The duration of an erection plays a crucial role in sex life. It depends upon the overall health of a man. Some men face problems with their erection. Difficulty in sustaining erection may result from erectile dysfunction or other problems with the reproductive system.
However, it is manageable and one can improve the time of their erection. Before going through the ways to increase the duration of erection, let us understand the whole concept of erection, factors affecting it, and tips to increase erection time.
What Is An Erection?
Erection of your penis is a sign of sexual stimulation. It is the stiffening of your penis due to sexual arousal. This is how your body reacts when sex hormones are at their peak.
While your penis is erect, not only your brain but other organs and systems of your body, such as the nervous system, heart, lungs, arterial and muscles, etc., are working together to make it happen.
The duration of erection depends upon many physical and psychological factors such as lifestyle, health conditions, age, and more The process begins when one comes across or experiences any physical or mental incitation.
The incitement or stimulation sends signals to the brain and other organs of the body, due to which the heart rate accelerates and blood starts going towards the penis. It then swells up and becomes erect.
Here's the Short Answer
It's difficult to give a precise figure since numerous factors influence how long the average man can stay erect. According to urologists, there is no hard and fast rule for how long a penis should remain erect. Naturally, without medications, an average erection for an average individual would last around 10 minutes, whereas many people are much above (or far below) the average.
But Why?
It's impossible to quote an exact time because multiple physical and psychological variables impact how long can the average man stay erect.
To begin with, how you feel is a factor that impacts erection. It might be hard to keep an erection if you aren't adequately excited. Feeling pressured, stressed, nervous, preoccupied, or exhausted affects erection similarly.
Arousal and erection can also be affected by ongoing relationship problems or feelings of discomfort with your partner. Age, mental health, physical health, habits, and lifestyle impact how long can the average man stay erect.
The following are some specific factors:
- Cigarette or nicotine smoking
- Alcohol consumption
- Prescription medications for anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure
- Medications for colds and allergies
- Obesity leading to insufficient testosterone
- Medical disorders such as heart disease and diabetes
- Premature ejaculation
Types of Erections
There are three different types of erections:
1. Reflexive Erection
This erection is involuntary and spontaneous. It happens when you are being touched directly on your penis or other sensitive areas of your body. It happens without thinking about sex or sexual visualisation.
2. Psychogenic Erection
It happens due to mental stimulation, sexual fantasies, viewing erotic material, or thinking about any sexual or erotic content.
3. Nocturnal Erection
It is also known as “morning wood” and happens when you’re asleep. It occurs due to the activation of some brain areas during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Usually, men experience up to 5 erections in the whole night during their sleep.
How do Erections Work?
Erection happens due to a sudden blood rush to the penis. It changes shape and becomes prolonged, straight, hard, and firm.
The process of erection can be divided into three stages:
1. Soft or Flaccid Penis:
The normal state of the penis is flaccid or soft. This is the state of your penis when you are not at all sexually aroused. Your blood flow to and from the penis is normal and equal in this state.
2. Swollen Penis:
In this state, due to sexual stimulation, tiny blood vessels in your penis allow blood to flow into the three tube-like spongy tissues (known as the corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum).
As these tissues fill with blood, the veins that usually would usher blood out of your penis get tightly closed to help the tissues keep blood in the penis. Your brain and veins function in such a way as to increase the blood flow in your penis. As blood flow increases, your penis starts to swell.
3. Erect Penis:
If the sexual stimulation continues, your penis becomes large, long, and erect enough to have sexual intercourse.
A swollen and erect penis results from all the chemical changes that are happening in your body due to sexual arousal. After ejaculation of sperm or when the stimulation stops, your penis reverts to its flaccid (loose and soft) size and appearance.
Factors That Affect Erections
There is no universal duration or range of erection. It is not easy to ascertain the average time because multiple factors can affect your erection, such as:
- Tiredness or fatigue
- Age
- Other distractions such as any work or task
- Consistency of smoking or alcohol
- A feeling of self-consciousness, uneasiness, and nervousness
- Stress or tension
- Uncomfortableness with your partner
- Mental or emotional state during the arousal
- Level of sexual arousal or stimulation
- Levels of testosterone in your body
How Long Can the Average Man Stay Erect?
As multiple factors affect the erection, there is no definitive answer to the question, "how long can the average guy stay hard?". Although generally, it may last from a few minutes to half an hour. Erection duration can, however, vary strongly depending on several factors such as sexual arousal, testosterone, stress and other factors mentioned above.
Why Am I Facing Difficulty in Erections?
