Dear kringle,

Most healthy men wake up in the morning with an erection. The slang term for this is "morning wood." This is normal and it's fairly common. Men have several erections a night as part of their sleep cycle. Many times they wake up and find they are still erect.

A man's penis becomes erect ("hard") in response to sexual arousal, excitement, and deep relaxation, such as what's experienced in deep dreaming sleep. An erection is caused by a rush of blood to the penis. A man's penis, especially a young man's penis, can also become erect without any kind of arousing stimulation — this is called a "spontaneous erection."

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a medical problem, please call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment with the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.