Why do I have a huge urge to masturbate when I start to fall asleep?

Last updated on September 21, 2020

Question:

I have a question about masturbation. Whenever I want to sleep, my penis gets erect, and I have the huge urge to masturbate. I try to control it, but then the next day I must masturbate. This is occurring daily.

Thank you for your time.

Answer:

Your body is designed to have erections while you are in the dream (or REM) stages of sleep. You enter into sleep through this stage, exit from sleep through this stage, and are in this stage four or five times during the night.

When wet dreams happen, they occur during the REM portion of sleep. This is basically what is happening to you. Your body is producing a lot of semen at this phase in your life because of the widely fluctuating hormones in your body. Your seminal vesicles are nearly always full. You start to fall asleep and your penis gets erect. Your body says, “Great time to get some relief!” And so you have an urge to masturbate. But you are just enough awake to resist the urge. However, the semen continues to build up and you end up having to relieve yourself anyway.