Some people might face difficulty getting erected or having a firm erected penis for satisfactory sex. Such issues may be the sign of the following medical conditions:
1. Erectile Dysfunction (ED):
It is a condition in which a man cannot get or maintain an erection long enough for sexual intercourse or activity. There are several physical causes of the erectile dysfunction, like:
- Cardiovascular or heart-related problems and diseases that cause narrowing of blood vessels
- High blood or blood sugar levels, or diabetes
- Obesity or higher cholesterol levels
- Metabolic syndrome
- Excessive smoking, alcohol or recreational drug use, alcohol use disorder, and substance abuse
- Unhealthy lifestyle and lack of exercise
- Hormonal disorders such as thyroid conditions and testosterone deficiency.
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Anatomical penis disorders, such as Peyronie disease
- Treatment of prostate diseases or prostate cancer
- Pelvic area or spinal cord injury
Psychological causes of ED:
- Fear of intimacy
- Depression and anxiety
Certain drugs cause ED such as:
- High blood pressure controlling drugs
- Digoxin and other medications used to treat heart problems
- Antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants
- Cancer drugs such as chemotherapeutic agents
- Opioid painkillers
- Certain hormone drugs
2. Premature Ejaculation (PE):
It is one of the sexual dysfunctions that create difficulty or prevent persons from having satisfactory sex. In this condition, a man ejaculates too soon. It adversely affects the sex life of people and happens due to psychological causes such as:
- Relationship stress or anxiety
- Depression
- Sexual Inexperience, etc.
Also Read: 7 Everyday Foods to Cure Premature Ejaculation
How Can I Improve My Erections?
If you are not satisfied with the duration of your erection, then here are some ways to improve it:
1. Start Exercising
Indulge in exercise that helps in strengthening your pelvic floor muscles for resolving erectile troubles. Strong pelvic floor muscles are crucial for improving blood flow to the penis and maintaining your erections. Regular exercise also builds cardiovascular strength and treats obesity. You can also start yoga to reduce your bodily and mental stress.
2. Limit Tobacco and Alcohol Use
If you are a chain smoker or smoke more than ten cigarettes a day, you are at higher risk and more exposed to the risk of ED. Nicotine in tobacco tightens your arteries and blood vessels, increasing blood pressure and reducing blood flow.
Having excessive alcohol disrupts the brain-to-penis connection, decreases overall blood volume, and makes arousal difficult.
Heavy alcohol intake may also damage your liver and increase the estrogen levels in your blood, harming your sexual functioning. To improve your erection, you must limit smoking and alcohol intake.
3. Eat a Balanced Diet
Avoid food high in sodium or saturated fat, red meat, and processed foods as it affects blood flow in your body. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and seafood in your diet to improve your erection.
4. Get Enough Sleep
You should have at least six to eight hours of sound sleep at night. Not getting enough sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and mental health problems that may cause ED.
5. Erectile Enhancement Medications
Doctors may prescribe tadalafil and sildenafil medicines. They help get an improved erection.
6. Check Your Medications
Certain medications such as antidepressants, high blood pressure medicine, tranquilisers, and diuretics cause ED. You can ask your doctor for their alternatives.
Now that we’ve answered ‘how long can the average man stay erect,’ here are a few effective ways to enhance your erections.
Delay Spray For Longer Lasting Sex
The Lidocaine Delay Spray for Men by Manmatters is designed to decrease sensitivity. It is a safe spray that can exponentially enhance your sexual experience with no side effects. How? Read on to know.
- It helps with mild premature ejaculation, improving your overall experience by temporarily desensitizing the sprayed area,
- Its fast-absorbing molecules give you results in 10-12 minutes. Thus, you get a better experience even with less preparation.
- Unlike other topical products, this spray uses lidocaine, a substance that gets absorbed by the skin, allowing for maximum efficacy. It acts as an anesthetic to reduce sensitivity.
In addition, this delay spray for longer-lasting sex is easy to carry. You can easily fit it into your nightstand or pocket. Compared to other desensitizing alternatives, this one is cleaner to use. It reduces the post-cleanup time to half by allowing you to experiment with different things without the long wait.
Delay Condoms For Men
Longer-lasting sex shouldn’t be unpleasurable. Our Ribbed & Delay condoms ensure you get maximum enjoyment while being completely safe. Its 3-in-1 structure is prepared to keep your needs in mind.
One of the most common complaints partners have during sexual intercourse is that they don’t feel it, and the act gets over too soon.
Each Manmatters condom in this range has 384 dots, ribs, benzocaine, and extra lubrication. As a result, your partner gets added texture for pleasure that lasts long. It helps delay ejaculation by desensitizing the spray area.
