{"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":"2024-12-03T19:19:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T18:19:53","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>We all sneeze from time to time, but can you sneeze in your sleep? It is a bodily reflex when the mucous membrane of your nose and lungs is stimulated. To clean nose and lungs, you sneeze. <strong>You can wake up to sneeze, but during sleep, strangely enough,<\/strong> <strong>you don&#8217;t<\/strong>! In this article, we try to answer everything you didn&#8217;t already know about sneezing in your sleep.    <\/p>\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 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_often_sneeze_in_bed\" >Why 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\/#Medicine\" >Medicine<\/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_brake_sleep\" >Can you sneeze in deep sleep or brake 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_when_sneezing\" >What to do when sneezing?<\/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>Imagine getting pepper up your nose. The mucous membrane gets irritated because something enters your airways that doesn&#8217;t belong there. As a reflex, your body will want to clear the stimulus, in this example pepper, from your airways. You inhale deeply and your vocal cords close, collecting the air in your lungs. Your abdominal muscles and diaphragm contract and your vocal cords separate so that the air, with great force, cleanses your nose and lungs of pepper.<\/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>The greater your lung capacity, the harder you sneeze! A sneeze can reach speeds of up to 150 km per hour. So it is best to sneeze into your elbow. If you pinch the nose in time or keep the lips tightly together before your body takes a deep breath, you can prevent the sneeze.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_often_sneeze_in_bed\"><\/span>Why often sneeze in bed?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p>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 have a sniping cold, 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><strong>Inhaling an allergen through the nose can trigger a violent reaction from your body&#8217;s own immune system, such as sneezing.<\/strong>  But watery eyes, a stuffy feeling, itching and a runny or stuffy nose can also disturb your sleep considerably.  <\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Allergic reactions are caused by allergens.<\/strong>  Those allergens can end up in your bed through dust mites, pet dander or pollen blowing in through your bedroom window. An ENT doctor can diagnose this allergy and prescribe you antihistamines or a nasal spray.   <\/p>\n\n<p><strong>If you try to keep your bedroom maximally free of allergens, you will be less likely to suffer anyway<\/strong> and may need to take less medication. What can you do? <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>wash your bed textiles regularly, especially your pillowcases<\/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-allergic <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 probiotic spray<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>do not leave your pet(s) on your bed or in the bedroom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid elements that attract dust such as decorative pillows, soft toys or clothes racks without protection or open cabinets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>install a HEPA air filter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ventilate the room vigorously in the morning and then close your windows, especially in 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>We already talked about pepper, but wasabi, tobacco smoke, paint smells, deodorants, cleaning products or a strong perfume can also trigger a pungent sneeze.  <strong>These odors do not contain an allergen but can irritate your mucous membranes, causing you to sneeze.<\/strong>  If you are permanently or temporarily confronted with odors that irritate you and you cannot avoid them, consider installing an air purifier in your bedroom.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Medicine\"><\/span>Medicine  <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>Certain medications can cause sneezing or worsen sneezing symptoms. Of course, it&#8217;s best to talk about this with your doctor. And to help you out, the website of ENT Amsterdam has created a handy list. This way you can quickly check if you are taking 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>So there are quite a few elements that can lead to sneezing. And, of course, also when you go to sleep and lie in your bed. Yet you cannot sneeze in your <a href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/category\/improve-my-sleep\/\">sleep<\/a>. That&#8217;s because the sneezing reflex is suppressed by your brain when you sleep. Presumably this is so to ensure that you literally don&#8217;t wake up and because sleep takes precedence as an important process.    <\/p>\n\n<p>And yet &#8230; Japanese research shows that strong stimuli do make you sneeze in your sleep. And then, of course, you bolt awake as well. Japanese researchers at Shiga University of Medical Science stimulated the noses of sleeping subjects with wasabi. Within two minutes, while sneezing, they were awakened from their sleep. All but one test subject 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<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_brake_sleep\"><\/span><strong>Can you sneeze in deep sleep or brake 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, on top of that, your muscles are &#8220;paralyzed,&#8221; including the diaphragm and abdominal muscles you need 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>When we do sneeze, we also wake up. We usually sneeze because the mucous membranes are stimulated by an allergy, an odor 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_when_sneezing\"><\/span><strong>What to do when sneezing?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><em>Get rid of the source of the overstimulation as soon as possible or take appropriate medication to calm your lungs and nose.<\/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>You may be stimulated to sneeze during sleep. As a result, you will also be awake. Sneezing during sleep 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 bodily reflex when the mucous membrane of your nose and lungs is stimulated. To clean nose and lungs, you sneeze. You can wake up to sneeze, but during sleep, strangely enough, you don&#8217;t! In this article, we try&#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\/author\/victorys\/"},"_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":2,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6544,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6363\/revisions\/6544"}],"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}]}}