Exploding head syndrome December 13, 2006
Posted by Bertalan Meskó in Health, Invention, Medicine, Syndrome, science.trackback
Don’t worry, it’s not about a horror movie. Exploding head syndrome is a moderate psychological condition. Wikipedia article says:
Exploding head syndrome is a rare condition that causes the sufferer to occasionally experience a tremendously loud noise as if from within his or her own head, usually described as an explosion or a roar. This usually occurs within an hour or two of falling asleep, but is not the result of a dream. Although perceived as tremendously loud, the noise is usually not accompanied by pain.
Usually, it’s described as a loud bang, a clash of cymbals or a bomb exploding. The problem is that most of the patients can’t even realize they have exploding head syndrome and won’t go to doctor. But on the other hand, currently there isn’t any efficient treatment. Reducing stress may help; Clomipramine has been used in three patients, who experienced immediate relief from this condition.
It is also important to know if there is something else that is causing the imagined sound. Instead of being exploding head syndrome, it may be a result of one of the following:
- Another sleep disorder
- A medical condition
- Medication use
- A mental health disorder
- Substance abuse
So what can help? If this condition doesn’t disappear, try to help your doctor. Fill out a sleep diary for two weeks so you can ease the work of you doctor as it’ll be possible to retroactively examine your sleeping patterns.
By the way, it can also be connected to migraine as a publication says:
A 26-year-old patient is described with a unique migraine aura. She described an 8-year history of episodes occurring 1 to 2 times yearly of exploding head syndrome followed by sleep paralysis followed by a migraine headache. She also had identical headaches without aura about once per week.
References:
I have been experiencing this EHS (exploding head syndrome) a few times and yes it does feel like a firework or electricity charge running up my body and ending in my head with a loud crash! I know its going to happen. My partner has been experiencing the same thing sometimes at the same time, he gets white flashes too. We have sometimes been sleep deprived due to overdoing it at the weekend. It hasnt happened for the last few days. I was just so relieved to read that we are not the only ones and that there is some sort of explanation, i dont want to take any medication for it and now i know i feel better that it is not serious, but it does make you wander what is going on in your head. Thanks for clearing that up
Allison 36, UK
what a relief to find other people with this experience. i thought i was nuts at waking 3-4 times a night with a loud noise in my head.
it does make you wander whats going on in your head.
i read it could be so many things causing it, ive give up looking the cause.
ive seen coloured orbs, and shapes, not white ones though like most people report, could this be due to me being psychic?
any thoughts on that most welcome.
chris 32, uk
Chris, Michael Breus is your man at http://www.theinsomniablog.com
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How many of the people experiencing exploding head syndrome are located or work near power lines? I am wondering if my living near a power station has anything to do with this occurence.
I couldn’t find any relevant article about it in Pubmed…
how just darn interesting. I have had this phenomenon since I was about 17 years old. I have never heard of anyone else suffering from it, so you can imagine that I’ve never told anyone.
It never actually bothered me, I always just assumed it was some random firing of an errant neuron or two, rather than an aural hallucination. Similar to the imagery you see on your “inner screen” in hypnagogic sleep.
Thanks very much for the explanation. How fascinating. Shall we start an Association of American Head Exploders? hahahahaha.
Dear Fortescue, don’t laugh, it’s not a bad idea. You could find many people suffering from this syndrome…
a few months on, and the problem has dissapeared. but looking back, i do recall, i was taking A.L.A (alpha lipoic acid) at the time.
i wonder if this compound contributed to the effects.
Stress and/or extreme fatigue seems to be the most common thread here. I don’t live near any power lines/stations and I am not psychic, but I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and I take meds for anxiety and blood pressure. I have also been working long late hours recently to meet a most challenging deadline. I usually wake with a start, heart racing, looking at my husband to ask, “Did you hear that?!” I am happy to learn that its not life-threatening, I am not the only one going thru this and that I’m not crazy.
My experience is best described this way–the flash is like the flash you see when you turn on the light switch and the [filament in the] light bulb blows and the pop sound is a sudden, loud, “WHOP!”
I also have a visual description: a thick, bright, white, severely “zig-zaggy” lightning bolt with a trumpet (formed from the same electricity of the lightning) on the ends. Its positioned horizontally in my head, behind my eyes with the trumpets poised to blare a sudden, super-charged blast of sound thru my ears outward!
I am so happy to find that I am not the only one who has had this. I’m 44, female, and I am going through several major surgeries. One night between surgeries my daughter was sleeping with me when I awoke to a “gun shot” noise…. I immediate jumped and it woke my daughter – asking if she heard that. She assured me there was no noise… not being able to return to sleep, I started getting a headache. Within 3 hours I was extremely nausua’s and felt like I had a migraine. Glad to know it’s not serious!
It could have been really strange.
I’m glad if the article helped you…
This happens to me also, the description of the light bulb is near but it is an EXTREMELY intense BANG!! I am a 55 yr old retired female and certainly overdo the mental stimulation as am addicted to my PC.I am also suffering a lot of stress but it has happened over the last few years. I also put it down to a few synapses colliding on a very overcrowded highway. Its reassuring to know its not harmful!
Not harmful, but can be very disturbing…
Have you ever told your doctor about it?
I just came across Exploding Head Syndrome while recently researching this affliction that I have been experiencing for about 15 years! Boy, am I relieved to learn I’m not alone and there is explanation even though its a very poor one. I am diagnosed with chronic PTSD (multiple rape survivor) and always thought it was related, but I usually never experienced a flashback during a one of these episodes. Countless of doctors never came up with EHS either! It basically happens just before I fall sleep, a VERY loud roaring noise and BIG BANG with a white flash that causes my eyes to abruptly open. The only thing is during & afterwards my body becomes completely frozen in fear. I’ve told doctors its like every cell in my body is on high alert and full of fear. I’ve had them up to 5-8 times a night, about 3-4 times per week then suddenly they would stop. Then I could go several months or longer before I have another one. Lately, I only have them 1-2 times a night before I fall asleep and they aren’t near as common as they have been in the past, maybe once a week or a few times a month. I truly believe anxiety is what triggers them. I wish they would do more research on what causes them and what really is going on in your brain. Thank you all for sharing!
PS LOL I love this! Association of American Head Exploders?
TOO FUNNY! I wonder if people would claim they had EHS, just so they could join?
Rockyj
I’m glad it helped you!
Hmm… im glad im not crazy. ive heard a wide variety of noises, but i must say the most interesting one sounded like someone had dropped a giant droplet of water in my head. i guess we are the special ones in the world now arent we.
I’ve had EHS since I was a child. My symptoms have decreased over time to now the event is very rare. I feel for those who experience this with any frequency whereas it is not painful it is very unsettling and typically caused me to bolt up in bed and wonder if WWIII had just started (because of the loud explosion).
I have to say, this explains my symptoms to a tee.
For years i have suffered EHS and could never explain to my doctor what was wrong for him to be able to diagnose me.
