Loud Noise Startles Me Awake

[FernFinnegan]

Last night just after or as I was falling asleep, I woke suddenly to what seemed to be a gunshot going off right by my face or inside my head. I saw a bright flash of light and a REALLY loud noise. It was so confusing because my husband slept right through it and I couldn't understand how he did. I searched here and found nothing like this, and then I did what I shouldn't do...but actually am glad I did. Google. I am sure this is what it is, and it certainly appears to be benign "exploding head syndrome." Seems to be related to hypnic jerks which are so common amongst our ranks (I had those at the beginning). I think this signals I'm getting better or I'm getting worse. Overall not a good day today with symptoms. What next? Anyone else with this?

 

[Gracer]

well, even without a wikipedia I thought about parasomnia or hypnagogic hallucination. This is really something like a leg jerk (last night Ihad so strong one that the whole bed was cracking becasue I quite ponded on it with the bloody leg).This means only that your central nervous system is under stress (nothing new, eh?) and therefore normal succession of wakening or transition from one sleep phase to another is disrupted. The link between stress and hypnagogic issues is pretty clear. My daughter, when she is over stressed, has ocular migraines during the daytime and typical paralytic and hallucinating nightmares in the hight. Last time she was hallucinating about a hand coming from the ceiling becasue her boyfrined just told her a horror story at the bedtime ) One of our fellows reported complicated hallucinations including voices, figures and - the most amazing - writings on the wall, like it was for the king Baltazar in the Bible, and in those hallucinations he was sober enough to wait until it dissipates, watching that and being quite conscious (typical for parasomnias by the way, I mean this feeling of being not in a sleep but quite in reality while having hallucinations and even understanding that you are hallucinating).It is amazing, stressful and of course does not help to sleep better So hope it would not be your recurrent issue.

 

[ShrkWhisper]

I see funny strange black objects on occasion, when I awake from sleep. Real spooky looking objects. It used to freak out my wife because I would wake her and tell her...you see it, it's right there in the corner of the room, look at it....look at it...you can't see it...Of course I don't recall the conversation, but boy do I remember these objects, very scary looking. My wife told me on several occasions, I have gotten up and told her that they were outside hovering around the house and I would run window to window pointing...look they are right there..It's not related. It's our mind.

 

[FernFinnegan]

Robj and Gracely - thank you for your responses.Robj - I don't think what your describe is anything similar to what happened to me, so no, it might not be related to what you are thinking. What happened to me is to a T what is described in the wiki article and it is related to hypnic jerks - common amongst us. As Gracely says - related to a hyperexcited central nervous system, so definitely related in that way. I posted because it seems it might not be uncommon here anyway. And even if some haven't posted in the past, it will be here for any future members who search. This was not a true hallucination. It was more of a loud "bang, wzzz" noise, like an electric spark and LOUD and fast/brief like a gunshot. A bit frightening, but not spooky like halloween spooky, more like startling. Sometimes it is accompanied by sleep paralysis which I've seen rather common here. I was tired enough to fall right back to sleep so I'm not sure if I felt paralysis or not. I didn't try to move. And have had enough odd things now to not freak out about it like I might have a year ago. This is maybe getting closer to acceptance of "whatever will be will be." Staying awake to worry about it or figure it out won't help me now, I made a mental note to worry about it later. So I did bravely or stupidly google the next day. My intuition told me I'd find something related to my central nervous system, and I did. Nothing too scary, though it certainly could have been. I was secretly afraid it was a sign of a brain tumor and nothing like that came up. Thank God!So, here it is for the archives or anyone who might have interest.

 

[Deutsche]

....2 nights ago woke up from a loud "tatue tata" like from a children's toy. It was not a real ambulance. It was from inside the room. But there was nothing. And we don't have such a toy..I was wondering about it, but maybe it also derives from my streched nervous system...Of couse different from your experience. But maybe for similar reason..