"Exploding head syndrome" and "restless leg syndrome"

I was reading this article when I came across the phrase "exploding head syndrome":

Okay, exploding head syndrome doesn't actually involve detonating domes. This creatively named disorder occurs during the onset of deep sleep, when the person is suddenly startled awake by a sharp, loud noise. These noises range from cymbals crashing to explosives going off. To the person hearing them, the explosions seem to originate either from right next to the person's head or inside the skull itself. There's no pain involved, and no danger, either. Doctors don't know what causes exploding head syndrome, but they do know that it isn't associated with any serious illness.

I've had loud pops (usually like a large bore gun) in my head just as I'm about to fall asleep ever since I can remember but it happens so rarely (maybe once or twice a year at most) that it's always pretty startling. It was even more startling before I started studying science because it was a mystery but, since learning more about the brain and anatomy and especially the nervous system, I've figured that it probably has a simple physical explanation. I've read plenty of theories (there are hundreds) but the most plausible one is that it's caused by a sudden change of pressure inside the eustachian tube.

Till now I did not know that it was called "exploding head syndrome" which seems a bit dramatic as well as inaccurate. "Restless leg syndrome" is also badly named. When I first wrote about it on my blog some people thought I meant that my legs twitched or that I made fidgety tapping movements with my legs the way some hyper kids (usually teenage boys) do. But "restless leg syndrome" doesn't mean that at all.

It means that the nerves in the legs become extra sensitive and it feels as if the leg muscles are contracting and twitching but they aren't. The natural reaction is to try to relieve the annoying sensations by stretching and moving but that doesn't work. There are just as many theories about "restless leg syndrome" as there are about "exploding head syndrome" and nowadays there are even drugs that purport to relieve it. Of course the side-effects of the drugs sound even worse than the symptoms. My "restless leg syndrome" started becoming so annoying a few years ago (keeping me awake) that I decided to try the "old wives' tale" remedy of putting a bar of soap in my bed. I figured it couldn't hurt and there were far fewer side-effects than the drugs.

Of course I didn't put all my eggs in one basket and researched the "science" as well and found that "restless leg syndrome" is very common in people who have lung problems and suffer from congestion. It has to do with lack of oxygen in the blood. I haven't got a clue if my conclusion is scientific or not but I figured my symptoms could be caused by the congestion that I had from COPD so I made sure that I had a good cough before bedtime. Sure enough my "restless leg syndrome" disappeared. I don't know if it's because I put a bar of soap between my sheets or because I cleared my lungs before going to bed.

Thank goodness my "exploding head syndrome" has never caused me problems because I would hate to have to wear ear-flaps with bars of soap in them.