Brian Sharpless, Director, Psychology Clinic
Brian Sharpless

As you’re drifting into or out of sleep, you hear a loud noise — think cannon blast or gunshot—that jolts you awake. It only sounds like you blew your top. Exploding head syndrome, or EHS, is thought to occur when the part of your brain that helps control your sleep-wake cycle briefly fails to mute your auditory neurons.

As a result, you experience an activity boost that you “hear” as a detonation, according to research from Washington State University. One study suggests that about 14 percent of young adults may be affected, though the frequency of episodes varies. Anxiety, poor sleep habits, or sleep disorders might be setting off the cranium bombs, says study author Brian Sharpless, Ph.D.

Find out more

Men’s Health