Getting someone to wet the bed

[ian.miller]

Back in the day of high school high jinks there was the widely held idea that if you wanted to get someone to wet themselve while asleep you put one hand in a bucket of cold water, the other in a bucket of warm water.

While we always talked about it on school trips etc, does it actually work? and how? why does have your hands in water produce such a reaction!

[smudge]

I am a very light sleeper & would wake up the minute anyone just touched my hand, let alone dunk them in buckets of water.

 

However, I would imagine it would depend on how deeply a person slept & enough for the 'trick' to be carried out.

[Ewood27]

In the distant days of my youth I have persuaded a slightly intoxicated colleague to get up and go to the toilet by putting his fingers in a glass of lukewarm water as he slept.  I can only imagine it sets the brain thinking "Water - now"!

[hattster]

It does work........TRUST ME!

Although you only place one hand in hottish water

[ian.miller]

But why on earth does it work!!! I just can't work out why water on the hand causes a reaction in the bladder.

As for testing the theory, I may find out which of my friends passes out first on New Years Eve

[tomd]

Back in the old country we tried making this work for ages (hand in a bowl of lukewarm water) but could never get it too, although often we poured the water over them anyway to similar effect.

[5029]

What about if you fall asleep in the bath (as a relative of mine is famous for doing!)

[ian.miller]

it's a pity no one knows why it does/doesn't happen.