[Carlhole]

Loud crash at 3 a.m.? It may be your exploding head

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')s strange as the name sounds, exploding head syndrome is actually a rare and relatively undocumented sleep phenomenon. While sleeping or dozing, a person with the condition hears a terrifically loud sound in their head, such as a bomb exploding, a clash of cymbals or a gun going off.

“It’s usually described as a loud bang or pop that occurs in the first third of the night,” says Dr. Neil Kline, sleep physician and representative of the American Sleep Association in Wilmington, Del. “It’s a sensory phenomenon. The individual senses that some type of explosion has occurred nearby, but ultimately realizes it’s in their head. It’s not associated with pain or with any disorder that we know of and there are no physiological medical consequences that are associated with it.”

[frankthetank]

Strangest think i've had occur to me is when i woke up and couldn't move my body. Freaked the crap out of me at the time. I know i wasn't dreaming. It was back in high school. I just closed my eyes and went back to sleep!!! I found out years later that it is called sleep paralysis.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'S')trangest think i've had occur to me is when i woke up and couldn't move my body. Freaked the crap out of me at the time. I know i wasn't dreaming. It was back in high school. I just closed my eyes and went back to sleep!!! I found out years later that it is called sleep paralysis.

[biofuel13]

Wow, I've got exploding head syndrome! I've had this happen several times over the past few years. Usually its when I'm sleeping on the couch. Sounds like the entire roof has been blown off the house from the attic up. I live in a really old house so I always kind of assumed that the house was making some kind of major adjustment from temperature changes, although this seemed much much louder. Seeing this thread has been a relief!

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('biofuel13', 'W')ow, I've got exploding head syndrome! I've had this happen several times over the past few years. Usually its when I'm sleeping on the couch. Sounds like the entire roof has been blown off the house from the attic up. I live in a really old house so I always kind of assumed that the house was making some kind of major adjustment from temperature changes, although this seemed much much louder. Seeing this thread has been a relief!

[crude_intentions]

I've actually had this 2 or 3 times. Scared the hell out of me. Interesting never thought it was a medical disorder

[Newfie]

Once, ages ago, I was a kid. I thought the Russians had attacked and set off a nuke. Then never again in ~50 years.

[Niagara]

A bit off-topic, but it's a huge relief to read about something strange and realize it's a common experience.

For years I've had these "floater" thingies in my eyes, i thought I was the only one until I found it on the web recently.

Do any of you experience them? If you look at a bright uniform background, like a white ceiling, you see these tiny little stringy things drift around inside your eyes. If you try to "look" at them they dart around.

[NeoPeasant]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Niagara', 'A') bit off-topic, but it's a huge relief to read about something strange and realize it's a common experience.

For years I've had these "floater" thingies in my eyes, i thought I was the only one until I found it on the web recently.

Do any of you experience them? If you look at a bright uniform background, like a white ceiling, you see these tiny little stringy things drift around inside your eyes. If you try to "look" at them they dart around.

[Ayame]

Well I seem to have both. I have stringy things in my eyes. I was surprised once when my sister complained of 'these black dots/strings suddenly floating in front of her eyes'; I said haven't you ever had them before?

Last night I was going to sleep and just as I was about to doze off the snap thing happened. Sounds like a very loud snap in my head and my whole body jolts and I'm suddenly awake again. Weird. Didn't happen a second time though thank goodness.

[JJ]

yes, I've had the bang thing happen before. Also, (I was in a coma for a month six years ago) when I woke up, a bunch of really strange things happened. Also, i have, (and have had all my life) the "floaters".

Here's the question it often wonder about. I lived on the street until I was 27, and rarely took a bath. Sometimes I went a year or two without a bath. (Don't worry, no-one was breaking down my door to get close to me). Later, a psychologist friend told me (he had lived on the street for quite a while) that he used to think that the layer of dirt "protected" him somehow from germs.

I always thought he told me that to make me identify with him; I thought that. But how did he know?

Or maybe he really though that?

[oowolf]

This happens to me every few years.
I also sometimes awake suddenly minus the ability to comprehend visual images for several seconds. I look at the clock but the markings mean absolutely nothing. Very scary.
I also have "Optical Migraines" fairly often. It's kinda like going on a visual DMT trip. And I usually have an "aura" of an impending migraine around 30-45 minutes before it starts. Technically, this makes it a case of "Acephalgic Migraine with Aura". The visual distortions make any physical activity rather dangerous for up to 45 or so minutes so I have to lay down (naptime).

[WildRose]

I've had this happen while doing transcription at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. Weirdest damn thing.

[TheDude]

Oh, thought this was something to do with that Scanners movie.

Scanners (1981) Head Explosion Shot. Yecck. You are warned.

Interesting phenom.

[pablonite]

Interesting! it's happened to me more than a few times. It usually sounds like a shotgun. I have probably fired a few thousand rounds in my life and have worked around a lot of heavy equipment.

Yeah, usually happens about 5 minutes after falling to sleep. Wake up with a start and realize right away it was in my head - its an odd sensation for sure.

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'S')trangest think i've had occur to me is when i woke up and couldn't move my body. Freaked the crap out of me at the time. I know i wasn't dreaming. It was back in high school. I just closed my eyes and went back to sleep!!! I found out years later that it is called sleep paralysis.