# Guys, why does this happen to us (slightly TMI)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 19, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689 "2010-02-19T21:22:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/1 "2010-02-19T21:22:51Z")
For as long as I can remember, whenever I’ve been especially tired-- as in, barely-holding-my-eyes-open tired–I find that I start to get an erection. There is nothing particularly arousing going on around me when it happens (it’s happened in classrooms, my office, and when I’m just lying on the couch). I’m also not (consciously) thinking about anything sexy.
I sense that I’m not alone in this, so I ask: What’s going on?
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### Author:  [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/2 "2010-02-19T22:34:54Z")
Don’t use guys and us in relation to this topic. This phenomena does not happen to me.
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### Author:  [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/3 "2010-02-19T22:46:12Z")
Hmm, I don’t think this has happened to me either…
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### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/4 "2010-02-19T23:08:38Z")
Because you are actually falling asleep for a while.
And men in good health get spontaneous erections while sleeping.
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### Author:  [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/5 "2010-02-20T00:15:12Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#):
>
> Because you are actually falling asleep for a while.
>
> And men in good health get spontaneous erections while sleeping.
At first I thought it had something to do with the “morning wood” phenomenon, but I thought it couldn’t be because I never actually went to sleep; I just felt really, really tired. But I suppose I could have been “micro-sleeping.”
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### Author:  [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/6 "2010-02-20T00:25:01Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#):
>
> Don’t use guys and us in relation to this topic. This phenomena does not happen to me.
Well, until your post, I didn’t realize it wasn’t common. I don’t make a habit out of asking other guys IRL about their erections.
But I think it’s still appropriate to use the word “guys” (unless something analogous happens to women that I also haven’t heard of) and “us”, since I’m sure that I’m not unique. If I am, then maybe some of the doctors on the board would like to write up my case for a paper.
But thanks for speaking for the rest of the guys on this board. I’m sure they appreciate it!
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/7 "2010-02-20T01:08:15Z")
Well, it happens to me quite a lot. I actually find that being tired can sometimes also make me very horny.
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### Author:  [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/8 "2010-02-20T01:09:34Z")
I’ve gotten erections under a number of unusual circumstances, but that’s not one of them.
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### Author:  [@BunnyTVS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyTVS)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/9 "2010-02-20T01:46:22Z")
Are you sure it’s sleeping leading to an erection, and not an erection leading to sleeping?
“It’s not my fault there’s only enough blood for one of us to be awake!”
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### Author:  [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/10 "2010-02-20T01:57:25Z")
Ah, the sleepy boners. I do get them on occasion. If it’s in the afternoon, and I’m feeling warm, and I’m tired enough to fall asleep if I let myself, I’ll get one.
Why? Because it isn’t enough to get caught dozing off when you’re not supposed to; you need a throbbing erection to go along with it to maximize your embarrassment.
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### Author:  [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/11 "2010-02-20T03:15:01Z")
that’s odd, but so you don’t feel weird in the “strange time to get a boner” department, i get boners sometimes when i have pee really badly. TMI for all.
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### Author:  [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/12 "2010-02-20T03:16:04Z")
HAppens to me too, though I’m usually only that tired when working an overnight at work, so that’s clearly a bit odd. lol
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### Author:  [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/13 "2010-02-20T04:27:52Z")
Happens to me too… I don’t know
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### Author:  [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/14 "2010-02-20T04:44:14Z")
Never happened to me but I will often fall asleep for 10 minutes and wake up pitching a tent with the blanket. My boner votes for the “micro-sleeping” theory.
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### Author:  [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/15 "2010-02-20T04:49:14Z")
> [@BunnyTVS](#):
>
> Are you sure it’s sleeping leading to an erection, and not an erection leading to sleeping?
>
> “It’s not my fault there’s only enough blood for one of us to be awake!”
Maybe if I were in John Holmes territory, but sadly, no.😃
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### Author:  [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/16 "2010-02-20T04:55:42Z")
Me too. On days whene I’ve only had a few hours of sleep the night before, I get rock hard wood for no reason that I can think of. All day long.
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### Author:  [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/17 "2010-02-20T05:25:20Z")
[tap tap]
Hi guys, excuse my barging into your locker room like this and I’ll keep my eyes shut, but in case anybody was hoping to find any, like, actual [research on this topic](http://www.websciences.org/cftemplate/NAPS/archives/indiv.cfm?ID=19971058)?
> [@](#):
>
> The impact of sleep deprivation on erotic erections
>
> […] Since disinhibitory effects may occur after sleep deprivation, we evaluated RigiScan results during audiovisual stimulation before and after sleep deprivation in 36 psychogenically impotent men. Results : In our patients, sleep deprivation induced an increase in penile tumescence and rigidity […]
[Furthermore:](http://www.nature.com/ijir/journal/v18/n6/full/3901463a.html)
> [@](#):
>
> This study was performed to evaluate the characteristics of penile erection during midazolam-induced sedation after nocturnal sleep deprivation (NSD) and to determine the effect of NSD on erectile episodes in healthy, sexually functional young men. […] Nocturnal sleep deprivation rate was significantly higher in tests with erectile episodes than in tests without erectile episode […]
Oddly, the sleep deprivation/erection thing seems to be most studied in conjunction with [cocaine use](http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118926371/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0):
> [@](#):
>
> As there are data showing enhanced sexual activity in paradoxical sleep deprived (PSD) rats, and cocaine (COC) is a drug of abuse known to also increase the sexual drive, the present study aimed to assess sexual behavior in animals submitted to PSD and/or COC administration. The data revealed that PSD followed by COC administration produced the largest percentage of animals having erection and ejaculation (100% and 60%) and differ statistically from the control groups. The PSD group that received saline produced 50% erections and 20% ejaculations whereas COC administration induced 10% erections and 10% ejaculations. Sexual activity was absent in control animals (saline injection). These findings are due probably to PSD causing supersensitivity of dopamine (DA) receptors exacerbating the cocaine actions on dopaminergic pathways inducing penile erection and ejaculation.
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### Author:  [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/18 "2010-02-20T10:16:41Z")
> [@Kimstu](#):
>
> [tap tap]
>
> Hi guys, excuse my barging into your locker room like this and I’ll keep my eyes shut, but in case anybody was hoping to find any, like, actual [research on this topic](http://www.websciences.org/cftemplate/NAPS/archives/indiv.cfm?ID=19971058)?
> [Furthermore:](http://www.nature.com/ijir/journal/v18/n6/full/3901463a.html)
>
> Oddly, the sleep deprivation/erection thing seems to be most studied in conjunction with [cocaine use](http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118926371/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0):
Thanks, **Kimstu!** I was hoping there was some research on the phenomenon. I tried to Google it, and found several similar questions and theories on other boards, but no one seemed to really know definitively.
I’m an illegal-drug-free night owl, so I guess it’s all about the lowering of inhibitions.
Oh, and thank you for quoting an article that brought [The Rigiscan](http://www.indiana.edu/%7Ercapub/v20n2/25c.html) to my attention. Another win for science 🙂
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/19 "2010-02-20T12:39:37Z")
Not much to add really, just that I’ve experienced this a lot too.
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### Author:  [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-why-does-this-happen-to-us-slightly-tmi/529689/20 "2010-02-20T12:56:36Z")
> [@statsman1982](#):
>
> But I think it’s still appropriate to use the word “guys”
Combined hijack and nitpick! In some parts of the country, “guys” isn’t specific to men. In the Midwest (at least where I grew up) it’s just a slightly less formal substitute for “people”. That might have been **Wilbo523** ’s objection…
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