You are not alone - maintaining erections for the whole night, so to say, and practically as long as required can be a challenge for many men. This is a common problem faced by a lot of men and is classified under erectile dysfunction. Erections are considered so important to the male health that at times they are even referred to as the barometer of male health. In this blog we will discuss the reasons and solutions to how to keep erections for as long as you want - 30 minutes or more.

This article will take you through the following points:

  • How do erections happen?
  • Why am I not able to maintain/keep erections?
  • Get and maintain erections
  • Supplements for better, long lasting erections
  • When should you visit a doctor?

But first you need to understand how erections happen and how they are maintained.

How do erections happen?

The first step in this process starts in the brain. When arousal is felt by the brain, the brain sends out signals to the nerves in the pelvic region. These nerves release Nitric Oxide (NO), a neurotransmitter that relaxes the arteries within the penis to allow increased blood flow. This increased blood flow gets filled in the spongy tissue of the penis called corpora cavernosa and it becomes rigid leading to erections.

For maintaining an erection this increased blood flow to the penis is required and that is achieved by reducing the outflow of the blood from penis. This gets done by compression of the veins that drain the blood out of the penile muscles leading to erection. Compression is facilitated by an expanding corpora cavernosa leading to successful trapping of the blood and a maintained erection.

Once the desire to have sex is met, the brain again sends out signals that take the penis back to normal flaccid or non-erect state.For the blood supply to be reduced, body releases and enzyme PDE5 that makes the penile arteries to contract again and the erection goes away.

Why am I not able to maintain/keep erections?

It is normal to have weak erections sometimes and there is no case to be worried as erections depend on mind, body, muscles, nerves, hormones and more. So, if anything is not up to the mark on a particular day you might face problems in getting hard.

The problem of not being able to maintain an erection for 30 minutes or till you want is caused by the process of erection (as explained above) not working properly. The reasons are not different from the problem of not getting an erection or not getting hard enough erections.

Erectile dysfunction in younger males, less than 25 is usually a sign of some psychological issue or hormonal imbalance and in older males other bodily or physiological factors start gaining importance. Given ahead are psychological and physiological factors commonly causing less than perfect erections:

Psychological factors

  • Stress and anxiety: High levels of stress and anxiety leads to higher production of the hormone cortisol, this constricts blood vessels, making it difficult for the blood to flow freely and causing a suboptimal erectile function. Chronic high levels of stress also lead to loss of desire or libido, so one side the blood flow is restricted and on the other there is loss of libido.
  • Depression: Depression leads to a loss of interest in most of the good things in life due to the hormonal build up it causes and this also reduces interest in sexual activity, which can cause erectile dysfunction.
  • Relationship Conflicts: A bad relationship, lack of trust and intimacy lead are not conducive for sexual desire and can lead to loss of erections or inability to maintain erections.
  • Performance Anxiety: Anxiety in any form is detrimental for good erections. But performance anxiety deserves a special mention as even an occasional bad performance can trigger it if someone takes it too seriously. In such a situation, a person is prone to a bad performance at the next opportunity as his anxiety levels will be too high.

Physiological Factors:

  • Cardiovascular Health: It refers to the heart and the parts of the body involved in the process of blood flow. It involves the heart, veins and arteries and blood vessels. If there are problems in this system such as some cardiac disease, blood pressure or some problem with arteries and vein such as the condition of atherosclerosis, make it difficult for the blood to flow freely to the penis leading to erection issues.
  • Neurological Disorders: Neurological Disorders make it difficult for the nerves to carry the signals sent by the brain and can also lead to erection problems.
  • Hormonal imbalances: Hormonal imbalances, especially low testosterone levels in males can lead to reduced sexual drive and consequently weaker erections.
  • Obesity: Obesity causes alterations in both cardiac health and hormonal levels leading to low libido and less than perfect hardness.
  • Smoking and Substance Abuse: Smoking and excessive alcohol or drug use can damage both blood vessels and nerves, reducing the ability to achieve and maintain an erection.
  • Age: There is a natural deterioration of the body with age that brings about changes in elasticity of the blood vessels and also the hormonal level leading to the problem of erectile dysfunction.
  • Chronic Illness: Diabetes and kidney disease and other chronic issues can cause alterations in the body which lead to impaired functioning of blood vessels and nerves, the critical systems required for good erections.