I seem to have many leading up to my menstrual cycle or if i’ve been up very late. I have even have EHS after looking at flashing lights (i have had a test for epilepsy and i don’t have that) another cause i have noticed is the night after i have had a good drink i seem to get it.
Last night i had about 12 in a row (usually only have one/two) and this has lead me to look up my symptoms on the net.
For the most part i can go months without having any but stress is my main factor.
Thank goodness i have found whats wrong.
I forgot to add, for people that suffer them as bad as myself – to a degree where by they become very frightening i have had perscribed to me Valium for anxiety and i have never ever had one episode of EHS while on them.
I hope this helps
I just happened on this web site- I am laughing because I have this for sure- and never knew what it was. It is unsettling- right before I am sleep mode- and wakes me up with a start! Sounds to me like a big Church or sports organ that rips through my head- feels like an electric jolt. Only happens occasionally but surprises you nonetheless.
Glad I am not alone!
I just told my wife I found a website that seems to explain what I’ve been talking to her about tonight. We’ve just had a really good laugh about it and we love the name! She’s gonna dine out on this one…
I suffer from this – only very occasionally, like a gunshot going off in my head at night and flash of light, although I can be less certain of the ‘accompanying’ flash. I also suffer from some kind of seizures in the night and I’ve been trying to find information on these as they are more frequent. I’m sure that sometimes the ‘bang’ and the seizures are coincidental. Feel it welling up inside me, think I’m going to have heart attack, remain sort of paralysed for 15-30 seconds, heart racing, can’t speak to raise the alarm! Maybe happens once or twice a month.
I’m a normal healthy person!
Further research has lead me to ’sleep paralysis’ and ‘hypnagogia’. Both describe to some extent my sleep ‘disorders’. I’d be interested to read if any other EHS people have similar experiences. Have enough now to have a chat with Doc! Thanks for the info.
I’m so glad you found it useful!
I have narcolepsy, a relatively mild case. But these explosions worried me more than anything I’ve experienced. They are SO LOUD, often with bright light and a sense of “yikes!” I’d get up and take a little aspirin, as I was afraid it was some kind of stroke. I saw a specialist last week. “Oh”, he said, “EHS” – “Exploding Head Syndrome” – I thought he was making fun of me and laughed with him, until he showed me the page in his book of rare disorders. This has to be the silliest “disorder” I’ve ever heard of. Thanks so much for this website – Exploding Heads unite!!!
I have had “EHS” it seems like, the last 16 years. Started when I was 18. I remember it started in the twilight zone of beeing awake and falling in to sleep. I heard a sound (Ssschhhhhhh) from a long distance coming closer and then a explotion in my head and then disepearing out of the other ear. Since then I`ve had it 2-3 times a week, and for the last 10 years 5-6 days a week, and in periods opp to 3 times a night 7 days a week. One thing I`ve found out these years with this condition is falling a sleep on my back is a guarantee exploding head, and I`ve also noticed my breathing drops (sometimes stops breathing for seconds(noticed by others) when sleeping on my back. Could lack of oxigen trigger this as well???
Christian, the sleep doctor could answer your question.
http://www.theinsomniablog.com/
I just experienced this thing about 5 times an hour ago, while I was half asleep. I tried to check out was causes it.
To me it seems to happen when my thoughts become very very vivid and random (due to falling asleep) and also when I am feeling very relaxed. It almost felt like the explosions were meant to awake me from wandering to far in my thoughts.
The incidents were mild, and sounded like extreme synth effects, very electronic.
Then I woke up enough to start wondering how many braincells i destroyed, and searched the net. I finally found this site.
To me, EHS does feel pretty dangerous. I mean, if something is exploding in your brain, it can`t be good.
Wow i cannot believe someone else has something similar to what i experience. I have this thing that happens just before falling to sleep, and i somehow know when they are about to begin, where it sounds like a wave of electricity in my head, which i can also feel, and ends with a loud zap or sometimes bang. Also at times the same thing will occur where it starts at the bottom of my feet and travels up my body and ends in my head with a loud banging zapping sound. This is has occured almost every night for the last 7 years.
Sometimes frightening and other times not. With the whole body waves i had the loudest & strongest feeling waves and zapping bangs with white light at the zap/bang part. Those are the most frightening. At times i have awoken in the night from hearing a loud bang, which is very frightening. One time i awoke on the couch to the sound of my front door knob being jiggled and jerked around, extremely frightened, i got up and went to the door and opened it, with no one on the other side and realized that i had forgotten to lock the door as usual. If some one had been on the other side trying to get in they would have simply opened the door as it was unlocked. I wondered to myself if my mind was telling me to get up and lock the door by making me hear the door handle jiggling and jerking around. Or maybe i am just straight crazy, who knows.
I have lived in 4 different houses in the past 7 years and it has continued thru all of them, so i am under the impression there is no electrical problems in my home causing this to happen.
One thing i do know is 12 years ago i began having mild seizures and underwent testing where they found a cavernous hemangioma tumor in the front lobe of my brain. I went to another doctor across the state for a second opinion, and turns out this is a mass of blood vessels which are tangled and twisted together and is inoperable. It does how ever leave me with an elevated stroke risk and anurism risk. Seizures subsided after 1 1/2 years of the tests but i have long thought maybe this had something to do with the electric waves & zap/bang thing i go thru. I never wake up feeling refreshed or well rested as others claim they do, i honestly cannot tell you what that would feel like. I always feel tired and worn out even when i wake up. I have always been a person who can sleep 12 to 16 hours a day, even tho i am lucky to get 5 to 6 hours sleep as an adult. I have always suffered from nightmares since i can remember and still do at the age of 39. I always have headaches and / or what feels like muscle tension pain all over my head/skull. I have not a clue as to how the human body electrical system works, nor the nervous system, and have wondered if something in those systems in my body are out of balance. I have always been a very tense person and was born premature c-section 2 days before the 6th month of pregnancy back in 1968 weighing in at 1 pound. I am sure their is a logical explaination to this problem, perhaps not fully discovered yet by some doctor some where.
Perhaps our body is sending the mind signals for healing or repair work. All i know is i am alive and that is a good thing.
So should anyone of you come up with a doctor who has studied this and has a great explaination don’t for get to come back here and inform the rest of us.
It’s so great to see that you can find here people dealing with the same problem as you. It makes me really glad!
Bertalan Mesko…..Thank you……I am glad also because before i stumble across this web page i wondered many a time if i were just plain crazy.
Not that i am glad that others have this issue also, but that i am not crazy.
Yes it does help even if there are no answers to a specific problem.
Who knows, maybe together we may find the answer to this condition.
Blessings!
