Anyone ever experience this?

[RUSH2112]

This is about as off-topic as it gets, but thats why its the "Off Topic Stuff" thread, right.

Anyway, every so often as I begin to doze off in bed, I "hear" (mentally, of course) a loud noise. It can be anything from a scream to some random loud noise. Whatever it is, it is loud enough to make me jump and wake me up...

My only theory (which comes from some research I've been doing on lucid dreaming) is that it is the brain distorting ambient noises into random blurps of, well, whatever.

Has anyone else experienced this or know what it is?

[tomh009]

Could it be this guy yelling at you?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/3776 ... 39c6ac.jpg

[AlphaKilo470]

Hmm, no, haven't experienced the noise issue. I do, however, remember once thinking that I was imagining a loud siren noise and then the next day I read the news, found there was a tornado warning in the area and that I actually did hear the siren so I'm guessing I got the reverse.

The weirdest thing I've had in the recent past was a dream in which I was drinking lots of beer and I woke up with a hangover. The oddest part is that I don't drink.

[Turbo Audi]

Could it be this guy yelling at you?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/3776 ... 39c6ac.jpg

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[pianowizard]

it is the brain distorting ambient noises into random blurps of, well, whatever.

An experiment for you. Wear ear plugs so you can't hear any ambient noise, so that there's nothing for your brain to "distort". See if you still experience this phenomenon.

[draco2527]

This is about as off-topic as it gets, but thats why its the "Off Topic Stuff" thread, right.

Anyway, every so often as I begin to doze off in bed, I "hear" (mentally, of course) a loud noise. It can be anything from a scream to some random loud noise. Whatever it is, it is loud enough to make me jump and wake me up...

My only theory (which comes from some research I've been doing on lucid dreaming) is that it is the brain distorting ambient noises into random blurps of, well, whatever.

Has anyone else experienced this or know what it is?

I can't say that I have, but I have experienced ( from talking with other people about it..seems to be a common thing) the feeling of falling into/from " space" and you feel the "G forces" and you JUMP up in bed......

SO if the above is possible, I am sure what is happening to you is not out of the question...

OTHERS I have happened is dreaming something that INTERACTS with the noises around us...like dreaming that the phone is ringing (in a place that is not even remotely related to your house layout)...you pick it up...and is still ringing...only to wake up and realize that you were in fact...dreaming...BUT your phone is the one making all the racket...

[dsigma6]

Right before I fall asleep I often dream/imagine that I fell off of something, therefor I jump up. I also hear noises, but I guess it's because I'm so cranky and susceptible to the slightest noise (at bed time anyway).

And yea, the noises you hear probably are that guy!

[lev]

RUSH2112: Maybe 3 times in my life, all of them at least 10 years ago I heard such loud noises. They were LOUD -- the only reason I knew they were not real sounds was that had they been real, for sure there would be broken windows, pictures falling off the wall, etc

General stuff about the weird mental states between wake and sleep can be found under the search term hypnagogia (also spelled hypnogogia)

The specific term for a very loud startling noise like a gunshot or explosion or a burst of radio static or similar, while you are falling asleep, not associated with drug use, not accompanied by headaches, is Exploding Head Syndrome and while it is rare it is considered to only be harmful if it becomes so frequent that it starts to deprive you of a significant amount of sleep. It is associated with fatigue and stress, and it has been proven not to be any kind of epileptic seizure.

dsigma6: a falling sensation is a very common form of hypnogogia experience, experienced by most people, called Hypnic jerk

[dsigma6]

Apparently I'm overtired and uncomfortable quite often!

