AIBU to think delayed smell and taste on waking is not normal

Lauralaaaa · 2026-09-19T19:03:56+00:00

AIBU in saying it’s not normal to be unable to smell or taste for the first hour when you wake up and the hour before you go to sleep? If I ask my partner to smell something in the first hour of waking up he says his smell hasn’t waken up yet! Please can anyone explain?

evaevaeva · 20/09/2026 09:04

I get a lot of problems with sinuses and find that my first coffee of the day doesn’t usually taste of anything.
You can only imagine how many PCR tests I had to do through work during COVID lockdowns because of my constant loss of taste and smell 🤦🏼‍♀️

Morecoffeeneedef · 20/09/2026 08:49

Lauralaaaa · 20/09/2026 08:37

It would usually be about 20 minutes after he wakes up and he will smell it and say I don’t think so but my smell hasn’t woken up yet 😂 he isn’t generally annoyed at me and being a dick about it no, he usually humours me because he loves me

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Maybe his senses take a while to reboot every morning then. Taste as well?

Original poster

Lauralaaaa · 20/09/2026 08:37

Morecoffeeneedef · 20/09/2026 06:31

Maybe he wants to stop you shoving sweaty clothes under his nose the minute he wakes up?or he might just have a stuffy nose after lying down.

Edited

It would usually be about 20 minutes after he wakes up and he will smell it and say I don’t think so but my smell hasn’t woken up yet 😂 he isn’t generally annoyed at me and being a dick about it no, he usually humours me because he loves me

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Original poster

Lauralaaaa · 20/09/2026 08:35

Catza · 19/09/2026 21:13

Actually, I looked it up for the first time in my life so thank you for this. Apparently, there are physiological reasons:
Why Morning Smell Loss Happens:
Circadian Rhythms: Research shows that smell sensitivity peaks in the evening and is at its lowest point in the morning while your body wakes up.
Reduced Saliva and Dryness: Saliva production drops significantly while you sleep, which can dry out nasal and oral passages and temporarily dull sensory perception.Overnight Congestion: Lying flat for hours can cause mild fluid pooling or mucus buildup in your nasal passages, blocking scents from reaching your olfactory receptors until you move around and breathe upright for a bit.

Interestingly, my other senses are also affected. I am more sensitive to sound and ligh and less to smell and taste. I frequently ask my partner to lower his voice as "my nervous system is not online yet". It usually takes an hour or so to adjust.

Edited

This is very interesting thank you! I think it explains it

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Morecoffeeneedef · 20/09/2026 06:31

Maybe he wants to stop you shoving sweaty clothes under his nose the minute he wakes up?or he might just have a stuffy nose after lying down.

Catza · 19/09/2026 21:13

Actually, I looked it up for the first time in my life so thank you for this. Apparently, there are physiological reasons:
Why Morning Smell Loss Happens:
Circadian Rhythms: Research shows that smell sensitivity peaks in the evening and is at its lowest point in the morning while your body wakes up.
Reduced Saliva and Dryness: Saliva production drops significantly while you sleep, which can dry out nasal and oral passages and temporarily dull sensory perception.Overnight Congestion: Lying flat for hours can cause mild fluid pooling or mucus buildup in your nasal passages, blocking scents from reaching your olfactory receptors until you move around and breathe upright for a bit.

Interestingly, my other senses are also affected. I am more sensitive to sound and ligh and less to smell and taste. I frequently ask my partner to lower his voice as "my nervous system is not online yet". It usually takes an hour or so to adjust.

Catza · 19/09/2026 21:09

Lauralaaaa · 19/09/2026 21:06

I don’t think people are very good at smelling their own BO, well at least I can’t smell mine very well because it’s just my scent

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Fair enough. All I can say is that I completely understand what your husband means as I experience the exact same thing.

Original poster

Lauralaaaa · 19/09/2026 21:06

Catza · 19/09/2026 21:00

I can't explain it but I experience the same. I literally can't smell anything in the morning. I guess it is something to do with sinuses clogging up but I am not sniffly and I had this for as long as I can remember.
Which is why I may well ask my partner to smell an item of clothing I fished out of the wardrobe if I can't remember whether I wore it before putting away. I am finding it curious that you ask yours if your sense of smell works just fine in the morning. What's the reason for the second opinion?

I don’t think people are very good at smelling their own BO, well at least I can’t smell mine very well because it’s just my scent

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Catza · 19/09/2026 21:00

I can't explain it but I experience the same. I literally can't smell anything in the morning. I guess it is something to do with sinuses clogging up but I am not sniffly and I had this for as long as I can remember.
Which is why I may well ask my partner to smell an item of clothing I fished out of the wardrobe if I can't remember whether I wore it before putting away. I am finding it curious that you ask yours if your sense of smell works just fine in the morning. What's the reason for the second opinion?

Original poster

Lauralaaaa · 19/09/2026 20:27

He seems to think it’s his body going into low power mode

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jiffypipe · 19/09/2026 20:27

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 19/09/2026 20:22

Now I want to know why you’re apparently regularly putting on clothes that might smell of BO, as opposed to just doing laundry. But I realise that’s not the point of the thread.

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Ah come on, you’ve done the sniff test surely?! When it’s been a cool day, little activity or you haven’t worn that top for long, you give it a sniff and put it on The Chair.

Original poster

Lauralaaaa · 19/09/2026 20:27

NorthFacingGardener · 19/09/2026 20:18

Is he very congested when he wakes up? Does he have some kind of sinus issue?
I wouldn’t say it was usual.

I think this is the most likely explanation, but why an hour before he goes to sleep as well?

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Peakyblinder18 · 19/09/2026 20:26

@Lauralaaaa Does your partner smoke? Do they brush their teeth before bed?
Are you saying you actually proffered them a bo smelling piece of your clothing as a test of their olfactory glands?
Wow.

Original poster

Lauralaaaa · 19/09/2026 20:26

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 19/09/2026 20:22

Now I want to know why you’re apparently regularly putting on clothes that might smell of BO, as opposed to just doing laundry. But I realise that’s not the point of the thread.

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Now and then I might want to wear a top two days in a row, sometimes I can but sometimes I definitely cannot 😂

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Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 19/09/2026 20:22

Lauralaaaa · 19/09/2026 20:14

No he doesn’t mean that, he genuinely means he cannot smell. I have asked him to smell my clothes before because you can’t smell you own BO very well, and he just can’t do it!

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Now I want to know why you’re apparently regularly putting on clothes that might smell of BO, as opposed to just doing laundry. But I realise that’s not the point of the thread.

Julynian · 19/09/2026 20:21

Is it that he actually can’t smell, or is it more like his brain hasn’t woken up enough to process the thought? I can smell fine but if someone was asking me to smell their clothes first thing in the morning I might be physically awake but I just wouldn’t be able to engage much. It takes me a while to mentally wake.

NorthFacingGardener · 19/09/2026 20:18

Is he very congested when he wakes up? Does he have some kind of sinus issue?
I wouldn’t say it was usual.

jiffypipe · 19/09/2026 20:16

Try blowing in his face, if he doesn’t react, I guess he’s right! Alas for the rest of us, we definitely can smell.

Original poster

Lauralaaaa · 19/09/2026 20:14

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 19/09/2026 20:09

Does he mean it literally or does he just want to be left alone for a bit first thing in the morning? How often could this possibly even come up?!

No he doesn’t mean that, he genuinely means he cannot smell. I have asked him to smell my clothes before because you can’t smell you own BO very well, and he just can’t do it!

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Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 19/09/2026 20:09

Does he mean it literally or does he just want to be left alone for a bit first thing in the morning? How often could this possibly even come up?!