What's the Deal with Morning Wood?




RadioMD (All Shows) show

Summary: You're woken up every single day by your man's erection. Does this mean that he is more aroused in the morning?Sharing a bed with your man can be great... that is until your daily wake-up call comes from between your sheets and not the alarm on your nightstand. You may think your guy just had a very intimate sexual fantasy in his sleep and is looking for a way to have it satisfied. This is not always the case. Did you know that morning wood has nothing to do with sexual desire? Actually, it happens when your man is in his REM (rapid eye movement) sleep cycle. During REM, your body turns off some neurotransmitters that regulate body functions. One of these neurotransmitters is in charge of stopping erections. REM decreases norepinephrine levels, and testosterone is free to pump as much blood into the penis, causing an erection. This doesn't mean that men aren't aroused immediately when they wake up. Each person is different; some men and women may be aroused in the morning while others get randy later in the day. Director of San Diego Sexual Medicine, Irwin Goldstein, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to explain why morning wood happens and if it means men are more sexually aroused than women.