Hello all. (Sorry, my English is very poor…)
I wake up just the big noise, without any other body experience. Then I look around, to see, not some real thing blowed up. When everything ok, I going back to sleep. 1-2 times a year, maybe something really give the noise…
Hello,
Here’s my view on this. In spite of the fact that certain doctors and psychiatrists are on an neverending quest for discovering new and dramatic mental disorder conditions, EHS is no “syndrome” (which would imply that someone is beginning to go nuts). It is a perfectly normal experience associated with a transition between the waking and sleeping states – it’s one of the signs of entering the hypnagogic state or else, shifting one’s brainwaves from alpha to theta cycle. EVERYBODY experiences this shift when going to sleep, on their way to the delta state of mind (the actual sleep). The thing is that the majority of people lose their awareness of self (conciousness) when entering the deeper states of mind and usuallly experience theta and delta while uncouncious and therefore unaware of what’s happening to them. On certain occasions, when one is excited about something, under stress or simply doing a lot of thinking while in bed at night, one may retain self awareness as the braing enters the theta region and thus experience all those weird sensations like: sleep paralysis (a genuinely normal condition linked to the fact that the brain switches off the body’s motoric functions for the sleeping period so that we don’t run around the room when we’re dreaming of running), loud bangs or other distracting and sometimes scary noises as well as visual hallucinations (one’s attention is dissolving making the brain mix the external sensory inputs with the internal, imaginary ones), the sensation of falling, the sensation of conversing with oneself as if one was actually two persons (shrinks usually erroneously associate this state with the prelude to schizofrenia), etc. All this may happen also as a result of sleep deprivation, when upon going to bed, the body and brain transit into sleeping state before one fully loses self awareness. People practicing deep meditation and lucid dreaming experience all those strange events on a regular basis while crossing the barrier of the waking and sleeping worlds – they’re totally harmless (afterall they’re merely a product of one’s own mind) and the sooner one learns to ignore them and to treat them only as a roadsign that you’re actually there, the better. I’ve been indulging myself in these practices for nearly a decade now and those things are as natural to me as breathing. Earlier, when in a hypnagogic state I also used to have tactile hallucinations resulting in the feeling that someone was touching me but that’s just what they were – HALLUCINATIONS – and they quickly passed away as soon as I crossed the barrier and conciously entered delta and began dreaming. If one discovers oneself in bed paralysed and hallucinating just relax – nothing is going to hurt you and it’s all PERFECTLY NORMAL, you’re not going mad. Fear only magnifies the negative experience while relaxation induces positive effects.
For those interested, I have recently turned 30 and am a happy man with beautiful wife and kids and a succesfull business. Insinuating that I’m mentally ill, schizophrenic or whatever else, just because I experience these things would be just as true as saying that I come from Mars. Forget the doctors and psychiatrists advice on this, they usually don’t know what they’re talking about. Do some internet research on facilities conducting research on brain, brainwaves and the sleep phenomenon and you’ll see that I’m right.
Regards
thanks guys, i’ve only had this once recently. I quickly shifted my head off my pillow to look towards a noise i heard. then, when my head was half way around i had a short seizure (like an electric shok in my head) and my eyes were fluttering and rolling. wierd! i heard sirens getting louder when this happend too. didn’t notice a flash. do you all get siezures too?
I am a long-time meditator and have had ennumerable experiences in the dream/waking interval. The explanation by Max (No. 35, 11/27/07) is the correct explanation. Beautifully written, clear and accurate.
Wow, I vaguely remember a few previous experiences ( usually my verbal train of thought or music Im thinking of becomes an auditory hallucination just before I fall asleep) but just this morning, trying to sleep off a hangover, I remember leaving a rather wild dream (no recollection) to a half-wake state lucidly trying to get back to the dream and hearing a hallucinatory 2nd person voice say somthing like; Beware I am coming! My lucid mind for just a second thought (not said) I didnt say that, or think that, I dont think….
then BLAM, I litterally head what sounded like a rifle shot or an amplified baseball hitting a bat crack.
Ive heard similar (smaller) sounds before waking before (doorbell, knock, car horn) but this was the loudest, and it was as if some alternate/alien part of my brain was talking to my lucid concious right before….creepy
Sorry for the long post (and bad grammer; broken keyboard), I just wanted to get it off my chest.
I’m so glad to have found this thread. It’s a major asset towards explanation of some recent phenomena I experience on that threshold between awake and sleep. I meditate quite a bit, like some others who posted above. I’m pretty sure this kind of practice adds to the occurance of these weird things.
I have also taught myself how to nod of in aircraft, busses, trains, and the like. I close my eyes and start concentrating on regular “swooshy” feelings in my head, those that accompany drifting in and out of sleep under such non-bedroom circumstances. I try and make each wave synchronous with my breath. Invariably, the swoosh will take place of its own accord and if I’m lucky i’ll nod of to some kind of power-nap-sleep, but even a session of those waves will be refreshing. Unless they start getting aggressive (hard to find the right words) and harsher. In the extreme they will feel almost electric: beginning with a swoosh and ending agressively and abruptly. Anyhow, I think that practicing this too much has also let the phenomena creep into my normal sleep. This happenend recently after Christmas and I had been going through a lot of work and stress before. Many of the last nights have been horrid as a result, with both the horrid kind of swooshes as well as lots of jerky sleep starts, and I hope that I can balance things again. It’s beginning to make me scared of falling asleep. Ah well, it is a huge comfort to know that this kind of stuff happens to others!
I love Max’s and Steves’ (35 and 37) posts.
hi, my father hear like hear beating in his head and green light going from right eyes to the left and wake up he sacred go to sleep and could hear even sometimes when he is awake.
No blood pressure and the entire test were ok.
The sound he hears is not to loud but like the banging with the heart beating reteam.
Is it the ehs or not i do not know….
god… i thought i was having and aneurysm, thank god.
still scares the crap of me though, sudden POP and what feels like a jolt of electricity. i had epilepsy growing up but was one of the few that outgrew it. wife thought i was nutz…
thanks for the site.
I am so relieved to know that others experience this. I have had EHS on and off for at least two decades, usually as I’m falling asleep. It’s the most tremendous bang, like a bomb explosion during the war, that causes me to wake up with a violent jump, sometimes almost falling off the bed. I have no pain associated with it, see no brilliant light or anything – just the loud bang. I was scared I was having a heart attack, maybe, or that my heart may have skipped a beat and caused this. I have not been on any medications whatsoever other than very briefly after a surgery four years ago.
I am wondering if this is what I have. Just started two nights ago. I awakened with a violent feeling that I had been hit in the head (right in the front of my head above my eyes). It wasn’t a dream, I’m sure of that. Then it happened again, same feeling, one more time that night. Last night it happened only once. Same feeling. Like maybe I’m moving forward and run directly into something with my head. I checked out my body and everything functioned fine. Very scary. I am not on any new medication. I’m a 66 year old female with the normal amount of stress in my life. Scary!
So I am not going crazy! Wheeeewwww. It had my anxiety going high and each night it’s like – ok, when is it going to happen again. Before I knew it 3 hrs could be attempted to try to fall asleep only because I feared the bang was something serious. After reading this blog the more I worried about falling asleep w/o the “bang” the more it seemed to happen. I am a frequent migraine sufferer and never noticed it as an aura prior to a migraine coming on. Stress can deprive us all of sleep and I understand fully blog # 35 and #37 above. Well here it is another 12:45 am night and I am still up and after having these episodes for 7 years that seemed to come in ‘flares’ I think I am gonna be able to fall asleep like a baby tonight or at least tomorrow night and know that it’s not a medical condition to be concerned with but my yellow light that stress level needs to be reduced. I am also dx’d with fibromyalgia and b/c that also has sleep issues I wonder if the two could also be connected. Well, my novel has to come to an end, warming up my bed with my electric blanket and gonna jump in and hopefully sleep soundly! Thanks to whomever started this blog!
