Do you have exploding head syndrome?

Have you woken up after hearing a bang in the night? 20% of us have 'exploding head syndrome' where we hear loud, imaginary noises

Condition occurs as a person is dropping off and hears abrupt loud noise
Stops sleep and some people believe they are having a seizure or a stroke
A third of people with condition also suffer isolated sleep paralysis
This is where a person is waking up but cannot move their body

And the type of noise can vary from explosions and fireworks to slammed doors, the sound of a gun firing, an enormous roar, shouting, thunder or a crack of lightning.

Previous studies found one in ten people will experience the condition at least once in their lifetime, with women twice as likely to suffer than men.

Dr Sharpless explained the disorder tends to come as a person is falling asleep, and doctors suspect it stems from problems with the brain shutting down.

When the brain goes to sleep, it's like a computer shutting down, with motor, sound and visual brain cells turning off in stages.

But instead of shutting down properly, the brain cells responsible for sound are thought to fire all at once, creating a blast of energy that the brain interprets as a loud noise.



[link to www.dailymail.co.uk]