Wet Dreams

Men do not have erections solely due to sexual stimulation. Most healthy men also have erections while they sleep, which are called "nocturnal erections." The average man has from two to five of these erections every night and usually wakes up with one.

Younger men may also ejaculate as they sleep. When this happens, the occurrence is often described as a "wet dream." But the fact is that these dream-state erections are not necessarily triggered by sexual dreams.

Instead, experts now believe that nocturnal erections occur as a way for the body to keep the erectile function operating and healthy. Once again, we see the "use it or lose it" rule in action. Nocturnal erections, then, are not only a sign that a man's erectile function is in good shape, they are also a way to keep it that way.