If you wake up pitching a tent, you probably roll your eyes, adjust, and move on. It’s funny, mildly annoying when you need to pee, and maybe a nostalgic reminder of middle school simpler times. But “morning wood,” or, if you want the medical term, nocturnal penile tumescence, is actually a major barometer of men’s health. Ignore it, and you might miss what your body’s trying to tell you.

Here are the basics of it all. Those random erections that show up while you’re asleep or just waking up connect to blood flow, nerve function, and hormones. Think of them as your body running a systems check in the background. Regular morning wood is usually a sign that things are working as they should. When that starts to change…or disappear completely, that’s worth paying attention to.

Morning Wood

See Full Page