Sleep Conditions > Impaired Sleep-Related Penile Erections > (Sleep Conditions Home or All Sleep Conditions)

Impaired Sleep-Related Penile Erections

Description

This disorder occurs in men who are not able to have erections during sleep that are not rigid or large enough to engage in sexual intercourse. Usually a result of organic impotence, men with this condition experience a significant decrease in sleep-related erections, or, occasionally, penile circumference increases without the appropriate rigidity.
Throughout the life cycle, there is a natural decrease in the magnitude, frequency, and duration of sleep-related erections, however, it is important to consider if this decline is natural, or caused by other factors. There are many diseases that contribute to organic impotence, including cancer, heart disease, alcoholism, mental illness, epilepsy, and diseases brought about by the aging process. In addition, the use of recreational drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, also contribute. It is estimated that 10 percent of adult men in the United States have some sort of erectile dysfunction, and of those 60 to 70 percent are thought to have organic impotence.

Diagnosis

A man with impaired sleep-related penile erections will not be able to achieve or maintain a penile erection suitable for sexual intercourse. In addition, during normal sleep episodes there will be a significant decrease in the duration and frequency of sleep-related erections.

Treatment

Age-related erectile dysfunction is a naturally occurring, and generally irreversible process. There are, however, tests that can be done to see if the cause of the impotence is naturally occurring or not. Because there are many psychological complications related to organic impotence, the problem is not completely physical. Sometimes medical treatment can easily improve this condition.

Source: Adapted from International Classification of Sleep Disorders Diagnostic & Coding Manual, American Academy of Sleep Medicine.