You must have felt annoyed when you wanted to sneeze but didn’t. However, have you ever noticed you can’t sneeze while sleeping?

During sleep, the brain turns off the body’s reflex responses such as sneezing and coughing. So when the body has to sneeze, someone wakes up, says Dr Po-Chang Hsu, a medical writer, consultant and content expert at Sleeping Ocean.

As we know, sneezing itself occurs as a reflex, or involuntary response. So, it was impossible to hold on to it. In fact, sneezing can help the body wash away irritants such as pollen, dust, and chemicals.

Sneezing may feel uncomfortable or a little embarrassing. However, the best course of action is to let it happen. Consistently holding back a sneeze can lead to mucus buildup, middle ear infection, or damage to the eardrum.

Why not sneeze while sleeping?

The body suppresses a sneeze in two different ways, depending … Read the rest