Get and maintain erections

Erections are dependent on mental and physical health. If you want to maintain erections for 30 mins or for as long as you need it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle. A holistic approach towards life is the best approach towards achieving good health and has to include taking care of factors affecting mental health and also taking care of physical health by maintaining a proper diet and exercising regularly. Apart from consulting a medical professional for treatment here is a list of things you can do get better and maintained erections:

  1. Take care of your mental health:
  2. Reducing stress: from meditation to understanding your stress and anxiety triggers can significantly reduce stress and cortisol levels. You can also try ayurvedic herbs such as Ashwagandha to reduce cortisol, and therefore stress levels.
  3. Balance work with life. Over working can lead to chronically higher levels of stress which causes more problems than just sexual dysfunction.
  4. Meditate: meditation has proven beneficial more than most medications for stress and anxiety. It is the best way to achieve better mental health.
  5. Therapy: Do not rule out the option of taking therapy for improving your mental health.
  6. Keep your body healthy
  7. Exercise: Exercising regularly helps to maintain better blood flow, build stamina and also aid better mental health. There are specialised exercises that can lead to improved blood flow in the pelvic region, you can know more about them by clicking on this link.
  8. Learn and do Kegel exercises daily.
  9. Sleep: Sleep is the basis of all rejuvenation and repair. Getting good quality sleep for 6-8 hours is essential for optimal functioning.
  10. Yoga: Yoga can be easily practised at home and is helpful for both mind and the body.
  11. Nutritious Diet: It is essential to follow a healthy diet. Healthy food concentrates on giving all the necessary nutrients and not just on reducing weight. Correct portions and the right mix can do wonders.
  12. Improve your relationship with your partner
  13. Communicate more and openly to develop a more understanding and supportive relationship. This is a critical requirement for a good mental status.
  14. Increase sexual communication: Get to know each other’s sexual likes and dislikes, this not only helps in increasing pleasure but also gives you a better chance to please your partner. An advantage to tackle performance anxiety better.
  15. Experiment: Try new things, new positions or even a role play to spice up things and get those hormones flowing and to keep you in the moment. The novelty will keep you more engaged and help you maintain erections for longer.
  16. Simple things you can do:
  17. Try massages, oils and lubes to add another sensory layer to your experience
  18. Try cock rings, might sound a bit extreme but if you can get used to it, and use it correctly, it might just do the work for you.
  19. Smoking and Drinking: Any kind of substance abuse will have an adverse impact on the body. Abstinence, or at the least moderation is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
  20. Regular Check-ups: This is a must once you have crossed 40. It gives early warning signs and helps you to take corrective measures before things become serious.

Supplements for better, long lasting erections

Erections are a function of both the mind and the body and hormonal balance and blood flow play the critical role in getting and staying hard for as long as required. It is essential then, to look at supplements that can help to get the desired hormonal balance that has lower cortisol and higher testosterone and can help improve better blood flow for maintaining good erections. Ashwagandha is a very popular and extensively researched herb that helps in reducing cortisol levels.

We can suggest Misters Daily Josh that not only has Ashwagandha, but also has other, 100% natural, ingredients like pomegranate and cocoa beans, zinc and magnesium that can help boost testosterone. Use this link to purchase it with Enhance Intimate Cream that has clove and coconut to help last longer also. Purchase link https://misters.app.link/e/ed_dj_blog

For improving  erections one can use Misters Bold that has extracts of Pomegranate, Mango and Safed Musli and can help you get harder erection and maintain for longer periods. It is best used with Enhance Intimate Cream that has L-Arginine, a necessary enzyme required for erections Purchase link: https://misters.app.link/e/ed_en_blog

When should you visit a doctor

Occasionally not getting erections is normal. But if you are repeatedly (6/7 times) you are not able to get an erection it will be better to visit a doctor. Another important marker for visiting the doctor is not having morning erections for 3 weeks or more. Make sure you were actively noticing the morning erection before deciding that you are not getting it. It is so natural that most men don’t notice it.

References

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Reference | Why Can't I Get or Keep an Erection?

Reference | Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study

Reference | The Princeton III Consensus Recommendations for the Management of Erectile Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Disease?

Reference | Sexual dysfunction before antidepressant therapy in major depression

Reference | Chronic kidney disease and erectile dysfunction