As I read some of these comments. I noticed that my situations is slightly diffrent. yes I have the lighting and thunder. and it all ways just for I go to sleep. but i have no migrans .I do get head aches from time to time. I’m 28 male who get’s this 3 or four times a year. It happend the other night .no pain just a slap in the frontel obe a rattel clash sound in my ears.no meds not tomuch stress? I guess it just somthing that happens.
anyway I not worried about it. it ’s probley somthing in the line of that falling feeling.
I have had this happen a few times now and I must admit it’s a relief to know I’m not the only one. I suffer from narcolepsy with hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations. I’m also a migraine sufferer and experience migraine auras which are not always followed by a headache. This is not something I’ve heard of before and hopefully it won’t be so scary the next time!
I have been having these electrical zap feelings just when I am about to fall asleep for about 1 year. I am also experiencing tinnitus and vertigo when awake, so wonder if it has anything to do with that. I mentioned it to my ENT dr. and he didn’t say anything about it. I thought I was crazy too. I have been taking an antidepressant for about 10 years…and I’m starting to think the drug might have something to do with it.
Anyone have any comments?
What I have been experiencing for about 12 years now (I am a woman, just shy of 42) is neither noisy nor related to sleep, but I would like to tell about it nonetheless. I haven’t been able to link it to anything specific, except that, in some (but not all) cases it happens when I forgot to take my antidepressant (usually within six hours of the time at which I should have taken it). It feels as if my brain suddenly contracts and expands three times in a row (each pair, contration and expansion, lasting less than half a second). This is accompanied by a sound in my head and ears, which I can describe only as the sound that comes from those funfair balloons into which they put little grains of something: when you shake such a balloon, it makes a tch-tch-tch sound. At the same time, my brain feels nauseous (I realise that this sounds ridiculous, but that’s what it feels like). In some cases, it feels as if the brain very rapidly turns around in my head (imagine an axle through the brain running from the nose to the back of the head, and the brain sitting loosely on that axle; when this happens, it “turns” very rapidly “around that axle”. The cycle of three rapid contract-expand sensations, together with the tch-tch-tch sound and the “brain nausea”, repeats itself two or three times in the space of a minute or so; thereafter, it comes back maybe twice or three times in the next half-hour. It sometimes happens when I am walking (or otherwise occupied, awake), and sometimes when I am lying in bed, whether waiting for sleep, or reading, or whatever. Only very recently did I finally get a look of recognition from a doctor, a neurologist, to whom I told it; before, all the doctors to whom I tried to explain what it felt like, just looked at me with blank expressions. The neurologist told me that the medical profession was aware of this type of thing in some people’s brains, but that nobody knew what it was about.
Anyone else out there who experiences this?
One thing I forgot to make clear is that the feeling of my brain “turning around in my head” is not ongoing, and not a spinning, either: the brain “rotates” around this imaginary axle only once, very quickly, in each occurrence.
I first experience EHS, 40 years ago and I still experience EHS. Back 40 years ago I would be jolted awake from a sound sleep with a hissing sound which would rapidly increase in volume and then abruptly end with a blast sound like across between a gun shot and a sonic boom. I would awake in fear and tremble a bit. Slowly I would overcome the fear and go on. The severity, frequency and the associated fears have greatly diminished over the years, so as of today they are more of an unsettling annoyance, rather than a disruptive event like they were in the past.
Yes, stress makes it worse, and stress can help trigger an EHS, but stress is not the cause. And although certain medication may cause or prevent it, I believe that the cause is the result of the brain having experienced a traumatic event. And it is the brain’s sensitivity (conscious or unconscious) to that event that (triggers) causes the brain to feel imminent danger and it uses sound to alert (awake) the conscious mind. Why sound? Because we can hear when asleep (that is why alarms clocks work) and because we are born with a fear of loud noises. EHS is the brain’s way of telling us (right or wrong) that it has sensed imminent danger and to wake up immediately. Furthermore, while we sleep we can also feel. So in addition to the sound the strongest EHS will simultaneously cause the body to move (sit up, look around, etc).
This is SO interesting…
I’ve experienced this every once in a while since I was in my early teens. For me, it’s an electronic sort of ‘whoosh!’ followed by a crazy-loud ‘bang!’ and a white-heat field of light. It’s disconcerting, but I”m mostly already asleep, and fall back into my sleepy head without much difficulty. I also get semi-conscious falling dreams pretty frequently, and sleep paralysis now and again, and the occasional tactile or olfactory or visual hallucination as I pass from wakefulness to sleep.
I’d always imagined that this was a universal phenonemon, and I’d wager that it’s pretty common, but we don’t often chat about these inherently personal experiences with the folks on the elevator.
That said, I’ve never thought of this experience as ‘an affliction’, or something I ’suffer from’, or even ‘a problem’, as it’s been characterized in this thread. It wakes me up for a few minutes a couple of times a month, and I’ve always though it was just kind of cool… all the stuff my head can do, including, evidently, explode. Maybe I’ve read too much Huxley and Castenada, but not every oddness is pathology. You know, I am large and multitudinous, and it’s nice to hear from those who share one my not-singularities.
My six cents…..
This is FUN… my brain takes me to places I’m not completely cognizent of sometimes, and
I had this last night again, hence the internet search because its really getting me down.. thank goodness Ive found this, makes me feel tons better.
Last night, I was sound asleep when I heard a really loud explosion x 3 (its always in 3’s) but this time was different to others as after each ‘explosion’ I heard the word ‘mum’ after .. ie BANG ‘mum’ BANG ‘mum’ (doesnt this sound crazy?) I wondered what the hell was going on, so after the third BANG I dived out of bed to investigate, totally in a tizz and tripped over the dog who was sleeping soundly on the landing – obviously totally oblivious to what I had heard. Everyone else was totally comatose. I know deep down that its in my head, but I was still hoping one day that someone else hears it too just to prove that Im not crazy. The noise is similar to someone smacking my windows with the palms of their hands as hard as they could, to the point just before the window breaks. Its terrifying. Today, the top of my scalp is really tender as if I have been wearing a really tight pony tail.
The other strange this is……
During the day, I sometimes get a strange electric shock reaction at the base of my skull if I were to hear a ligitimate bang – such as a plate banging on the side or similar.
I do suffer migranes and excrutiating shooting pains in my head (usually temples) on a fairly regular basis. This can feel like someone is sticking a knitting needle through my skull and literally stops me in my tracks – someone mentioned Bipolar earlier, I wondered if this is possibly connected as 4 of my brothers and sister have it plus my father did who eventually took his own life.
