It’s also known as nocturnal peniletumescence(NPT) or sleep-related erection.
This article covers the causes of morning wood and reasons why it may become less frequent.
It also describes how it can be affected by erectile dysfunction and other conditions.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Research studies sometimes don’t use the terminology in this way.
What Causes Morning Wood?
Erections start happening spontaneously as you enter puberty.
They increase in frequency as you get older.
Morning erections are common in adulthood.
Duringdeep sleep, levels of norepinephrine drop, causing nitrergic hormones to spike.
This leads to an erection while you sleep that may still be present when you wake.
As you get older, your body produces less testosterone.
Movement
A sleep-related erection can also happen when movement stimulates the penis.
For example, this can happen when you roll over in bed or sense movement from your sleep partner.
Normal Morning Wood Erections
Erections occur throughout life from infancy to old age.
Erections are more common during puberty and become less frequent as you get older.
What is the difference between morning wood and wet dreams?
Sleep-related erection describes erections that occur during sleep that are not related to sexual thoughts or feelings.
Because ED can be related to reduced testosterone, it may also contribute to a reduction in sleep-related erections.
If ED is purely psychogenic, you might still get nighttime and morning erections.Tests can confirm this.
Morning wood may begin to resolve while you are transitioning to a waking state.
If you are not sexually active, not having morning wood may be the firstsign of ED.
If ED is not present, you’re free to be examined for other concerns.
However, for those with moderate to severe ED, erectile function may not improve.
2021;38(2):e3494.
