# why don't we sneeze in our sleep

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-sneeze-in-our-sleep/21739>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 8, 2000, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-sneeze-in-our-sleep/21739 "2000-06-08T11:23:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2000, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-sneeze-in-our-sleep/21739/1 "2000-06-08T11:23:26Z")

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Sneezing appears to be an automatic action of our body, that we have very little control over. So why don’t we sneeze in our sleep? At least I have never seen anyone do that.

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**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2000, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-sneeze-in-our-sleep/21739/2 "2000-06-08T13:24:11Z")

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Well, you’ve never slept with someone who has hay fever. I’ve sneezed myself awake on occasion during “the season.”

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**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2000, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-sneeze-in-our-sleep/21739/3 "2000-06-08T13:32:19Z")

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I’ve read that the part of the brain that orchestrates sneezes is disabled during sleep, similar to the paralysis that occurs to your voluntary muscles when you’re in REM sleep.