During the REM sleep phase, men have an erection; this is not related to the content of dreams and is a normal vegetative reaction. If it is absent, it may be a sign of the presence of organic, slightly reversible or irreversible causes of impotence. One of the many reasons for the lack of a nocturnal erection is the presence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in the patient, or the disease of respiratory arrest during sleep. This is a serious disease, but with its timely and adequate treatment, it is possible to significantly improve or even restore potency.
During the night, a patient with sleep apnea periodically (in severe cases, even several hundred times) has quite long pauses in breathing caused by pharyngeal obstruction. Against the background of increasing oxygen starvation, a person has micro-arousal of the brain, during which the tone of the respiratory muscles increases, and breathing is restored.
At the same time, the structure of sleep is grossly disrupted; its deep phases are especially affected, during which many hormones, in particular testosterone, are normally produced. A decrease in its formation causes the appearance of erectile dysfunction.
In addition, acute and chronic hypoxia accompanying sleep apnea has a damaging effect on blood vessels, contributing to the appearance of endothelial dysfunction and accelerating the development of atherosclerosis. For this reason, the quality of blood flow in the arteries supplying the genitals begins to suffer, which is manifested not only by the absence of a nocturnal erection, but also by a decrease in potency during wakefulness.
If we continue talking about the effect of apnea syndrome on the cardiovascular system, we can recall that sleep apnea exacerbates the course of coronary heart disease. With the simultaneous existence of respiratory disorders during sleep and heart diseases, patients need to take medications that affect cardiac activity. SIPAP therapy will help eliminate apnea and increase potency Patients with angina pectoris and other similar diseases are often prescribed drugs from the group of beta-blockers, and they, in turn, can cause the appearance of erectile dysfunction.
The absence of a nocturnal erection does not bother patients as much as "daytime" potency disorders. Meanwhile, with obstructive apnea syndrome, they often coexist, which means that the condition needs correction. Conducting therapy with this violation eliminates respiratory arrest, restores the normal structure of sleep and increases the duration of its deep stages, during which testosterone is produced. Thus, if you contact a somnologist in a timely manner to diagnose and treat sleep apnea, you can count on the complete disappearance of complaints.
