{"id":6363,"date":"2024-11-11T20:11:29","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T19:11:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T10:05:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T08:05:01","slug":"why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Why don&#8217;t you sneeze in your sleep? Things you didn&#8217;t know about sneezing in your sleep."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We all sneeze from time to time, but can you sneeze in your sleep? It is a physical reflex that occurs when the mucous membranes of your nose and lungs are stimulated. You sneeze to clear your nose and lungs. <strong>Strangely enough, you can wake up to sneeze, but it doesn&#8217;t happen during sleep<\/strong> <strong>itself<\/strong>! In this article, we aim to answer everything you didn&#8217;t know about sneezing in your sleep.   <\/p>\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Content:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #003f73;color:#003f73\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #003f73;color:#003f73\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#What_happens_when_we_sneeze\" >What happens when we sneeze?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#Why_do_you_often_sneeze_in_bed\" >Why do you often sneeze in bed?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#Allergy\" >Allergy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#Fragrances\" >Fragrances<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#Medications\" >Medications<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#Waking_up_to_sneeze\" >Waking up to sneeze<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" >Frequently Asked Questions:<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#Can_you_sneeze_in_deep_sleep_or_REM_sleep\" >Can you sneeze in deep sleep or REM sleep?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#Why_sneeze_at_night\" >Why sneeze at night?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#What_to_do_about_sneezing_fits\" >What to do about sneezing fits?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/why-dont-you-sneeze-in-your-sleep-things-you-didnt-know-about-sneezing-in-your-sleep\/#Can_you_sneeze_in_your_sleep_%E2%80%93_Conclusion\" >Can you sneeze in your sleep &#8211; Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_when_we_sneeze\"><\/span>What happens when we sneeze?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Imagine getting pepper in your nose. The mucous membrane is stimulated because something enters your airways that doesn&#8217;t belong there. As a reflex, your body will want to clear the stimulus\u2014in this case, the pepper\u2014from your airways. You inhale deeply and your vocal cords close, causing air to collect in your lungs. Your abdominal muscles and diaphragm contract and your vocal cords open so that the air, with great force, clears the pepper from your nose and lungs.    <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why do we sneeze? \ud83e\udd27 The Science Explained! #howthingswork\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VmrtWe3HTjY?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The larger your lung capacity, the harder you sneeze! A sneeze is actually slower than often thought: in <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0059970\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">measurements by Tang and colleagues<\/a> (2013), the airflow reached a maximum of about 4.5 meters per second, roughly 16 km per hour. Still, a sneeze spreads quite a few droplets, so it&#8217;s best to sneeze into your elbow. If you pinch your nose in time or keep your lips tightly closed before your body takes that deep breath, you can prevent the sneezing fit.    <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_you_often_sneeze_in_bed\"><\/span>Why do you often sneeze in bed?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you crawl into <a href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/category\/improve-my-bed\/\">bed<\/a>, certain elements can trigger sneezing. For example, if you are heavily congested, your nasal mucosa will react more sensitively. But why do you sneeze in bed if you don&#8217;t have a cold?  <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Allergy\"><\/span>Allergy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Inhaling an allergen through the nose can trigger a strong reaction from your body&#8217;s own immune system, such as sneezing.<\/strong> But watery eyes, a feeling of tightness, itching, and a runny or stuffy nose can also significantly disrupt your sleep. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Allergic reactions are caused by allergens.<\/strong> These allergens can end up in your bed via dust mites, pet dander, or pollen blowing in through your bedroom window. An ENT specialist can diagnose this allergy and prescribe antihistamines or a nasal spray.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>If you try to keep your bedroom as free of allergens as possible, you will suffer less anyway<\/strong> and may also need to take less medication. What can you do? <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>wash your bed linens regularly, especially your pillowcase<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>wash or replace your <a href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/category\/improve-my-pillow\/\">pillow<\/a> in a timely manner<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>use anti-allergenic <a href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/do-i-need-a-mattress-protector-for-my-mattress\/\">mattress protectors<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>consider using a probiotic spray<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>do not allow your pet(s) on your bed or in the bedroom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>avoid items that attract dust, such as decorative pillows, stuffed animals, unprotected clothes racks, or open closets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>install a HEPA air filter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ventilate the room thoroughly in the morning and then close your windows, especially during pollen season<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fragrances\"><\/span>Fragrances<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We already mentioned pepper, but wasabi, tobacco smoke, paint fumes, deodorants, cleaning products, or a strong perfume can also trigger a sharp sneezing fit. <strong>These scents do not contain allergens but can irritate your mucous membranes, causing you to sneeze.