July 30, 2010 2:10 PM

12 Strangest Sleep Disorders: Just Reading About Them Could Keep You Up at Night

By
David W Freeman
Topics
News ,
Mental Health ,
Disease

REM-sleep behavior disorder causes people to act out their dreams. (saikofish/Flickr)

(CBS) Exploding head syndrome sounds like something ripped from the pages of a science fiction novel.

If only.

In fact, it's just one of many all-too-real sleep disorders that doctors have identified - and it's no walk in the park.

PICTURES: 12 Bizarre Sleep Disorders

People who suffer from the disorder imagine hearing a loud explosion as they nod off to sleep - as if a bomb has gone off inside the head.

And that's not the only real-life nightmare experienced by people who suffer from there bizarre disorders.

Imagine acting out your dreams - shouting, cursing, kicking, and punching while asleep. That can be a nightly occurrence for people with REM-sleep behavior disorder.

Or how about being absolutely unable to get restful sleep - ever. It can be fatal - and it's caused by a little-known disorder known as fatal familial insomnia.

And there are many more.

Click here to read about more bizarre sleep disorders.

Just don't blame us if it keeps you awake at night.

13 Photos

12 Most Bizarre Sleep Disorders

View the Full Gallery »


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