’s the part of our body that regulates a bunch of things, including breathing, digesting and sexual arousal.

All things that we do while asleep.

In fact, during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, this system is still whirring away and getting some of its best work done.

REM sleep is the bit that usually occurs before you wake up, which is why you might awaken to notice that you’re packing a bit extra.

There are other things that could be at play, too.

Hormonal changes can occur during sleep, causing blood to rush to your little friend.

If you have a full bladder, that might press against the sacral nerve, which is a nerve that tells your brain what to do with regards to getting it up.

Or, you might have simply accidentally stimulated it.

It’s rarely caused by arousing dreams.

Women have a thing like this too - nocturnal clitoral tumescence.

There are worse things to wake up to. Credit: Pexels

Is it normal?

Well, it’s actually a sign of good health sometimes.

As you age, you might find that it happens less and less, or that the erections are softer.

It’s also a sign of healthy testosterone levels - so that’s a good thing - and a sign that your body is working broadly as it should be.

If you find you are not getting it anymore, it might be worth chatting to then doctor, as it could be a sign of something else.

Likewise, if you are getting morning wood for longer than an hour, it may be a sign to chat to the healthcare professionals as well.

If it goes on for more than four hours, you definitely need to - this could be a thing called priapism.

Either way, for most men it’s completely normal and healthy, and might even be a sign that you are in good physical health.

So, embrace it - for want of a better turn of phrase to describe this particular phenomenon.