As many men now know, masturbation is an activity that practically all guys engage in (even if they don’t always admit it). There are benefits to stroking the erect penis beyond the obvious physical pleasure, such as contributing to penis health and exploring how the body works, yet sometimes a guy may want to cut down on his masturbation frequency. In some cases, that can present some challenges.

Normal

As stated above, masturbation is a perfectly normal and healthy activity, one which brings about a tremendous amount of pleasure. Essentially all guys masturbate at some point in their lives, and most men masturbate with some regularity throughout their adolescence and adulthood.

Still, most men have probably had a point in their lives in which they’ve thought, "I’m masturbating a little too much. I better slow down for a while." This can be due to any number of reasons. The penis may be sore from too much activity, for example, or he may simply be very busy and feel that he needs to devote some time to something other than his penis.

But ignoring that erect penis is not always easy. When a guy needs help controlling his urge to masturbate, he may want to consider some of these strategies:

- Stay away from porn. This should be a no-brainer, but if a dude doesn’t want to be tempted to fondle his erect penis, he should avoid activities that are likely to bring about an erection. Unless a man really enjoys testing himself and seeing how strong his resolve is, avoiding masturbation triggers like exposure to pornography is a must.

- Alter sleep habits. Many men enjoy masturbating in bed, often just before they fall asleep or when they wake up with morning wood. If trying to keep the urge under control, change the amount of time spent in the bedroom and try to use it just for sleeping. Reading or streaming videos in bed increases the possibility for masturbation. Instead, do other activities in a common space and just head to the bedroom when ready to sleep.

Once in bed, try to sleep on the side rather than on the back or stomach. Sleeping on the side reduces the chance of the penis rubbing against sheets or bedding and becoming aroused. Many men masturbate in order to help them fall asleep. Engaging in deep breathing exercises while in bed may be a good alternative.

Men who wake with morning wood often just turn off the alarm clock when it rings and begin masturbating. Placing the alarm clock on the other side of the bedroom can help, as a man has to get out of bed and can’t just roll over again when he turns it off.

- Schedule yourself. Make plans to strictly limit the time spent masturbating. If a typical masturbation session runs 30 minutes, set the alarm for 15.

- Use other activities. Plan on doing things to keep from masturbating. Engaging in alternative physical activity - playing basketball, skateboarding, going to the gym, taking a walk - is especially good, as exercise can release endorphins just as sex does, helping to decrease the desire to masturbate. But even non-physical activities - watching a movie, baking, etc. - can be a distraction.

Although masturbation is a part of life, most men like to know that they have a proper degree of control over it, just as they like to have control over other parts of their lives.

Of course, even a man comfortably in charge of his masturbation may get a little over-zealous with his erect penis, resulting in rawness or soreness. Daily use of a superior penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) can be a big help with this problem. Re-moisturizing the penis helps soothe the soreness, so using a crème with both Shea butter and vitamin E (two top rate moisturizing agents) is essential. Also be sure acetyl L carnitine is an ingredient in the chosen crème. This amino acid protects against peripheral nerve damage, which too much rough handling can bring about and which can result in loss of sensation in the penis.