The reason why the penis "salutes the flag" in the morning

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Vo Thien Ngon - Urologist, Department of General Surgery, Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.

The state of "saluting the flag" is when the penis is filled with blood and becomes erect. Morning erection right after a man wakes up is very common. Many people still wonder why the penis is erect in the morning?

"Salute the flag" in the morning is officially known as nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT). In fact, most men have about 3 to 5 erections per night while sleeping without even realizing it. From 6 to 8 year old boys to 60 to 70 year old men will experience nighttime erections while sleeping. Each such erection will likely last about 30 minutes regardless of the dreams they are seeing. Some men even get an erection for up to 2 hours while sleeping.
Waking up when the penis is in an erect state is very common for men of all ages, especially young people and teenagers. In essence, this is a sign of health, indicating that blood circulation and nerve cells in and around the penis are working properly. Most morning erections will subside within a few minutes after a man has woken up.

Many people believe that morning erections are a sign of sexual arousal, but this is not the case. Penis "saluting" in the morning is more likely to be the body's natural response. There are many causes of morning erections. Although no specific medical evidence has been found, several theories have been put forward by doctors to explain why the penis is erect in the morning, including:
Physical stimulation: In fact, sometimes sometimes When the eyes are closed during sleep, the body is still aware of many things happening around. If the man himself or his partner touches and rubs the genitals, the penis can become erect. The male body has sensed the stimulus and responded with an erection in the "boy".
Hormonal changes: Men's testosterone levels reach their highest levels in the morning right after waking up, when the body has just gone through REM (also known as dreaming, paradoxical sleep) sleep. - one of the stages of sleep). This increase in hormone levels can be the cause of an erection, even without any physical stimulation. For middle-aged men from 40 to 50 years old, natural testosterone levels begin to decrease, leading to morning erections no longer appearing as often.
Relax the brain: When active during the day, the male body releases a hormone that inhibits erection - the scientific name is noradrenaline. However, during sleep, the brain relaxes, causing this inhibitor to secrete less. This fact may be the cause of nighttime erections and morning erections.
On the other hand, some people think that an all-night erection keeps men from urinating while they sleep and that the penis "saluting" in the morning is a sign of the need to urinate. However, experts have confirmed that this notion is incorrect. Also, "saluting the flag" in the morning is not a sign of sexual desire either. In many cases, nocturnal erections will even disappear if men have sex-related dreams or thoughts.

Why is an erection in the morning necessary? As mentioned at the beginning, a morning penis "saluting the flag" is common in healthy men. The presence of nocturnal erections also indicates a man's physiological function and ability to maintain an erection during sexual intercourse.
Therefore, if a man no longer has an erection at night or the penis has stopped "saluting" every morning, this could be an early warning sign of an underlying health problem. The older men are, the more likely they are to experience problems related to erectile dysfunction, which also makes morning "saluting" less common. At this time, the blood circulation in the body has been hindered, causing the penis to no longer be supplied with the necessary amount of blood, from which the nerve cells in this area cannot perform erectile function as usual. rate. Risk factors for erectile dysfunction in men include:
Being overweight; Hypertension ; High cholesterol levels; Diabetes; Depression; In addition, certain physical disabilities, or age, as well as the effects of pain relievers and antidepressants can also interfere with nighttime erections and morning "salutations".

In general, morning erections are considered very healthy and rarely cause men to see a doctor. However, you should visit a medical facility if you fall into the following two situations:
Painful erection in the morning: Most of the morning "salutation" will subside within 30 minutes after male world wakes up. But if an erection lasts longer than an hour or is painful for a man, scheduling an appointment with a gynecologist is essential.
No more morning erections: Although sleep erections are less common as men get older, if the frequency of morning "saluting" in young people suddenly decreases, it is necessary to go to the hospital and report to the doctor. Talk to your doctor to find out the cause and get the right treatment.
However, how often nighttime erections during sleep is normal has not been determined. Some men will "salute" every morning when they wake up, others show up less than once a week. Therefore, men should also consult their doctor about the frequency of their morning erections during their annual physical exam.
In summary, morning erection is very common, indicating that the blood supply and nerve activity in the penis are going normally. Most young men will "salute the flag" in the morning several times a week. However, this condition becomes less common as men get older. If this suddenly disappears or there is a suspicion that his morning erections are unusual, men should talk to their doctor as this could be a sign of an underlying health problem. .

Reference source: healthline.com; webmd.com