# Do people fart more, or louder, asleep than awake? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2010, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015 "2010-01-07T10:00:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/1 "2010-01-07T10:00:40Z")
It seems to me that a few of my SOs were somewhat fog horn-like while they slept. Is there a difference in daytime/night time food processing, or does it result from people being unconscious of the social necessities, what with being asleep and all? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/2 "2010-01-07T13:04:09Z")
I think the difference relates not to gas production, but to the force with which it’s expelled. Since nighttime farts are involuntary, the difference will depend on the nature of one’s [voluntary] farts during the daytime. If one is in the habit of carefully/quietly hissing away their intestinal gas, then nighttime farts will be louder; the reverse will be true if one enjoys farting as loudly and violently as possible during their waking hours. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/3 "2010-01-07T13:41:44Z")
My morning farts on awaking are the loudest. They are as sure a herald of the dawn as the call of the rooster or the bugle sounding reveille. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/4 "2010-01-07T14:45:37Z")
I’ve heard that I’ve awoken my fiance with some night time farts. While I’m not a “girls don’t fart” kind of person (I don’t hold them in to the point of discomfort), I do try to be polite about them. But at night, they just go. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/5 "2010-01-07T16:19:38Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > … or does it result from people being unconscious of the social necessities, what with being asleep and all? Huh? So one must be conscious of “social necessities” while unconscious in their own bed?? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/6 "2010-01-07T16:38:54Z")
I’ve heard plenty of “I don’t fart” people ripping up a storm in the middle of sleeping. I always assumed that when they were awake they figured out a way to slowly depressurize w/o making much noise/stink. Once they are unconscious and can’t control it that way, they’re ripping up a storm, only to deny they possibly could’ve done that the next morning. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/7 "2010-01-07T16:43:19Z")
I tend to think I don’t fart much at night, because in the morning, I do a hell of a lot of catching up for missed time. ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/8 "2010-01-08T02:32:43Z")
once i cut one so loudly in my sleep that it woke me and my ex-wife up, wondering for a moment what the noise was before figuring it out. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/9 "2010-01-08T02:54:57Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > I think the difference relates not to gas production, but to the force with which it’s expelled. Since nighttime farts are involuntary, the difference will depend on the nature of one’s [voluntary] farts during the daytime. If one is in the habit of carefully/quietly hissing away their intestinal gas, then nighttime farts will be louder; the reverse will be true if one enjoys farting as loudly and violently as possible during their waking hours. Wait a sec. You’re saying that the day/night responses (loud/soft) are opposite–that’s how I read your post. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/10 "2010-01-08T06:22:52Z")
> [@pope\_hentai](#): > > once i cut one so loudly in my sleep that it woke me and my ex-wife up, wondering for a moment what the noise was before figuring it out. Were you still living with your ex-wife at the time? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/11 "2010-01-08T07:00:53Z")
Do you guys hold in depth discussions on these subjects after awakening or do you just sort of let things go, as it were? ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/12 "2010-01-08T08:17:42Z")
> [@pope\_hentai](#): > > once i cut one so loudly in my sleep that it woke me and my ex-wife up, wondering for a moment what the noise was before figuring it out. HA! Something similar happened to me a few weeks ago. I woke up hearing my vibrating cell phone on the night stand. At least that’s what I THOUGHT it was. Turned out to be 2 hours too early to be awake. I’m holding the non-vibrating phone in my hand still hearing the massive vibrations coming from Locrian’s rear manifold. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/13 "2010-01-08T10:10:14Z")
> [@Mr\_Buttons](#): > > I’ve heard plenty of “I don’t fart” people ripping up a storm in the middle of sleeping. I always assumed that when they were awake they figured out a way to slowly depressurize w/o making much noise/stink. Once they are unconscious and can’t control it that way, they’re ripping up a storm, only to deny they possibly could’ve done that the next morning. Yep, that’s my girlfriend. I don’t think I’ve _ever_ heard or smelt her fart in my presence while awake. Although I wouldn’t say she’s “ripping up a storm” while asleep I have definitely heard her knock a few out. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Central\_Scrutinizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@The\_Central\_Scrutinizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Central_Scrutinizer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-fart-more-or-louder-asleep-than-awake/524015/14 "2010-01-10T05:25:15Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > It seems to me that a few of my SOs were somewhat fog horn-like while they slept. > > Is there a difference in daytime/night time food processing, or does it result from people being unconscious of the social necessities, what with being asleep and all? I dunno… if a tree falls in a forest & no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound? 😃 I usually hear my bed-mate’s noises, but never my own. :eek: Consider that it probably wasn’t too long prior to going to sleep that they had dinner, usually the largest meal of the day… & hitting the crapper is usually done while awake…