Really good read. This has happened to me several times in the past, but the family doctor’s best guess was to tell me to take sleeping pills. I never bothered because the occurrences were always far apart. Just as I’m falling asleep, when it has happened, there hasn’t been any bang. Its as if the fastest moving object imaginable has flown directly through my fore head. I hear a woosh sound like a jet engine but not that loud and I always jump up instinctively to avoid it A few times I have thrown myself into the air and off of the bed. I did notice, though, I am more prone to this happening when I’m up many hours past when I usually go to sleep.
I used to use a sleep deprevation technique for lucid dreaming, and that point where I would slip over is definitely the same point where this occurs.
[...] people have the following… My experience is best described this way–the flash is like the flash you see when you turn on the light switch [...]
I first experienced this a few weeks ago. I was woken up at 5.55am by a loud bang in the middle of my head, as though someone had shot me in the head. My heart raced for a while. Then this morning I was woken up by an equally loud noise in my head, but this time it was the sound of a ferocious dog bark and again my heart raced for a while. I have no stress and sleep well for around 7 or 8 hours. The only thing that has changed in my life is that I’ve started trying to project my mind/use a guided meditation type CD and to stir my pineal gland. There could be some connection. All very interesting, although a bit unsettling to be woken so abruptly.
Hi there. I have had these symptoms for as long as I can remember. I think most of my adult life. I am male/50. Its a definate BANG, like an electric explosion. Have you ever heard a transformed on a telephone pole explode? Its like that. Electric explosion and a huge white flash and I awake iimdiately. I am not afraid of it anymore as I have grown accustomed to it. It only happens once every few months. It is refreshing to know that others experience this as well. I also beleive as some others have posted that this is normal and can be attributed to the different cycles of sleep. Our sleep cycles must be slightly off kilter and we are semi-concious when these episodes occur thus can remember and experience them the way we do. I think its kinda cool! But it fstill freaks me out to this day when it happens.
All my life I have heard electrical zap sounds about an inch above both ears varying in intesity at bedtime or AM.
Since dealing herbally with my ADD it never happens – unless I forget to take my tinctures.
I just went to bed tonight and had heard this loud pop and a rather large flash of light like a light bulb bursting. I woke my husband to see what it was. He didn’t hear anything since he was asleep. I thought someone had shot something through the window. I checked out the house and then I became very concerned that it might be in my head. My father died almost 20 years ago from an Aneurysm so of course I started to panic. I happened upon this site and feel a little relieved that it has happened to others. Should I mention this to my doctor or just wait to see if it happens again? I am so clueless. It is 2:54 in the morning and I have been so scared to go to bed and try to sleep for fear that it is an aneurysm. I appreciate having someone to talk to about this.
I had this happen to me a lot when I was a teenager. At the time, I was into smoking marijuana and would be out late, come home around 12 or so, and go to my room and crash. A couple of hours later, I would hear a loud explosion in my head and it was enough to wake me up out of a deep sleep. It would sound like a loud gunshot each time. Once it happened 3 times in one night and I seriously thought someone had fired a gun into my brain, but of course I awoke and I was still alive. This went on for a few years afterwards, but I haven’t had anymore episodes of it since (I am now 47). I often wondered if it was maybe the marijuana that contributed to it?
I get these as well..I may have skipped over it but did any one have any input on the “psycic” theory. Like is it some sort of built in warning system we share?? Either connected to our own body or even someone else close to you? I haven’t made the connection but haven’t been looking for it either.
Here’s good news..Wapikinetta Encyclopedia says the condition has been researched and is NOT related to epileptic seizers. Made my day!!! Provides good trusted info. if looking for answers as I am.
ive been suffering frm this for years, bt last nite i woke up with the bang in my head as if it had exploded bt also i felt my heart was goin to explode, i couldnt sleep in fear for my life, and because everytime i seem to drift off i could feel the explosions about to happen…. its comfortig to know thta im not alone, my friend also used to suffer frm this, it usually happens ( ithink?? i must monitor wen happens) after drinking to much alcohol, a few days after…
I am a 47 year old woman (Willy is a name for women in the Netherlands). I am really happy I found this page! I have been suffering from EHS for many years now and in Dutch there is hardly any information to be found! After reading all of the above, it feels comforting that I am NOT actually going to die, although it does feel like that when it happens. I have EHS before falling asleep. Sometimes 6, 7 times on a row. I have this for about 8 years now, but only for about the last 2 years I have this “paralising”feeling in my body after an EHS-attaque. Thank you all for your comments, I feel much better now! PS Excuse my English….
Is it still EHS if it never happens when I’m sleeping. I’ve started suffering from this for the past six months or so, but my worry is that it only happens when I’m awake and alert, like when when I’m walking or driving or doing any other thing except sleeping! When It happens, fo those few seconds, I feel like i’m gonna fall over or if i’m driving, I feel like I loose control for a moment or so!
My doctor suspected anemia and prescribed me some iron vitamins, even though my blood results didn’t show any abnormalities. It didn’t do the trick. I’m really worried abut this…
ive had this before at around waking up point altho i was half asleep at the time.
altho i managed to isolate he cause as i was consious enough to notice what i was doing. I tapped a metal bar on my bed but the sound was sumhow amplifed to intense levels, sounded just like a bang.
im guessing EHS is just a misfire/surge(like a power surge) of information from the eardrum to the brain that makes it seem loud.
Another person here, glad to find out about this…I’ve been having these symptoms for a few yrs..but thankfully have a friend who ALSO has them..I told her it was like a door banged shut just as I was on the verge of sleep..she amazed me by saying she has these sounds in her head but it sounds like a gunshot..and I realized that was a more apt description.
Lately, I have a different thing, with what seems like neurons firing off in my brain and an explosive feeling in my head. A few members of my family have a form of Epilepsy, with seizures occurring ONLY in the first stage of sleep..I’ve wondered if maybe that was relevant.
I’ve asked several doctors abt this and they have never heard of it!
EHS ?
I just rescently have been experiencing this and,thought it was from pain meds. or from my spine injury then neck fusion and constant headaches. My doctor said possibly a brain tumor and suggested I get a $ 3000 MRI or it could be related to the constant tone I hear in my left ear?
….thank goodness, I am not the only one, … not nuts, not dying, just a physical condition….my experience sounds like a very loud clap in my head which instantly wakes me up.
I have been having this for over 11 months. Its what everyone os describing and its occasional. I am relieved to know I am not the only one. Its a big bang loud noise inside my head like a Gun shot as if the head would explode and the aftermath is a striking aroud the neck or face like a lighting stroke, headache and neck pain after. I dont like it and I wil never do. Mine starts at midnight when I am about to pray or in the middle of prayer. Not at any other times. I thot something was trying to prevent me. Sometimes in the head I feel the head is brething, I can feel this when my head is on the pillow, I would adjust the head but it continues.
Sometimes too its like the sound of rushing stream that ‘pru pru pru’ sound of a nice cool stream in a quiet town. To me its all bizarre and I am not finding it funny.
