WEIRD SCIENCE

Exploding head syndrome (yes, it’s real)

HEARD of ‘exploding head syndrome?’ It sounds like fantasy but, according to a study in the medical journal Sleep Medicine, up to one in ten Britons could be living with it.

The condition strikes mainly at night as sufferers fall asleep, causing them to hear sounds that aren’t there – such as bomb explosions and gunshots – which jolt them awake. Scientists believe it could be caused by inexplicable mild seizures in parts of the brain, or stress and fatigue.

Drinking alcohol and going to bed early proved effective for reducing symptoms, according to the scientists.