Researchers were shocked to discover a relatively high number of young people experience "exploding head syndrome," in which they are awakened by perceived loud noises in the middle of the night.
The recent findings showed about 18 percent of college students said they had experienced the phenomenon on at least one occasion, Washington State University reported.
"Unfortunately for this minority of individuals, no well-articulated or empirically supported treatments are available, and very few clinicians or researchers assess for it," said Brian Sharpless, a Washington State University assistant professor and director of the university psychology clinic.
The study also found one-third of those who had experienced exploding head syndrome also struggled with sleep paralysis, in which one wakes up but cannot move or speak.
Past studies have suggested that exploding head syndrome is rare, and mostly seen in people over the age of 50. This new analysis of 211 undergraduate students suggests the condition can affect younger populations as well.
"I didn't believe the clinical lore that it would only occur in people in their 50s," Sharpless said. "That didn't make a lot of biological sense to me."
Researchers believe the "explosion" occurs if the brain has trouble shutting down, causing the neurons to all fire at once. The brainstem's reticular formation appears to be involved in both exploding head syndrome and sleep paralysis, which could be why people often experience both problems.
There is no clear treatment for either disorder, but there are some promising drugs being tested.
"One of the drugs they gave for exploding head syndrome actually didn't make the noises go away," Sharpless said. "It just turned the volume down."
Despite the lack of treatment options, the researchers believe simply knowing that other people experience the phenomenon as well could help alleviate the problem.
"There's the possibility that just being able to recognize it and not be afraid of it can make it better," he concluded.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Sleep Medicine.