There should be a treatment somewhere since a lot of people have it now! What could be trigerrring such a loud bang. I feel the bang effect after on my head.
About 6 months ago I started waking in the night with a loud pinging and flashing sensation across the back of my eyes from ear to ear. This started early morning as I was waking and progressed on and off to all through the night. I have seen 3 doctors a total of 5 times and have been given everything from antibiotics, nose drops, had my ears syringed, have been given mopisturising drops for my eyes (by an optician, who disgnosed dry eye sockets), been given antihystamines and sleeping tablets, (which I have refused to take),I was diagnosed, (by a lady in the local health food shop), that the “pinging” in my head was caused by a lack of magnesium, I have been taking magnesium tablets at night for 3 months….. all this to no avail. I have had an overnight “sleep study test” which has diagnosed me as having severe sleep apnea, and I actually stopped breathing a total of 39 times during the night. I have been assured by the “sleep specialist” that my EHS has nothing to do with the sleep apnea, in fact he had never even heard of “Exploding head syndrome” and along with the other doctors I have seen, think I am quite mad!! Thank god I have found this web site and realise that others are sharing my fear of going to sleep at night…I am also experiencing severe neck problems and pain during the day now too, as I am propping myself up with many pillows to stop me lying flat so I am now taking painkillers a couple of times a day…could this be stress I wonder? whatever is causing this, it has me now dreading going to bed at night and I just lay there and wait for the “pings” to happen…I do watch a lot of TV when I first go to bed to try and make me tired enough to fall asleep….I have managed to lose over 20 kilos in weight over the last 12 months, I was 128 kilos, and have now beaten the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes given to me last year. Did all this have anything to do with the onset of EHS I wonder?? Perhaps its one of life’s mysteries never to be solved.
I seem to get this in cycles. It doesnt happen every day but once or twice a year. I thought it was from extreme fatigue but I have proven that not to always be the case. Right now I have some slight ringing in my ears and can tell if I try to sleep right now, Im going to experience the explosions.
I get these “explosions” when I start to drift off the sleep, and it wakes me suddenly. Mine actually sound like a guitar being plugged into and amp that is turned way up. Not musical, but like a very loud electrical BANG that lasts only a second but my heart and body “shock” for a few seconds after this noise.
Glad Im not the only one that hears this and also that it isn’t serious, (other than loosing some sleep).
sorry I forgot to mention that I am 68 years old and grandmother to 5 , one of which is intellectually disabled. I “baby sit” 4 days out of 7. My daughter (45) has breast cancer and my husband (77) has undergone quadruple heart bi-pass surgery and is awaiting both knee replacements. As he can hardly walk, I have to do all the lawns etc as he refuses to pay for them to be done..At night, trying to drift off to sleep the “pings” start….stress related or what? They are worse now as I am waking in the morning so I have to jump out of bed sometimes around 4 am.. They are also worse if I am sleeping on my right side… Great to know I can chat to someone about all this.
I am happy I found this!! I had one or two episodes a couple of years back. Now I have been having them every night since March 2008 I will be 42 in a week. My episodes vary from the bang, to the electrical noise. I also experience an adrenaline rush feeling and my heart would beat really fast and flashes of light. I called my doctor and told him about my heart rate. I had blood tests and an echo cardiogram. My tests came back excellent. I did not tell him about the noises. I do have bad sinus problems. Lately my ears feel really congested and when I lay down it feels like there is fluid running out of my ears, I also had an ENT look at my ears and he said they are ok? so I am wondering if it has anything to do with my eustation tubes/middle ear. I am also under alot of stress, single mom of a child with behavior problems plus I lost my job. Anyway I was getting really stressed thinking I have a brain tumor, heart problems, seizures or some other kind of major health problem. I am happy that I am not the only one experiencing this, not happy that we have to go through it!!! As soon as I get health insurance again I am going back to the ENT to have them check my middle ear. Thanks to everyone who posted.
If anyone is interested, I received the official results of the “overnight Sleep Study” I did at home a month ago. I asked that this test be done because of the “pinging and flashing in my head”. The sleep specialist I saw today with my results told me I had Mild Sleep Apnea and if I continued to lose weight, as I have been doing, the sleep apnea would go away and I wouldn’t need to wear a mask at night. I asked him what he knew about “Exploding Head Syndrome” (EHS),. and he looked at me blankly and asked where on earth I had heard that one. I then gave him a couple of pages I had printed off from this website and he, (this specialist who charges $155 for a 1/2 hour appointment), was speechless. After a few Ahms, and Ahas, he decided that what I have been experiencing was officially called ‘HYPNAGOGIC HALLUCINATIOS” . He said there is no known cure,and no medication could be prescribed….in other words…live with it. I still think he is certain I was making it all up. I looked up his diagnosis on a web site and it is a completely different condition. I do not see spirits or strange people in my bedroom, or feel someone is holding me down on the bed. I get an explosion and flashing light in my head while I am drifting off to sleep, sometimes during the night, and always as I am waking in the morning, and thats that. Thank goodness for this website and to know that others are having this damn annoying problem, if anyone comes up with a cure…please, please, let us know. I can’t begin to imagine living with this for the rest of my life, even though it looks like I may have to. Good Luck All.
My experience with exploding head sydrome occurred during a time of high stress, I think two instances. RIGHT before falling asleep I heard what sounded like a huge chest or cabinet falling over and hitting the ground – everyone in the house was already sleeping and settled. It startled me and caused me to inquire about what it could have possibly been. After the first instance I looked it up and found out what it was. It hasn’t happened since, thank gosh.
I JUST HAD THE BANG AND WOKE UP. AFTER 4 YEARS OF IT I GRAPPED MY LAPTOP TO FIND OUT I HAVE EHS AND AM NO LONGER WORRIED ABOUT HAVING A BRAIN TUMOR.
THANKS A MILLION GUYS AND GOODNIGHT.
MERRY CHRISTMAS,
HAPPY BANGS AND FLASHES TO YOU ALL !!!
I have been having this for over 11 months. Its what everyone os describing and its occasional. I am relieved to know I am not the only one. Its a big bang loud noise inside my head like a Gun shot as if the head would explode and the aftermath is a striking aroud the neck or face like a lighting stroke, headache and neck pain after. I dont like it and I wil never do. Mine starts at midnight when I am about to pray or in the middle of prayer. Not at any other times. I thot something was trying to prevent me. Sometimes in the head I feel the head is brething, I can feel this when my head is on the pillow, I would adjust the head but it continues.
Sometimes too its like the sound of rushing stream that ‘pru pru pru’ sound of a nice cool stream in a quiet town. To me its all bizarre and I am not finding it funny.
