Yes, that’s right – Explosing Head Syndrome. Yet another disorder that can keep us awake at night!

“What in the world is Exloding Head Syndome?”, you ask? According to Dr. Neil Kline from the American Sleep Association, “It’s usually described as a loud bang or pop that occurs in the first third of the night. 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.”

Sounds pretty weird, right? Unfortunately, this is a disorder that many people can suffer from at any point in their lives and can interrupt normal sleep patterns. Doctors are unable to define what exactly causes Exploding Head Syndrome, but have found links of occurences to anxiety and extreme fatigue. Though the disorder is not dangerous, it can most certainly be a nuisance. People who suffer from this syndrome describe the sensation as a loud explosion, a shotgun blast or a “brain snap.” Dr. Kline explains, “Individuals [who suffer from Exploding Head Syndrome] can develop an aversion to falling asleep. They’ll develop insomnia because they’re concerned by these occurrences. But they’re usually rare. I’ve never heard of it occurring regularly.”

To read more about Exploding Head Syndrome, read this article from MSNBC.