From the Guidelines
Individuals do not experience sneezing during somnolence because the brain's reflex mechanisms, including the sneeze reflex, are suppressed during sleep, particularly during deeper sleep stages. This suppression is crucial for maintaining uninterrupted sleep, which is essential for rest and recovery. According to the study on assessing cough severity and efficacy of therapy in clinical research 1, cough, which is closely related to sneezing, is uncommon during sleep. The study found that cough occurs more often during wakefulness compared with sleep, suggesting that the brain's reflex mechanisms are less active during sleep.
The neural pathways that trigger sneezing, which normally respond to irritants in the nasal passages, are temporarily dampened as part of the body's natural sleep processes. This is similar to how other bodily functions like coughing or responding to mild pain are also reduced during sleep, allowing the body to remain in its restorative state without frequent interruptions from minor stimuli. Although the study does not directly address sneezing, its findings on coughing provide insight into the brain's reflex mechanisms during sleep.
Some key points to consider include:
- The brain's reflex mechanisms are suppressed during sleep, particularly during deeper sleep stages
- The neural pathways that trigger sneezing are temporarily dampened during sleep
- Coughing, which is closely related to sneezing, is uncommon during sleep, as found in the study 1
- The suppression of reflex mechanisms during sleep is essential for maintaining uninterrupted sleep and allowing the body to rest and recover.
From the Research
Sleep and Sneezing
- There is no direct evidence in the provided studies to explain why individuals do not experience sneezing during somnolence (sleep) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- The studies focus on various aspects of sleep, such as sleep homeostasis 3, optical imaging and manipulation of sleeping-brain dynamics in memory processing 4, sleep and neuroimaging 5, and common sleep disorders in adults 6.
- None of the studies specifically address the topic of sneezing during sleep, and therefore, there is no conclusive evidence to provide an explanation for this phenomenon 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Related Sleep Topics
- Sleep is a complex process that is homeostatically regulated, and its functions are not yet fully understood 3.
- Recent studies have used optical imaging and manipulation techniques to reveal spatiotemporal and multiscale brain dynamics during sleep and their functional roles in awake state cognition, including learning and memory 4.
- Neuroimaging has been utilized to reveal the connectivity between sleep and the brain, which is associated with the physiology of sleep 5.
- Common sleep disorders in adults, such as insomnia, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and obstructive sleep apnea, have been studied and diagnosed using various methods, including polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests 6.