There are a number of morning problems that we don’t want. Morning breath, bedhead and drowsiness are all categorically not fun. But morning arousals? They’re both totally normal and potentially fun. These healthy bodily functions are an important sign that you have good intimate health when it comes to arousals — a helpful indicator that your heart, blood vessels and nervous system in the region are functioning properly. 

As a man, it’s easy to get used to waking up with an arousal. In fact, most of us take morning arousal for granted, which makes it a bit of a shock to one day wake up without one. Always waking up without one might also be concerning because the absence of morning arousal can potentially be a sign of a more serious health issue, like heart disease.

You probably have some important questions about why morning arousals happen and what they mean for your intimate function and overall health. We’ve got that info covered below — as well as some words of medical advice on what to do if a lack of morning arousal becomes a pattern. (Learn more about EDs.)

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What is morning arousal?

Morning arousal is an easy-to-remember, colloquial phrase for a medical term that just rolls off the tongue: nocturnal tumescence. If you get nocturnal arousals (arousals that happen while you’re asleep), there’s a good chance that you’ll wake up from time to time with morning arousal. 

Despite its popularity, the term “morning arousal” isn’t entirely accurate. While most guys notice their arousals when they wake up in the morning, it’s common to get several arousals during the night.

In fact, according to the International Society for Intimate Medicine, most men will get between three and five arousals during sleep on a typical 8-hour night.

Regardless, morning arousal is a normal occurrence and isn’t a sign of intimacy or health problems. In fact, it’s a good sign that you have normal function and healthy blood flow to your privates.

At a basic level, arousals occur when your nervous system sends signals that result in an increase in the blood to your privates, allowing more blood to flow into your tissues. As pressure increases, your privates becomes firmer, creating an arousal.

This can occur when you’re awake, such as during intimacy or solo-time, or in certain stages of your nightly sleep cycle.

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Potential Causes of Morning Arousal

Experts haven’t yet identified exactly why nocturnal arousals occur. However, there are some theories. Nocturnal arousals are typically associated with rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep, which is the stage of sleep during which you dream. Because nocturnal arousals come and go during the night and usually occur during certain stages of sleep, it’s likely the physiological changes occurring in the body at different stages of sleep that are responsible for causing arousals.

These include activation of certain parts of the nervous system, the release of certain neurotransmitters, and changing levels of certain hormones, like testosterone. Other theories about why nighttime arousals occur include physical stimulation or nerve signals resulting from a full bladder. But — again — experts aren’t really sure what gives men morning (and sleeping) arousals. (Learn more about Why Do I Get Soft?.)

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What Does it Mean if You Stop Getting Morning Arousal?

Just like morning arousal is normal, it’s also perfectly normal to sometimes wake up without an arousal.

However, if you always wake up without an arousal, or if you notice a sudden drop in nighttime or morning arousals, it could be a sign of an underlying health issue that might be causing ED.

ED has a range of potential causes. Common physical health issues that cause or contribute to ED include:

• Heart and blood vessel disease

• Low testosterone 

• Atherosclerosis (clogged arteries)

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)

• Injuries to your privates and surrounding area

• Complications from surgery

• Chronic kidney disease

• Type 2 diabetes 

• Multiple sclerosis

• Peyronie’s disease

Some prescription drugs, such as antiandrogens, antidepressants, blood pressure medications, tranquilizers, ulcer medications and appetite suppressants, may also contribute to ED and stop you from getting nighttime arousals.

ED can also develop as a result of psychological issues, such as anxiety about intimacy, depression, chronic stress and low self-esteem.

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What to Do if You Have No Morning Arousal

Morning arousal isn’t like breakfast — it’s not an essential start to your day. If you wake up without a morning arousal regularly, though, and are having trouble with waking arousals as well, it’s a good idea to talk to a health professional for solutions to the problem at hand (or sheet). Those might include medications and lifestyle changes.

Treat Underlying Causes

If you’re not getting morning arousal at all, it could indicate that you have a more severe case of ED. One of the most important things to do in this case is to address underlying causes. Talk to a healthcare provider about what’s going on — they’ll likely run tests (including blood tests) to look for signs of other issues, like diabetes or high cholesterol.

They might also do a nocturnal tumescence test to confirm that you truly don’t get arousals at night. Treating underlying causes for ED is important for overall health — not just for your arousals.

Medications

ED is treatable. Most of the time, medications like sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and avanafil (Stendra) can restore your intimate function and make it easier for you to get an arousal before and during intimacy.

These drugs are called PDE5 inhibitors, and they work by increasing the flow of blood to your privates. Increased blood flow means more potential for arousals when you’re aroused, so the work is still up to you to some degree. But consider yourself well prepared for liftoff when taking these medications.

Lifestyle Changes

Sometimes, simple changes to your habits and lifestyle can also improve your intimate health and make getting an arousal at any time of day easier. Try to:

• Keep yourself physically active. Even a small amount of daily exercise can have a noticeable impact on your cardiovascular health and ability to maintain an arousal. Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week.

• Maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity is a risk factor for ED, with men in the obese BMI range around three times more likely to develop ED than men in the healthy range.

• Limit your alcohol consumption. Research shows that drinking alcohol often and in large quantities is associated with ED and other intimate performance problems. Try to limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day.

• Avoid illicit drugs. Some recreational drugs can affect your intimate function, including your ability to get an arousal. If you have a substance use disorder, talk to a healthcare provider about receiving professional care.

• Quit smoking. If you smoke, consider quitting. Research shows that smokers have an elevated risk of developing ED due to the negative effects of smoking on cardiovascular health.

Our guide to naturally protecting your arousal shares other techniques that you can use to treat ED and improve your intimate performance naturally.

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What if I Do Have Morning Arousal But Still Have ED?

If you’re waking up with morning arousal but struggling to get hard when you’re with a partner, you might actually have some strong evidence that your ED is psychological.

Think about it for a second: the sleeping, unconscious version of you clearly has no problem with getting it up. What’s the difference with the waking version of you?

Turns out, it’s your thoughts. And that’s not uncommon. Research shows that performance anxiety, low self-esteem and other psychological blocks can prevent men from getting aroused.

Here’s why this is welcome news: now you know what could be causing your ED. Now, more importantly, you can reach out to a healthcare provider for targeted treatment, like therapy or medication for your mental health (you can start right now with us, if you’re ready).

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Beyond Morning Wood: Learn More About Treating ED

There are a number of morning problems that we don’t want. Morning breath, bedhead and drowsiness are all categorically not fun. But morning arousals? They’re both fun and normal. To keep the party going, here’s what you need to know:

• Morning arousal is a good sign. Morning arousals are a normal part of life and a helpful signal that you’re physically capable of getting an arousal. 

• Disappearing morning arousals can be a wakeup call. If you’ve recently stopped getting morning arousal, it could be a sign that you have an underlying physical issue that’s causing ED. 

• Treatment is out there — and right here. The good news is that ED is treatable, typically by addressing underlying causes and with medication and changes to your habits and lifestyle. We offer a range of ED treatments online, including evidence-based medicine available after an online consultation with a healthcare provider. 

Interested in learning more about ED and men’s health? Our guide to the most common treatments and drugs for ED goes into more detail about how you can maintain healthy arousals and optimal intimate performance at any age.

Treat ED and get back to starting your morning with something besides your back feeling stiff.

This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

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