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This is like an urban myth and a classic prank, but I never saw it in action.

Supposedly if someone is passed out or sleeping, the contact with water will make him pee. Is this true? If true, why does this happen?

Sklivvz
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Andres
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    [Busted](http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/db/human-body/hand-water-asleep-urinate.html) by the __MythBusters__. – Oliver_C May 19 '11 at 20:06
  • I wanted to try this at camp this summer. MythBusters, while I love them, spoil some fun things. – Skava May 20 '11 at 01:58
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    @Oliver_C, so a sample of *two* people is sufficient to bust a myth? Had they peeed before sleeping? – Benjol May 20 '11 at 04:56
  • [Here is the mythbusters extract of that episode](http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/db/human-body/hand-water-asleep-urinate.html). As @Oliver_C said, I guess that the sample of two people isn't enough... – Andres May 20 '11 at 13:55
  • Andres, you do realize you just gave the same link from Oliver_C, right? – cregox May 20 '11 at 14:21
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    @Benjol - It depends on how the myth is formulated. The claim `something WILL happen` is not the same as `something CAN happen`. – Oliver_C May 20 '11 at 14:26
  • @Benjol: IIRC the myth they wanted to bust was that it kind of always works, which wasn't the case. – Martin Scharrer May 20 '11 at 14:51
  • @Cawas lol, sorry, didn't saw the link! – Andres May 20 '11 at 15:58
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    @Oliver_C, @Martin, it worked for Greg House :) – Benjol May 20 '11 at 19:33
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    I would think this myth exists because there is no way not to wake a sober person when placing his hand in water. A drunk person, so drunk as to not notice, is much more likely to piss himself. – Andrey Dec 28 '11 at 15:09
  • It might not work on everybody, but I have seen it work on one person (a completely sober twelve year old). – ChrisR Apr 22 '12 at 16:46
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    I'm so sad this is still satisfactorily unanswered! :( – cregox Apr 25 '12 at 19:57

1 Answers1

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OK, I'm gonna try a few links on you, not sure how "approved" they will be:

From The Straight Dope

The effectiveness of the stunt is a matter of debate. Some urologists scoff at the idea. But other medical types have been known to tell patients having a tough time urinating after rectal surgery to put their hands in warm water.

Wry extract from a pretty useless forum thread on The Naked Science Foundation:

Short answer no with a but..

long answer yes with an if...

Wikipedia says (but the cite is a dead link):

The mechanism is unclear. The phenomenon (...) of immersing the hand of a sleeping person in water to make this victim urinate in sleep, although the efficacy of the trick is disputed.

Benjol
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