BRAIN EXPLOSION

Exploding head syndrome (EHS), alternately termed episodic cranial sensory shock, is a benign condition in which a person experiences unreal noises that are loud and short, like a bomb exploding or a gunshot, when falling asleep or waking up. These noises are often jarring and frightening for the person. Neither the cause nor the mechanism is known. Though harmless in and of themselves, episodes have been known to create distress or impairment in the lives of individuals.

                                - Wikipedia

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I live in a big old house. Old wooden houses make lots of noises - creaks, cracks, groans and sighs*.
Sometimes at night when I'm in bed I hear a noise that seems a bit louder than usual and outside of the expected creaks and cracks. This can wake me up so that I have to get up and investigate.

We live in a safe area but it is a bit countrified and relatively isolated. There have been burglaries reported in other areas nearby so I am a bit security conscious.

A couple of nights ago, just as I was nodding off at about 1AM I heard a loud bang. Having read an article about Exploding Head Syndrome recently I felt my head to check for damage but it all seemed OK. In the dark I listened for a few moments but there were no more noises. I got up and, in the dark, checked all rooms in the house and outside before turning on lights and checking again. Nothing.
I went back to bed and eventually drifted off the sleep.

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Yesterday, while picking up some wind-blown garden debris and putting in the trailer I found, at the far side of the house a large Nikau palm frond that had fallen from the palm growing beside the house.

These fronds are huge and the husk like a pod at the end is solid and heavy.

The frond when falling, landed on the roof first which was the 'bang' I had heard the night before.

Mystery solved but I still don't know if I have Exploding Head Syndrome or not.

* I just made that up about sighs.