These condoms (pack of 10) are also powered with silicone oil which helps you give the smoothness needed for pleasure. If you’re worried about any tears or holes, don’t be. These condoms for men go through rigorous testing and contain no added spermicide.
Not to forget that they’re easy to put on for a comfortable and easy experience. You can get these in flavors like strawberry and chocolate.
Do all Erections Stop after Ejaculation Occurs?
Yes. The time it takes varies from person to person, but after ejaculation erections stop. In men, erections are timed to drop following an orgasm. They subsequently go through a period known as 'latency,' during which they are prevented from building another erection.
In healthy people, the latency period is usually brief. It can increase with age.
You may or may not have more than one erection in a single session. You may be able to build an erection several times, but you will almost certainly go through the latency period once you have ejaculated.
Why Do You Lose Your Erection After You Ejaculate?
This is the functioning of your nervous system. When your parasympathetic nervous system is excited or activated, nitric oxide is released, which increases the blood flow and causes an erection.
After intercourse, the sympathetic nervous system gets activated, causing seminal emission (ejaculation) and blood out of the penis. Hence your penis gets soft again or gets back in a flaccid state.
Is it Possible to have more than One Erection in a Single Session?
Yes, more than one erection is possible in a single session. However, a man's body needs some time to produce semen again after ejaculation. This latency period, also known as the refractory period, varies with the age and physical health of a person.
So you may be able to get erect again, a couple of minutes after ejaculation. Yet, the subsequent ejaculations will happen only after the brief refractory period.
When Is an Erection Too Long?
Erection may occur randomly without any arousal or awkward times during the day. In such cases, you can hide it by readjusting your pants or shirts or can visit the washroom until it passes. However, if your erections last longer than four hours, then it may be the cause of priapism. Priapism is of two types:
- Ischemic Priapism: You may experience pain and an erect shaft with a soft glans (head).
- Non-ischemic Priapism: It causes no pain, but there is no rigidity when your shaft is erected.
In cases of priapism, you must immediately contact a doctor or the nearest emergency centre to avoid damages such as permanent erectile dysfunction (ED) and tissue death.
When to See a Doctor?
If you are facing erection trouble due to relationship problems or general stress, then you don’t need to visit a doctor necessarily. However, if you face this difficulty frequently, it is time to talk to a doctor. Your doctor will find out the root cause of your problem and prescribe the medications accordingly.
Also, if you are experiencing prolonged erection, then you must seek a doctor or medical help urgently.
Summing up on How Long Can the Average Man Stay Erect
Erection is necessary for various sexual activities and specifically for intercourse. It starts with sexual arousal and continues till ejaculation. Certain factors can affect your erection. Some temporary erection problems can be solved by improving your lifestyle. However, if the erection problems continue, you must consult a doctor. Otherwise, it may cause permanent ED or PE and can harm relationships.
FAQ
At What Age Does a Man Stop Getting Hard?
There's no age limit to having a healthy and satisfactory sex life for men. Many men in their 20s battle with erectile dysfunction, while some men in their 90s have no problem getting erections.
Erectile dysfunction is the most prevalent sexual condition that men face as they get older (ED). Nonetheless, ED can strike any age, although older men are more likely to experience it. Studies show that Erectile dysfunction affects over 40% of men by the age of 40 and approximately 70% of men by the age of 70.
Risk factors like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke affect how long can the average man stay erect.
How Many Times a Day Do Guys Get Hard?
On average, a man experiences 11 erections each day and more while sleeping. In the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep, men usually experience 3-5 erections every night. It's not clear why this happens, but many medical specialists believe it's perfectly normal.
How Long Does It Take for a Man to Be Ready for Round 2?
There is no set time limit for a man to wait for the next round of sexual intercourse after an orgasm. The length of the latency phase varies from man to man and is affected by factors such as overall health, age, food, lifestyle, and libido.
The male latency period increases with age. Therefore elderly men may require a longer time (up to 24 hours) to become aroused for the next round of sexual stimulation.
References
- O Bratu, I Oprea, D Marcu, D Spinu, A Niculae, March 2017; Erectile dysfunction post-radical prostatectomy – a challenge for both patient and physician - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5304365/
- Giovanni Corona, Andrea M.Isidori, March 2016; Endocrinologic Control of Men’s Sexual Desire and Arousal/Erection - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743609516000849
- Albert C. Leung, George J. Christ, Arnold Melman; Physiology of Penile Erection and Pathophysiology of Erectile Dysfunction -https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4613-1087-7_1
