[thedoc (OP)]

My name is Garbo from London and I would like to know why don't we sneeze when we are asleep?
Asked by Garbo, London

                                          Hear this Question on our Podcast

[thedoc (OP)]

We put this question to Matt James, University of Bristol:

I work in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Bristol and my interest in sleep is in its role in cognition, so how a good night’s sleep helps us to learn remember things well.  Well, this is a bit like asking if the tree falls in the forest but nobody’s there to hear it because it makes a noise so perhaps we do sneeze in our sleep but not enough to wake ourselves up regularly or to wake ourselves fully.  And what really concerns me as a scientist is that no one’s really done the experiment.  So, the first thing that springs to mind of course was that it’s really question whereas the evidence that we don’t sneeze in our sleep.  I’ve spoken to friends with hay fever and they reckon, they do sneeze in their sleep on occasions.  It’s firmly the case that during sleep, we’re less responsive to sensory input so we’re less excitable as evidenced by flying around not doing much as opposed.  So if there is stuff around likely to make us sneeze, it’s probably less likely to make us sneeze while we’re asleep.  But really, whoever asked this question should do the experiment to find the stimulus, some black pepper let’s say, that makes you sneeze when you’re awake and then ask someone to woof it under your nose while you’re asleep and see if it makes you sneeze or not.  Maybe it’s just the change in facial, maybe it just takes more pepper to make you sneeze when you sleep.

[Emilio Romero]

I think we do sneeze in our sleep (we also cough in our sleep), thus the eternal question here would be... do we wake up before we sneeze? If so, the query remains... why don't we sneeze while asleep (maybe the same reason why we never sleep while we are awake  [])

[Emilio Romero]

 []Furthermore... could we sneeze during a lucid dream?

[JnA]

histamine is one of the neurotransmitters that is not released during REM sleep.. so sneezing at this time does not occur.. however during other phases of sleep one would probably wake up to sneeze.

A term to look up is REM atonia.


(thankyou work experience at the sleep centre)

[katz]

Well, as far as my concern..we don't sneeze when we sleep because all our body cells are at rest, as well..AhAh.! []

newbielink:http://commissiondesurendettement.net [nonactive]

[thedoc (OP)]

Did we mention your answer on air?  Listen to the answer to this question on our podcast to find out...

[orlandosingles]

I am going to have to go with the histamine deprevation during REM. great answer

[forex]

I would think it is because our eye lids are not shut tight which can cause our eyes to fly out...   

[Make it Lady]

I have allergies to night pollen such as honeysuckle. I often wake up sneezing. I guess you can sneeze in your sleep but it is such an event that you don't stay asleep. I can't say what type of sleep I am in when I sneeze as I am asleep. Perhaps Neil could come around and tell me as he is the sheep that never sleeps.

[ukmicky]

Without listening to the podcast i think it may be due to us breathing through our mouths when we sleep .

[Make it Lady]

I would think it is because our eye lids are not shut tight which can cause our eyes to fly out...  

My son has now desided to tape his brothers eyes open and then tickle his nose with a feather. He is hoping to see eyeballs out on springs.

[JnA]

I would think it is because our eye lids are not shut tight which can cause our eyes to fly out...  

not even close to likely. eyeballs cannot fly out by any stretch of the imagination unless the optic nerve is severed.

[Kjalvalr]

What the hell is up with the nonsensical sentence structure? This guy is a scientist and he screws up something that simple?

[Dawn]

Yes you can sneeze in your sleep and not we up ! I was in shock last night my daughter was sleeping and I heard her sneeze & not wake up !! So I believe we do sneeze & don't wake up from it ...

[harrys mum]

I have just this minute heard my 8 yr old son sneeze in his sleep ...hence how I stumbled upon this site. I too was surprised because he's still completely unconscious and has been asleep around 3 hrs so must be in REM by now. That said, I am currently unwell so he may have the starting symptoms of a cold. Maybe it's different with a cold as there's no requirement for external stimuli.

[Eric]

Well this is dumb. We get a wrong answer from a "scientist". Lesson to be learned is don't take advice from scientists unless they've actually performed a study.