<\/strong> If you are permanently or temporarily faced with irritating scents that you cannot avoid, consider installing an air purifier in your bedroom.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Medications\"><\/span>Medications <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Certain medications can lead to sneezing or worsen sneezing symptoms. Naturally, it is best to discuss this with your GP. To help you, the website of ENT Amsterdam has created a handy list. This allows you to quickly check if you are using a medication that has coughing or sneezing as a side effect.    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kno-arts-amsterdam.nl\/index.php\/folders\/bijwerkingen-medicijnen\/medicijnen-met-als-bijwerking-hoesten\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Check this link.<\/a><\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/sick-woman-home-concept-normaal.jpeg?resize=640%2C426&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6342\" style=\"width:824px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/sick-woman-home-concept-normaal.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/sick-woman-home-concept-normaal-480x320.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 640px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Waking_up_to_sneeze\"><\/span>Waking up to sneeze<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, there are quite a few elements that can lead to sneezing, including when you go to sleep and lie in bed. Yet you cannot sneeze in your <a href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/category\/improve-my-sleep\/\">sleep<\/a>. This is because the sneeze reflex is suppressed by your brain while you sleep. This is presumably to ensure that you aren&#8217;t literally woken up and because sleep takes precedence as an important process.    <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And yet&#8230; Japanese research shows that strong stimuli can make you sneeze in your sleep. And then, of course, you wake up with a start. Researchers at Shiga University of Medical Science in Japan stimulated the noses of sleeping subjects with wasabi. Within two minutes, they were awakened from their sleep while sneezing. All except for one subject, who turned out to have a blocked nose. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.quest.nl\/mens\/gezondheid\/a31986389\/zes-dingen-over-niezen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source: Quest<\/a>) <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read also:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/is-turning-in-my-sleep-normal-or-not\/\">is tossing and turning in your sleep normal?<\/a><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1731351400483\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_sneeze_in_deep_sleep_or_REM_sleep\"><\/span><strong>Can you sneeze in deep sleep or REM sleep?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><i>You cannot sneeze during sleep because your brain suppresses the sneeze reflex. During REM sleep, your muscles are also &#8216;paralyzed&#8217;, including the diaphragm and abdominal muscles needed to sneeze. <\/i><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1731351409166\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_sneeze_at_night\"><\/span><strong>Why sneeze at night?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><em>If we do sneeze, we also wake up. We usually sneeze because the mucous membranes are stimulated by an allergy, a scent, or the impact of certain medications. <\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1731351428652\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_do_about_sneezing_fits\"><\/span><strong>What to do about sneezing fits?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><em>Remove the source of the overstimulation as quickly as possible or take the correct medication to allow your lungs and nose to settle down.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_sneeze_in_your_sleep_%E2%80%93_Conclusion\"><\/span>Can you sneeze in your sleep &#8211; Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can be stimulated to sneeze during sleep, but the result is that you will then wake up. Sneezing while you are asleep is not possible because your brain suppresses this reflex. During REM sleep, the muscles you need to sneeze are also paralyzed.    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all sneeze from time to time, but can you sneeze in your sleep? It is a physical reflex that occurs when the mucous membranes of your nose and lungs are stimulated. You sneeze to clear your nose and lungs. Strangely enough, you can wake up to sneeze, but it doesn&#8217;t happen during sleep itself!&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-improve-my-sleep"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Kan-je-niezen-in-je-slaap.webp?fit=640%2C399&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"J\u00fcrgen Swinnen","author_link":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/about-us\/jurgen-swinnen\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6363"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10131,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6363\/revisions\/10131"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}