Yes, babies get erections Like an adult with a penis, a baby can also get an erection. “All baby boys have erections, and in fact, boy fetuses even have them in utero,” says Segura. But don't worry, they're not a sexual response. Instead, she says they're a sensitive organ's normal reaction to touch.
Even babies get erections
OK, I was shocked when my son suddenly sprang a stiffy. I thought erections only came in early puberty, but man oh man was I wrong - he was only a few months old!
If your baby boy's erection took you by surprise, know this: according to researchers, male foetuses can get erections at around 16 weeks gestation. That's right. Erections in babies happen even before birth! In fact, erections are very common in infants and toddler boys.
There's no hard and fast rule when it comes to how many erections a person should get. People with penises have an average of 11 erections per day and three to five more each night, but everyone is different.
“It's perfectly natural for little children to touch themselves,” says Dr Miriam Stoppard. “Little boys do tend to do it more than little girls, and there's a simple reason for that. From four months, babies will grab onto anything that sticks out – their toes, ears, noses, and with boys, their willies of course.”
Males often experience erections, sometimes called boners, without physical or psychological stimulation. While it is usually not a cause for concern, it can feel embarrassing. Random erections are normal in adolescents and adults, especially when waking up. Fluctuations in testosterone may be responsible.
People with penises have an average of 11 erections per day and three to five more each night, but everyone is different. There are numerous factors that can affect how often you get hard, like your age, hormone levels, and lifestyle.
Your testosterone level is at its highest in the morning after you wake up. It is highest immediately after waking up from the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage. The increase in this hormone alone may be enough to cause an erection, even in the absence of any physical stimulation.
Typically, an average erection may last from a few minutes to roughly half an hour. However, this can vary significantly due to the many factors that can affect erection duration. It is also worth noting that a person does not need an erection to achieve orgasm.
We move from sympathetic (fight and flight) stimulation to parasympathetic (rest and digest) stimulation. This is not found during other parts of the sleep cycle. This shift in balance drives the parasympathetic nerve response that results in the erection. This is spontaneous and does not require being awake.
The lack of a morning erection isn't necessarily a concern. Sometimes, men wake up at different points in a sleep cycle, when an erection isn't occurring. Still, morning erections might provide some clues about penile health and erectile dysfunction (ED). Typically, men have several erections while they sleep.