[RUSH2112]

RUSH2112: Maybe 3 times in my life, all of them at least 10 years ago I heard such loud noises. They were LOUD -- the only reason I knew they were not real sounds was that had they been real, for sure there would be broken windows, pictures falling off the wall, etc

General stuff about the weird mental states between wake and sleep can be found under the search term hypnagogia (also spelled hypnogogia)

The specific term for a very loud startling noise like a gunshot or explosion or a burst of radio static or similar, while you are falling asleep, not associated with drug use, not accompanied by headaches, is Exploding Head Syndrome and while it is rare it is considered to only be harmful if it becomes so frequent that it starts to deprive you of a significant amount of sleep. It is associated with fatigue and stress, and it has been proven not to be any kind of epileptic seizure.

Hmm...interesting. It happens to me every few nights, usually only once (sometimes twice), but not nearly enough to deprive me of significant amounts of sleep.

I did experience lucid hypnagogia once a few days ago...just as I had read, it feels like violent vibrations throughout my body, and I "see" black and white vertical lines in front of my eyes. It was very scary at first, but I remembered reading about it, so the fear went away, and it actually became an interesting experience. I believe that it is in this stage, when transitioning between waking and sleep, that the brain will distort sounds. Perhaps such sounds are usually ignored, but I remain lucid just a few moments too long and hear them consciously.

The "symptoms" seem similar to exploding head syndrome, except it happens as I doze off, not an hour or two into sleep as the wiki explains.

It is nothing that I am worrying about. It is just annoying when I am about to fall asleep, and am suddenly awaken by some apparent loud noise. Not to mention it can be scary (although I have experienced it enough times that I am more upset than scared)

:EDIT:

I've been doing a little more research on EHS. It looks like, despite the Wikipedia article, it happens most often as youre falling asleep. Looks like my guess on the cause was more or less accurate. This is from a WebMD Article

Exploding head syndrome occurs most often in adults older than age 50. The cause isn't clear. But it may be due to a delay in the "switching off" of some of the brain-alerting pathways, which normally occurs as sleep begins.

I found the "over 50" part interesting....im 18.

[skitty4gzus]

You can take this or leave it but it works regardless. The times I have horrible dreams and sleep happens when i just fall asleep doing whatever; mainly watching t.v. But, when i actually put myself to sleep as in make sure the things of the day are completed, turn off all the lights, take out trash, turn of t.v..... whatever your normal routine would be before you are supposed to go to bed. Do this consistently. We are creatures of pattern, you have to put yourself to bed, it cant just happen on accident. When I do this and read my bible and talk to the Lord before i go to bed it guarantees a good night sleep. Remember consistency and pattern, make it a habit. If sleep is that important to you and you get tired of trying everything else than do this and see what happens.

EDIT: forgive my inability to put together logical sentences

[RUSH2112]

You can take this or leave it but it works regardless. The times I have horrible dreams and sleep happens when i just fall asleep doing whatever; mainly watching t.v. But, when i actually put myself to sleep as in make sure the things of the day are completed, turn off all the lights, take out trash, turn of t.v..... whatever your normal routine would be before you are supposed to go to bed. Do this consistently. We are creatures of pattern, you have to put yourself to bed, it cant just happen on accident. When I do this and read my bible and talk to the Lord before i go to bed it guarantees a good night sleep. Remember consistency and pattern, make it a habit. If sleep is that important to you and you get tired of trying everything else than do this and see what happens.

Indeed, habits and patterns do influence us (especially in our unconscious sleep). I have learned a lot about sleep in my recent research on lucid dreaming, and it is quite interesting.

I do not think that this will help me with, what I am now quite certain is, Exploding Head Syndrome. Basically the only way it seems to help prevent this is to relax. Theres no pain from this condition, its really just an annoyance.

While I am not religious (and hence do not pray), your point on prayer is still valid, I think (although I would not say it is a divine influence). Before bed, sometimes simply telling yourself something (more importantly, believing it will happen) about how you wish to dream can make it happen. For example, there is a method of lucid dream initiation called WILD (Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreaming), where you basically tell and convince yourself before going to bed that you will be lucid as you dream.

[Nigellus]

Sometimes the blood pumping through my circulatory system is very loud to my ears, but no sounds like you describe.