This is a condition that causes the sufferer to occasionally experience a tremendously loud noise from within his or her own head. The noise that is described as the sound of an explosion, roar, waves crashing against rocks, loud voices or screams, a ringing noise, or the sound of an electrical short circuit (buzzing).

This noise or noises usually occurs after about 2 hours of falling asleep. This noise is not the result of a dream because it can happen while you are awake also. The sound is usually very loud and happens in cycles of days, weeks and even months. When remission takes place it could be months before another episode is experienced.

Sufferers often feel a sense of fear and anxiety and an elevated heart rate. Attacks are also often accompanied by perceived flashes of light or difficulty breathing. The condition is also known as "auditory sleep starts." It is not thought to be dangerous, although it is sometimes distressing to experience.

Although no known causes for Exploding Head Syndrome is known, it appears to be brought on by stress and fatigue. These attacks seem to occur much more in women than men. They can come on at any time and you can have one attack for several.

One possibility for exploding head syndrome is one is a sudden movement of a middle ear component or of the Eustachian tube.