Exploding head syndrome is a sleep disorder painless, but which can be scary. The patient suffers from sound or visual hallucinations which wake him up during the transition from wakefulness to sleep. These very loud noises can sound like a door slamming, an explosion or a gun fight and often generate stress, fear and confusion.
“People with this disorder are terrified because these are very intense experiences,” explains the Figaro Dr. Brian Shapless, author of a study on this syndrome, published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews. “Some people avoid bedtime or even their bedroom, others think they are going crazy or having attacks,” he adds.
The specialist was interested in this syndrome because, for the moment, the researchers do not know which is the most affected population, and neither its cause, nor its treatment, have been found. Studies point to stress or anxiety as a possible cause, and others prove the beneficial effect of certain antidepressants, medication, and relaxation on patients. But none of these leads have been verified. Brias Shapless therefore carried out an evaluation questionnaire in order to collect data on the disease.
