Exploding head syndrome is characterized by the perception of loud noises during 
sleep-wake or wake-sleep transitions. Although episodes by themselves are 
relatively harmless, it is a frightening phenomenon that may result in clinical 
consequences. At present there are little systematic data on exploding head 
syndrome, and prevalence rates are unknown. It has been hypothesized to be rare 
and to occur primarily in older (i.e. 50+ years) individuals, females, and those 
suffering from isolated sleep paralysis. In order to test these hypotheses, 211 
undergraduate students were assessed for both exploding head syndrome and 
isolated sleep paralysis using semi-structured diagnostic interviews: 18.00% of 
the sample experienced lifetime exploding head syndrome, this reduced to 16.60% 
for recurrent cases. Though not more common in females, it was found in 36.89% 
of those diagnosed with isolated sleep paralysis. Exploding head syndrome 
episodes were accompanied by clinically significant levels of fear, and a 
minority (2.80%) experienced it to such a degree that it was associated with 
clinically significant distress and/or impairment. Contrary to some earlier 
theorizing, exploding head syndrome was found to be a relatively common 
experience in younger individuals. Given the potential clinical impacts, it is 
recommended that it be assessed more regularly in research and clinical 
settings.