# Sneezing and interfering with the reflex

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-and-interfering-with-the-reflex/745459>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 7, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-and-interfering-with-the-reflex/745459 "2016-02-07T20:36:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-and-interfering-with-the-reflex/745459/1 "2016-02-07T20:36:08Z")

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I’m a bit baffled by sneezing. I believe it is a reflex action, usually initiated by some sort of irritant in the respiratory system. But unlike other reflexes, e.g. patellar, it seems as if it can be interrupted by external matters. For instance, just as someone is preparing for a sneeze, in that inhaling moment, if you go “Ahhh Ahhh Ahhh” in a sort of imitative sound, it often undermines the urge for that person to sneeze and stops it. Also, I don’t believe that we sneeze during sleep, but there should be irritants in the respiratory system that should provoke a sneeze even then. Do reflexes - which don’t actually even require actions of the brain in order to funcion - also turn off while we sleep? Why sneezing? How does all this work?

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**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-and-interfering-with-the-reflex/745459/2 "2016-02-07T22:38:07Z")

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Tap somebody on the knee with a little mallet while they are sleeping. Report back to us.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-and-interfering-with-the-reflex/745459/3 "2016-02-07T23:38:43Z")

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This [Sneeze - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneeze) isn’t a bad intro. Some reflexes operate in sleep. Sneezing isn’t one of them.

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**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-and-interfering-with-the-reflex/745459/4 "2016-02-08T22:20:07Z")

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> [@CC](#):
>
> For instance, just as someone is preparing for a sneeze, in that inhaling moment, if you go “Ahhh Ahhh Ahhh” in a sort of imitative sound, it often undermines the urge for that person to sneeze and stops it.

I hate it when people pull stuff like that. Just stop it.

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**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-and-interfering-with-the-reflex/745459/5 "2016-02-08T22:26:07Z")

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> [@Doug\_K](#):
>
> I hate it when people pull stuff like that. Just stop it.

I finally got my Wife to stop doing that. Drove me nuts.