There should be a treatment somewhere since a lot of people have it now! What could be trigerrring such a loud bang. I feel the bang effect after on my head.
agreed
I have had this for several months, about twice per week. I describe it as sounding like two rapid gun shotsounds in my head, normally preceded by a rushing stream sensastion. I wonder if there is a correlation to taking ‘nytol’ which is a medication to assist sleep sold over the counter at the chemist? My EHS has occurred when I take this, but not exlusively. Has anyone also had a nose bleed? Feeling dizzey? happy New Year to all
@Brendaz..I too have a family member with epileptie and myself i suffer from Exploding sounds of elictrical wires too….it;s like being aware of and able to hear all the neurons running through your head who are doing something ….i find it horrible and scary to no end and being pulled out of the body is the wackiest part…
I must say that i am really happy i see there are more people who have this but it concerns me more that there still isn;t found a proper origin …and any shrink who wants to put this under the category of mental illness with psychological origin ….*you can shuff it!* cause it;s a biological thing… only it happens to involve the brain …grrr
I also suffer fromthis condition, however, it sounds like a loud 747 rushing through my head, as soon as it happen’s I get sleep paralysis immediately, then I try to fight it so I can wake myself back up, which is usually impossible. I have learned, it goes away much faster and easier when I subcomb to it, I just make myself relax (in my sleep) try not to fight it and it goes away. It only happen’s why I sleep on my back, so I sleep on my stomach now, but occasionally wake up on my back (turning in sleep). Last night I stopped breathing to the point when it felt like my lips and nostrils were superglued together and I couldn’t get a breath no matter what and I said to myself, this is it, I’m going to die, it lasted so long I felt like I was going to pass out in my sleep, then suddenly a pop and I woke immediately, and refused to go back to sleep. I saw a Dr. once about the loud noise many years ago and he said it was (circle of willis) those are veins and arteries that are at te base of your brain and you may be lying on them cutting off circulation…I sometimes think it is a neck problem (spinal stenosis, etc) they really need to do more research on this, I don’t want to go back to sleep!!!!!!
does anybody have a spiritual explanation for this?
I have my explosions while I am dreaming. Does anybody else experience this. Last night I was dreaming that I had a steel base ball bat in my hand and I had dropped it into a substance like silver mercury which in my dream caused some kind of electrical reaction. I picked the base ball bat back up and looked at it closely. The bat seemed to be having a small electrical storm in and around the surface of it. In the dream I thought id better let go of the bat because the electrical storm was seemingly to get bigger and bigger. I dropped the bat once again and as it hit the ground it exploded and this is when I had my head bang/ explosion thingy also there was a huge flash of the brightest white light. As usual I woke up straight after. The funny thing about this explosion I had a taste of metallic in my mouth when I awoke. I understand how the brain can do amazing things as I suffer from panic/anxiety attacks. I have come to live with the symptoms of this problem. Im sure I am having what we have all described in this forum EHS. I am 40 year old male and the explosions started not to long after I had my first anxiety attack maybe a year or so after. Im tired of fighting these feelings that I can not control I know these problems will not kill me so I just accept them and I find that this helps me with this announce in my life. Ok hope everyone can get some sleep sometime and try not to worry to much about things we can not change easier said than done I know. Thanks all…………………….
wow, i had this happen to me earlier today as i was falling asleep, my woman was sleeping next to me when i jumped trying to figure out where the gunfire was coming from and realized it was all in my head. The family just kind of looked at me like i was nuts or something,when i was telling them about it.It’s good to know i’m not the only one.
Thank God it wasn’t me only.
For the last 5 months or so I had 3 episode of what’s called EHS.
When I am asleep a very loud noise and electric shock inside my brain with white flash that last for a second or so .
I am 51 years old .
It is certainly comforting to learn that I am not the only one experiencing this. I have had three episode- each episode escalating in loudness and colour vibrance. The third one was so extreme that it was like a meterological “Big Bang” – I was convinced a neuron had shorted in my head!
I am so pleased to have discovered this page. At last I can share my experience with someone. I explained the problem to my GPs several times but I don’t think they understood what I described. So I don’t bother them anymore with this problem. It always happened whilst I was trying to sleep, it started with a sensation on some part of my head, it could be at the back of the throat, inside my mouth, or on the back of my head. The sensation travelled to top of my head then I could ’see’ with my eyes closed, horizontal zig-zag black and white lines in a quick flash. For a few seconds afterwards, the sensation of explosion remained then gradually subsided and I fell asleep. I have been experiencing this for nearly 30 years, I am 58 years old. The last time I experienced was last night and the width of the zig-zag lines was slightly wider than the past.
I personally feel it could be related to the heart, and/or blood pressure. Since the doctors don’t seem to have come across my problem from other patients, I resign to the fact that I just have to live with it. I am so relieved to learn that I am not alone.
Im 32 and have been experiencing EHS ( ya gotta love the name for this condition.!) for 5 or so years. I have always wondered if there is some serious damage occuring because of the intensity of my episodes. Unlike most of your descriptions, i dont experience a loud “bang” or other noises but an intense pressure that starts around my temples and then (roughly where i start to wake) the intensity increases stronger and stronger toward the middle of my head untill it feels like my brain is going to pop.! (It really does, and is soooo intense!) It doesnt scare me though because i always work through it and once it eases, i go straight back to sleep. I had no idea what it was untill i found this page so thanks for the reassuring comments, i now feel more comfortable living with EHS.! =)
I find relief to know that I am not the only sufferer of such experiences! I am a 28 year old male and I have been a sufferer for about five years, since I had my first panic attack, I also have generalized anxiety and depression and I am obese, I do believe that i have sleep apnea but have no insurance, hence the undiagnosis. Several times I have tried to explain the feelings and experience associated with EHS to my mother after an experience only to get a puzzled look of, you must of really lost it. (LOL) But now I have found others who can understand and recognize my uncomfortable state. I often describe it as, what is would feel like to have electrical shock therapy of the brain, a loud (((((ZAP))))) and light blue flash of lightening before my eyes all in a split second, and leaves me panicked with a racing heart and eyes wide open, I often flinch and my entire body jolts as well, I don”t know if this is because of the intense panic (shock) or if it is also a neurological effect of EHS, I jump out of my skin and my legs kick and arms flop, i thought for a while i was having a mini seizure, but know that a seizure last longer than a fraction of second, I was left with the conclusion for years that maybe the look my mom was giving me was the look of confirmation and not question. Does anyone else experience the flinch or sudden physical jolt?
My EHS experiences began back in 1978 when I was a teen. The sensation would start in the back of the head and continue to move on through to the front with the sound of high-pitched thunder and was always accompanied by an electrical-like feeling. After two years of this, it culminated with a full blown hallucination (like staring at my own heart) and the EHS sounds finally stopped. Since then I’ve only had one repeat of a major EHS sound (November, 1998) which was also followed by a “flying dream” like hallucination (this one was in the mountains–so cool). And I have only had small spurts of “thunder” since then.
But I have to say that as experiences go, these pre-dreaming hallucinations were quite illuminating, though decades apart and the EHS sound-sensations were never painful. I am convinced that there is a simple neurological mechanism that explains it all, though I’ll be darned if I know what triggers it.
As others have said, I was relieved to find this website and to learn that that many others experience EHS. As best as I can remember, my first explosion was 12 years ago while sitting at my computer. I’ve had about 7 others over the years, but the majority of mine are while awake and at the computer. I can recall two during my sleep, and my family doctor thought it was a sleep apnea, so we let it go at that.
