# Whats The Straight Dope On Early Morning Boners? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 3, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144 "2008-02-03T21:40:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/41 "2008-02-04T22:11:45Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] That’s the key question. How often do you get erection when your bladder is full? Probably never. So why should that be what causes erections when you sleep? [/QUOTE] Maybe you are used to going to the bathroom at the first sign that anything is in your bladder. I _do_ get an erection if my bladder is full enough that I’m holding it in and squirming. I had always assumed morning wood was do to usually having to pee in the morning. [QUOTE=RealityChuck] If anything, a full bladder should make it more difficult to have an erection. When you have an erection, you can’t urinate. [/QUOTE] Of course you can. You just can’t _aim_. You can’t urinate while you are _ejaculating_. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/42 "2008-02-04T22:40:12Z")
You sure can ejaculate while you’re urinating, though, and often do if you haven’t been priming the pump lately. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/43 "2008-02-05T00:18:11Z")
[QUOTE=Carson O’Genic] No Vonnegut readers ? He called it a piss hard on,claimed it was universal (at least in the story line ). [/QUOTE] Not quite universal – it commonly does not happen for men who are very sick. That’s common enough that it’s anecdotal that hospital nurses take the reappearance of ‘morning wood’ as a sign that the patient is on the road to recovery. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/44 "2008-02-05T03:38:57Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] You sure can ejaculate while you’re urinating, though, and often do if you haven’t been priming the pump lately. [/QUOTE] Okay, I’ve never heard of ejaculating while urinating. I’m not even sure how that would work. Please explain. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/45 "2008-02-05T06:25:36Z")
The thing really does have a mind of it’s own. Here are some conditions that I’ve notices have always led to a non-arousal errection: Warmth. Something rubbing against it (you, in the back, stop giggling.) Comfort. Relaxation. Stretching. Happiness or Excitement. A lot of those happen to align with a good night’s sleep. Plus the whole REM/Boner combo doesn’t help. I can pee with morningwood (or a boner in general, but 3 out of 4 dentists agree, morningwood feels like it’s made of tungsten carbide). My method is to… ahem… push it down with my palm then incline myself at a 45º angle, any way possible. Usually by putting my free hand against the wall behind the john, and leaning into it. The flow seems slow as hell, and is somewhat unpleasant (both the the contortions you have to do, and the pressure of the urine). Also, it doesn’t feel like you can completely empty the bladder in this state. Slight hijack… Speaking of urinating, has anyone noticed that pissing while buzzed or somewhat intoxicated seems to feel/flow much better if you lean in and rest on the wall behind the toilet sort of like the mention described above? When I haven’t been drinking, standing perfectly straight is the way to go (maybe even with a slight arch to your back, even). The leaning then, becomes annoying and useless. Or so it seems. Or I’m completely nuts. Maybe we need a separate discussion on Male Micturition Form and Etiquette. /hijack ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/46 "2008-02-05T06:30:14Z")
> [@jasonh300](#): > > Okay, I’ve never heard of ejaculating while urinating. I’m not even sure how that would work. AIUI: Your body (I assume you’re male) produces a fair bit of semen daily, and it’s gotta get rid of it all periodically. If you start suddenly reducing your rate of ejaculations per day, you could very well notice semen in your urine. I have, as have most men at some point in their lives. There’s nothing orgasmic about it, but in the sense that an ejaculation is the expulsion of semen through the penis, that’s exactly what happens. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/47 "2008-02-05T11:44:35Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] “If Erection persists longer than four hours, discontinue use. And Get Off the Bus.” [/QUOTE] Hard-Off. Apply directly to the penis. Hard-Off. Apply directly to the penis. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/48 "2008-02-05T12:56:47Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] If you start suddenly reducing your rate of ejaculations per day, you could very well notice semen in your urine. [/QUOTE] To the ‘naked’ eye… or is your bathroom equipped with a microscope? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/49 "2008-02-05T14:28:57Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] AIUI: Your body (I assume you’re male) produces a fair bit of semen daily, and it’s gotta get rid of it all periodically. If you start suddenly reducing your rate of ejaculations per day, you could very well notice semen in your urine. I have, as have most men at some point in their lives. There’s nothing orgasmic about it, but in the sense that an ejaculation is the expulsion of semen through the penis, that’s exactly what happens. [/QUOTE] A few nits to pick here. “Ejaculation” isn’t usually considered the expulsion of semen by any old means, it’s the expulsion of semen through rhythmic muscle contractions. What you’re probably seeing is the aftereffects of retrograde ejaculation happening when you’re unaware of it (perhaps while you’re sleeping). The semen goes up and into the _bladder_, where it stays until you urinate, and then you piss it out with your urine. Retrograde ejaculation can be learned - it’s one of the tantric techniques to avoid ejaculation. If it’s happening spontaneously (that is, without trying), it’s probably worth a mention to the doc at your next physical. He might want to check out the integrity of your man bits and make sure there’s not a nefarious reason your pipes are running backwards. If you don’t ejaculate regularly, your body is quite capable of reabsorbing the excess sperm (that is, breaking down and recycling the components) right in the testicles. They don’t \*need \*to come out, although there’s some research now showing that your prostate is happier if you ejaculate regularly. ETA: **lieu** , semen is visible to the naked eye, and is less dense than water, so it floats. Sperm are microscopic, but only one part of semen. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/50 "2008-02-06T07:59:49Z")
Interesting stuff, **WhyNot**. I could swear I’d read the semen-in-piss thing at the Dope, too, but I could be totally misremembering. That said, it hasn’t happened for a while (handful of years), so I’m not too worried. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/51 "2008-02-06T08:09:54Z")
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog] Nothing to add other than I’ve long thought “Morningwood” would be a great name for a housing estate. [/QUOTE] It was almost a reality in [Hobart](http://www.city.hobart.in.us/Plan%20Commission%20pages/05%20-%20PC%20Annual%20Report.htm) > [@](#): > > 05-15 Terry Vaidik SUBDIVISION, 9-lot Morning Wood > > ``` > zoned R-2 165’ east from the NEC > > of Linda Street & Hickey Street > > ``` > > Petitioner proposed single-family residential lots for development. The Commission expressed concerns with the traffic impact the proposed density would have on the less than standard Hickey Street and Illinois Street. Additionally, they acknowledged that extensive storm sewer infrastructure would be required because the area tends to retain water. Commission determined that because of these issues and a peculiar intersection that may contribute to the safety of the area. Commission DENIED the Subdivision on 06/09/05. Petitioner refiled for a 3-lot Subdivision, reference PC 05-46. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144/52 "2008-02-06T08:10:59Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] That said, it hasn’t happened for a while (handful of years), so I’m not too worried. [/QUOTE] So you’re telling us that you wack-off a lot? Thanks. I guess it’s no worse than my contributions to this thread. But thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-early-morning-boners/436144.md?page=2)