Boffins say ‘distressing’ exploding head syndrome impacts third of inhabitants
Exploding head syndrome affects a third of the population, boffins now believe.
The ghastly experience makes sleepers suddenly feel as if a bomb has gone off in their brain. It happens just as people are drifting off into slumber.
Others report it sounding like gunshots, screaming or a door slamming loudly. Some people also suffer intense feelings of heat, bright flashes and the startling sensation of having electricity pulsing through the body.
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It almost always lasts just a few seconds but can be terrifying. Previous studies showed around 17% suffered from the nasty phenomenon.
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But a new study at the University of York found a third of sleepers have experienced an episode in their lifetime. Psychology lecturer Dan Denis said: “Exploding head syndrome, the perception of loud bangs at sleep–wake transitions, has received little attention from researchers and is unknown to the majority of clinicians.
“In spite of this, it has been found to be relatively common and can lead to significant levels of distress in some cases. We found that 45% of respondents reported moderate to severe levels of fear. A quarter of participants also reported high levels of distress.”
The unpleasant sensation is related to a group of sleep mishaps called parasomnias. They include the feeling of falling, sudden twitches known as hypnic jerks, and sleep paralysis where snoozers feel like they are suddenly unable to move even when they wake.
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Boffins don’t know exactly what causes the Exploding Head Syndrome. But they believe stress and poor bedtime habits can aggravate it.
Mr Denis said knowing that it is quite common can help reassure sufferers, who often don’t report it to doctors. He added: “Despite its prevalence, very few individuals report exploding head syndrome episodes to medical professionals.
“What these studies show is that EHS is a relatively common experience, at least in young adults. It does however appear to be less common than other parasomnias such as hypnic jerks, which occur in up to 70% of people.”