It is terrifying, and I also worried that I may have had a stroke, but when everything goes back to normal so quickly, it’s a relief. My heart also races faster than I can ever recall it racing at any time. I just assumed it was because the experience is so frightening.
Just before Christmas this year I was in the mall shopping when I had a huge explosion in my head, and my vision blurred to the point of only seeing shadows of black and white. It only lasted a few seconds, but that sent me to my family doctor, who thought the blurred vision may be tied to hypoglycemia (I’ve never been diagnosed with that, however). Then a couple of weeks later, I awoke one morning and opened my eyes to see everything in the room an electric green color, and the black socks on my feet, electric blue.
Went to a neurologist (I am lucky to have found a wonderful and wise doctor), and he mentioned EHS as a first guess (before tests). I looked for info on the web and found this site and others, and felt such a relief in learning that nothing serious is happening.
I have never used drugs, never smoked, and don’t drink, but I have had significant radiation to my head (back and front) from the ears down which has caused some problems with feeling discomfort/pressure at the base of my neck (not a headache). And, the EHS incidents started after the radiation. So possibly some head trauma is involved in what causes these incidents.
May God bless everyone here, and also those out there who are suffering without knowing they’ll be okay.
Although I have had the occasional gunshot experience, most of the time I just hear the phone ring or somone calling my name. Quite often I hear a voice saying one or two sentences, gramatically correct and coherrent. Nothing that has ever worried or frightened me.
hello my name is bob. i have been reading your messages on exploding head. i am 58 years old and on anziety meds. i get a feelin that fikreworks is going on in my head. my finger tips and toungu go picky numb for a split second.the noise is on my left side of my head.it sound like static in my ears and a crash in my head. is this something all you people are experiancing. thank you bob
What about just a loud ringing sound while awake with almost none of the other symptoms? It doesn’t occur while I sleep, but is loud enough to make me cringe and wonder what’s happening. EHS sounds like the closest thing, and yet it seems to only apply to sleeping.
It also just occurs randomly. Sometimes it can be 5 times a week, or maybe once in two years.
Hi, its Willy from the Netherlands again. My doctor has prescribed me Ritrovil. I have now tried it twice and slept like a baby! Hope it will continue to help but so far I am extremely happy! Maybe a tip?
Bizzaro indeed. I thought someone was shooting me in my sleep when I first experienced this. I thought I was alone in experiencing this until just today when I saw it here. I basically thought I was insane so I never mentioned it to anyone. I really just thought it was a very realistic bad dream, but does the “noise” come first or the act in the dream sequence. I can never figure that one out. or say you hear a real loaud noise in your sleep. How does your mind interject the noise into the setting of your dream so realistically and choreographically? It really amazes me. It’s also funny howmuch time I spend responding to this stuff because my life is so dull and no one at work talks or pays attention to me- really sad for me I guess, but I get to go home to a nice wife and two kids that love me, so screw them I guess.
Sorry, the name is Rivotril, Clonazepam and it really works!!!!!!!!!!!! I tak 1 mg appox. half an hour before I go to bed and haven’t had any attaques since!
I just heard the term “exploding hear syndrome” for the first time today. I have been experiencing this for about 10 years. Had never heard of anyone else with this condition. I experience a loud noise in my head and sometimes associated with a flash of light; at least once it was a blue light other times I have seen white dots on a black background.
I tried to explain this to my doctor but she had never heard of it. I also went to an Ear, Nose, Throat guy some years ago. He said it was nothing to worry about. It always happens to me when I’m between being a wake and asleep. The ENT just said your brain does funny things in the intermediate stage between wakefulness and sleep.
About a year ago I had the idea of putting on a CD by my bed when going to bed. Since I am a Christian, I have CDs of my pastor’s sermons as well as CDs by Joyce Meyer, a Christina speaker, and others. Interestingly enough, I have done this for months and have never had an occurrence of EHS while the CD is on. I always fall asleep well before the CD is finished without any symptoms. I have not tried a music CD. I suspect it might work as well.
I did not think I would find anything on the computer about this sensation I have been experiencing at night. While I am on my back sleeping, my whole body jerks violently and I see a flash of light (while the eyes are closed). I don’t always experience the loud sound, however, I believe I have in the past but not so recently. I was beginning to wonder if I was not breathing for a period of time and that this was possibly like near death experience. I have not talked to a doctor about this, but probably will the next chance I get. I suffer from anxiety attacks, and depression at times. The doctor said I might have an imbalance of the chemicals in my brain causing the strange anxiety attacks that I experience. Anyway, these posts have helped me realize that this very well could be my problem. Yes, we have a name for it, but what the heck is causing it? If I am close to death at each episode, I have figured out if I don’t then wake up, I look forwar to seeing the Lord. And what a way to go. At least this happens so quickly, you can’t avoid or stop the inevitable.
OMY GOODNESSS i cannot believe other people actually have this! I just started getting these symptoms about 2 months ago and it’s been one of the worse things in my life. I am already an insomniac, but now, I am very scared to go to sleep, even if i am near passing out
Does this ever get better or go away?
Hello,
Last night i had it again..three times and had real difficulty waking myself out of it. The scary thing is, i really thought i was about to die of a stroke or a seizure…really really scared that the vessels might pop, the noise was like electricity running full power through my brain like a short-circuit error i had to breath very loud to hear myself and try to wake up…simply horrible.
Thing i like to say is that this time, the condition i found myself in was.
one of vatigue…menstrual period about to arrive…and slight muscle pain in the neck. So that might have helped to the extreme this time.
Just want it to stop…!
I am so relieved to have found so many people with the same problem. It happened to me about a week ago. I was sleeping, having a dream (driving my car, having a feeling that something was fallling on top of my car) all of a sudden this LOUD BANG happened. It didnt feel like part of my dream, it was in my head (back, a little to the right of the middle of my head). I was so scared, I thought something had popped inside my head. I hesitated going to the doctor for fear of looking like I was crazy. A few nights later a similar thing occurred. It wasnt a loud bang, more of a cap gun sound. No lights flasing, no aura. Just the sound. I do suffer from migrains, as a few of you have said. I cant believe a visit to google with the words loud bang in head, led me to this site. Thank goodness, its nice to know Im not crazy & others have or are having the same experience. I just hope it never happens again.
Thank you Marilyn for your comments. I’m glad you’re not crazy!! Maybe you should take a relaxing vacation in Ft. Lauderdale for some fun in the sun!
I have flashing on my peripheral vision, sharp pains at the base of my skull, temporary dyslexia, abdominal pressure, convulsion, auditory and scent hallucinations and groin pain. Does this sound like anything anyone might have? The mind is so complex, I have even experienced knocking on all four walls of my room at the same time, sparks emanating from a wall mirror and the feeling of someone trying to push me down a flight of stairs! “Thank you” for having this open forum for people to get answers to bizarre events they can’t explain!!