The Real Reason Men Wake Up With “Morning Wood” (Hint – It’s Not You)

It's not just the sun that rises every morning.  Most of us in heterosexual relationships are familiar with that morning poke in the lower back. But before you get flattered at your amazing superhuman power to turn him on even when you're asleep and drooling- read on. According to a study by the Society for Endocrinology, the fact that certain parts of his brain shut down during REM sleep means that his grey matter is no longer controlling his penis. When he's awake, his brain regulates his erections as and when he is turned on, however during this REM period, the penis can do what it wants. "But why would it want to be hard if it's not turned on?" I hear you ask. Well, according to Dr. Joseph Alukal, assistant professor of Urology and Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Langone Medical Center​, this is when the penis takes it's opportunity to exercise.  He explains: "There's no other place in your body that has to trap blood for an extended period of time. "For example, if we took a tourniquet and tied it around your foot for a half hour, we might have some problems afterward." "But your penis is expected to trap blood for a half hour or an hour and be fine afterward. This could be part of the programming that reminds the penis, 'This is how you do your job.'​"​ And here was us thinking it was us. Ah well, no hard feelings. Ahem. Hat Tip: Cosmopolitan