Nocturnal penile tumescence, better known as spontaneous erection, is a physiological phenomenon surrounded by many taboos, some of which are closer to being overcome thanks to a new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine . As the research recalls, despite the fact that men think about sex about 20 times a day, impressive morning erections do not imply sexual arousal, not even that experienced during a possible erotic dream , but rather have a more mundane meaning and there is therefore no reason for the blush of the companion.
It is a natural mechanism that triggers the relaxation of the muscles of the corpora cavernosa and the arteries inside the limb, allowing a greater influx of blood and oxygen. As a result, the penis visibly increases in volume, going from five or six centimeters to 12 or 14. This routine hardening helps revitalize and regenerate the tissues of the genital organ, thus preserving its proper functioning.
Although we talk about morning erections, they actually occur at night, with a frequency of between one and five times, and a duration of between 15 and 40 minutes. Erections coincide with REM sleep phases (in fact, they are currently referred to as “sleep-related erections”), stages characterized by greater eye movement and in which there is a high general physiological activity, with the latter being them as a witness of said phallic nightlife. During sleep, testosterone levels also rise, reaching their maximum first thing in the morning, which, together with the accumulation of urine in the bladder, can slightly stimulate an erection (luckily for those who have just woken up, it is possible to urinate during tumescence).
Any individual who is in full health will experience erections on a daily basis, although the age peak is between 13 and 15 years, a stage in which men spend 30 percent of sleep with their penis erect. The absence of this awakening is usually a sign of an erectile dysfunction problem associated with certain daily habits or more serious ailments.
