How come, when asleep, ticklish people aren't ticklish?

Answer 1

If they are heavy sleepers, they might not feel it if it is a short tickle. If you continued a long, soft tickle, their subconscious would slowly wake up and then their consciousness would slowly wake up. At that time, you would see them try to move away or push away from the tickling. If you continued to slowly tickle them they will wake up. If you still continue to tickle them, they might start laughing.

If they are light sleepers, the movement will begin much sooner.

Ticklish people do not laugh as much when they are totally relaxed. When they are sleeping, they are totally relaxed. When they wake up and become alert to the fact that they are being tickled, they tense up and become much more ticklish. That is when the laughter really starts.

Answer 2

Ticklish people are only ticklish because of psychological factors that they associate with being tickled. If they're asleep they aren't thinking about it and don't know someone's trying to tickle them so they don't laugh.

Answer 3

I'm usually quite ticklish, but last night, while I was asleep, my boyfriend managed to wake me up (accidentally) by tickling under my arms. It was still ticklish!