Any one heard of exploding head syndrome?

Exploding head syndrome happens as someone is falling asleep and manifests as a loud explosive noise. I received an email from a friend who suffers from it, also her adult daughter. I have never heard of it. As it relates to sleep I wonder if anyone of you might have experienced it.I am at a loss to offer her any suggestions. Not much online.

This is an auditory hallucination?

http://www.sleepassociation.org/?p=expl ... adsyndrome


See above. It has happened to me a few times. Mostly when really stressed out and exhausted.

No known cure or treatment but will probably go away on its own, but may return again. Once I knew what it was, I could just roll over and go back to sleep.

I think this falls into the class of idiopathic parasomnias that we just have to shrug off. Mine is a sensation of falling that often startles me awake and sometimes results in flailing that wakes my bed partner. Doesn't happen too often, but enough to be annoying.

This is an auditory hallucination?

I read it might have something to do with the Eustachian tube bending so perhaps it is auditory. Loud enough to awaken her during sleep. The whole thing seems not to be well understood.

I also have had the sensation of falling at night but only when ill. Was afraid at the time it was Menieres disease which my mother had. Luckily no unexplained explosions, when I hear them they are real exploding transformers in a storm, too many old trees here. I will forward all responses to my friend and my husband am will take a road trip to visit them next week. We will have no shortage of discussion points! Thanks for the responses.

The Latinist wrote:Mine is a sensation of falling that often startles me awake and sometimes results in flailing that wakes my bed partner.

That's called a "Hypnic Jerk" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk

I wonder if "Exploding Head Syndrome" is somehow related?

This has happened to me twice in my 41 years. It sounds like a pistol gunshot to me. Very startling, but it's nothing to worry about.