# Morning erections
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 29, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348 "2002-05-29T15:12:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@rockboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockboots)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/1 "2002-05-29T15:12:41Z")
Dear straight dopers,
I woke up this morning around 5:30 feeling very aroused only to discover that my husband was ready for action (as he always is in the morning) and then it hit me! I need to know the answer to the question that’s been haunting me all morning: Why do men always wake up with an erection? and do old guys still have this quality? I hope somebody out there (and if I’m lucky Cecil) can bring an answer to this question.
Thank you all. Have a nice day and keep wondering!
Silvia.
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### Author:  [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/2 "2002-05-29T15:17:14Z")
It’s called a p\*ss hardon. Comes from holding it.
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### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/3 "2002-05-29T15:40:55Z")
I disagree, **Reeder**. It happens even if you don’t have to pee. Plus, why don’t you get them when you have to pee while you’re _awake_?
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### Author:  [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/4 "2002-05-29T15:46:59Z")
I think whas Reeder was trying to say is that _occasionally_ a full bladder can trigger an erection, this is very common in childhood.
This is where you get the invention of the ‘superman’ peeing position, in which a man has to sort of lean against the wall behind the toilet in an ‘up-up-and-away!’ type of pose in order to hit anything other than the ceiling.
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### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/5 "2002-05-29T15:53:03Z")
Also, I used to think that ‘morning wood’ meant that you had an erotic dream just prior to waking up. Not true. I have woke up with erections after having dreams that were clearly NOT erotic in any way. I don’t know the cause.
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### Author:  [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/6 "2002-05-29T15:57:18Z")
Morning wood has a lot to do with dreams, but they don’t have to be erotic.
When your body enters REM (dreaming) sleep, a number of physiological changes take place, among them increased blood flow to the genitals. This means that men and boys get erections. The boner that’s still with you when you wake up is left over from the last dream of the night. A relatively full bladder might help it last longer.
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### Author:  [@rockboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockboots)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/7 "2002-05-29T16:03:10Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Incubus \*
> \*\*I think whas Reeder was trying to say is that _occasionally_ a full bladder can trigger an erection, this is very common in childhood.
>
> This is where you get the invention of the ‘superman’ peeing position, in which a man has to sort of lean against the wall behind the toilet in an ‘up-up-and-away!’ type of pose in order to hit anything other than the ceiling. \*\*
LOL! That’s too funny. So you are telling me that men can pee and have an erection at the same time?
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### Author:  [@rockboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockboots)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/8 "2002-05-29T16:08:59Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by flodnak \*
> \*\*
> When your body enters REM (dreaming) sleep, a number of physiological changes take place, among them increased blood flow to the genitals. This means that men and boys get erections. \*\*
Yeah I figured it had something to do with the blood flow but I could not think of why.
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### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/9 "2002-05-29T16:35:20Z")
"--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Incubus
I think whas Reeder was trying to say is that occasionally a full bladder can trigger an erection, this is very common in childhood.
## This is where you get the invention of the ‘superman’ peeing position, in which a man has to sort of lean against the wall behind the toilet in an ‘up-up-and-away!’ type of pose in order to hit anything other than the ceiling.
Pain the butt that is.
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### Author:  [@JustPlainBryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustPlainBryan)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/10 "2002-05-29T17:00:15Z")
I don’t remember where I read this, but I was under the impression that testorterone levels are pretty high in the morning as well. Perhaps this is a contributing factor to morning wood?
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### Author:  [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/11 "2002-05-29T17:04:23Z")
It’s called **Morning Glory**
As in the Oasis song:
_What’s the story?
Morning glory
Need a little time to wake-up, wake-up_
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### Author:  [@FriendRob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriendRob)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/12 "2002-05-29T17:12:21Z")
No cite, but I remember hearing that the average male has erections 8-12 times per night. Morning erection is simply a matter of waking up during one of those episodes, I guess. For me they are unsexual - no urge for action involved.
BTW, I, at least, cannot pee while hard. I have to wait till it goes down, no matter how badly I need to urinate.
[Homer Simpson]
(…Think unsexy thoughts, think unsexy thoughts…)
[/Homer Simpson]
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### Author:  [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/13 "2002-05-29T17:14:24Z")
Here’s what the guys at Harvard had to say on the subject of nocturnal erections:
[http://www.health.harvard.edu/medline/Men/N0200b.html](http://www.health.harvard.edu/medline/Men/N0200b.html)
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### Author:  [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/14 "2002-05-29T17:27:31Z")
The explanation I heard for nocturnal erections was that the brain’s role in the erection process is largely inhibitory. When the brain is disconnected during REM sleep, that inhibitory signal is taken away and the parasympathetic nervous system causes erections galore. As I understand it, paraplegics have the same problem.
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### Author:  [@rockboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockboots)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/15 "2002-05-29T17:29:26Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by plnnr \*
> \*\*Here’s what the guys at Harvard had to say on the subject of nocturnal erections:
>
> [http://www.health.harvard.edu/medline/Men/N0200b.html](http://www.health.harvard.edu/medline/Men/N0200b.html) \*\*
Awsome information plnnr thank you. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/16 "2002-05-29T17:48:26Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by rockboots \*
> \*\*
>
> LOL! That’s too funny. So you are telling me that men can pee and have an erection at the same time? \*\*
It ain’t easy, usually I have to wait for it to go down a bit. Then it’s superman time, it’s impossible to point it down while hard and actually pee, so leaning is essential. I’m not really sure if it’s possible to pee with a full erection, never tried it, since I’d just be peeing all over the wall.
Damn, now I’ve got to go pee, imagine that. 😉
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### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/17 "2002-05-29T20:18:14Z")
> [@](#):
>
> **Incubus:** I think whas Reeder was trying to say is that occasionally a full bladder can trigger an erection, this is very common in childhood.
>
> This is where you get the invention of the ‘superman’ peeing position, in which a man has to sort of lean against the wall behind the toilet in an ‘up-up-and-away!’ type of pose in order to hit anything other than the ceiling.
>
> **Smiling Bandit:** Pain the butt that is.
**Bandit** , I need to tell you that if you’re experiencing **that** problem while urinating, you’re **definitely** doing it the wrong way! 😃
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### Author:  [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/18 "2002-05-29T20:34:27Z")
Go camping. No need to lean or aim. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. (TMI?)
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### Author:  [@smootman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smootman)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/19 "2004-03-01T21:50:07Z")
How come the boner phenom doesn’t happen while you are out drinking or sitting at your desk at work, holding it? How long do you have to actually go before the erection kicks in?
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morning-erections/111348/20 "2004-03-01T22:43:25Z")
Because, as **flodnak** quite correctly pointed out, the morning erection is a byproduct of dreaming. Men get erections during REM sleep. Since you often wake up just after a dream (i.e., REM sleep), men often wake up with an erection.
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