to hope I am not the only single parent/person to sometimes feel a little afraid of being at home alone at nightime?

[SoleSource]

,Had a bit of a frightening experience last night. Woken up from sleep at 4am by warring neighbours tben unrelated blood curdling screaming from a female at the bottom of our long road.

Asode from doors/windows locked, curyaibs/blinds drawn etc

Do you take any other safety precautions?

I take my mobile phone to bed and shout who is it, agressively if a stranger knocks my door.

[Agnesinroom25]

I had a dog and a teenager in the house, think the teenager was more scary than the dog .

I used to get scared but would fall asleep with the tv on low it seemed to help.

Or if you can't sleep come and MN and chat to be of the night owls - nice to know someone else is awake when you feel a bit freaked out.

[PrincessPumpkinshoutsBOO]

Oh love, didn't want to read and run, I used to be a lone parent and have spent some terrified night's listening to every noise and creak. You have done all you can, doors and windows secure and phone handy, try and get some sleep, it all looks better in the morning.

[Agnesinroom25]

Sorry you asked about safety .
I just did the same as you with my mobile.

[WorraLiberty]

It's not just single parents really although I was a single parent for a couple of years.

My DH works night shifts and I take my dog (an extra pair of ears) and my phone to bed.

[ImagineJL]

I live in a nice sleepy village so I rarely get woken by street noise, and certainly no strangers knock on my door in the night. I only ever feel nervous if a noise wakes me at night, which is usually a precariously stored toy falling from a shelf or a rattly letter box. But I do keep my phone by my bed. I also have a very heavy torch under the bed. It's very bright - the idea being that I could dazzle an intruder then hit them on the head - that was the plan anyway, from the friend who gave it to me a few years ago.

When I lived in the city I had a burglar alarm with a panic button to activate the alarm by my bed.

[BadRoly]

I'm not a single parent but dh is away Mon-Fri. I go to bed very late the nights he is away because I dislike the whole locking up and turning lights off thing. I have no safety precautions other than what you have said.

One night someone started hammering on the door about 3am. Really persistent. I eventually went down to find a drunk bloke who was walking home and noticed I'd left the garage door open and the light on with all our bikes etc on display to the world. He was worried someone woud nick them :D

Boy did I shit myself going down to answer the dor though...

[hatesponge]

I think it's quite natural to get a bit spooked from time to time when you're in the house alone- I'm fine if the DC are here but when they're at their dads I do find I'm much more aware of creaking, pipes rattling etc. I have to try not to think about it overly otherwise I'd never sleep -having TV on definitely helps, both in terms of distracting me, and covering up any little noises!

[spookiesackhouse]

Do you have a house alarm too? Make sure you have good locks too - just for peace of mind. I don't have dc's but live alone and sometimes feel scared.

I find putting the bedside lamp on helps or coming on mn if I can't sleep :-)

[spookiesackhouse]

Ps could you swap numbers with a neighbour for peace of mind?

[ledkr]

Yes I used to be the same but it helped to have male neighbours number in my phone. You get used to it dh works nights now and not bothered at all.

[SoleSource]

True Worra. Being the only person pr adult in the house. When my ex worked nights I really felt his absence alone at night. Then one night, in this house, my worse nightmare came true. At 1am a man climbed tbrough my wi.dow seconds after I had climbed the stairs. He stole my car keys and I watched from an.upstairs wi.dow as he drove my car away. I fekt very calm at the timd.

[SoleSource]

No house alarm and I should swap numbers with my neighbour. Good idea.

[foslady]

Know exactly what you mean. The other year dd was staying at her dads, (it was between Xmas & NY so it had been a bit stressfull), home alone when I got woke up at 3am by banging at the front door. I looked out to see to Policemen at the door. Went downstairs and opened the window (opens like a door iyswim) and asked them with a sickening feeling running through me what the problem was (head working overtime!) 'Didn't they ring ahead, (some random name that wasn't mine). Confused I said that that wasn't my name. 'Oh, isn't this my-address-but-ave?'. They wanted the next bloody street!!!!! Went back to bed shaking like a leaf and laughing hysterically!!!

[redwhiteandblueeyedsusan]

living in a second floor flat seems to stop the fears.

was the blood cudling scream foxes by any chance? they are awful!

[MissBetseyTrotwood]

DH works away a lot (like, overseas 3 nights a week, away for months at a time) and I really feel for you. I find a routine before I go to bed helps with the anxiety:

Doors locked, windows shut.
Light on in the hall.
Taking landline phone and mobile onto bedside table.

The dog would love an intruder to death but does bark at unusual noises outside the front door. He's blardy huge too, with a deep bark so he sounds scary enough. We know our neighbours really well too and that makes me feel safer.

[shrimponastick]

I hear you.

I spent many years living alone with small DS - but the house felt quite secure - lots of good locks and an alarm.

This house - not so secure - and DH works away fairly often. He is away tonight. I have a DS who is now 14 and over 6FT tall, but I still feel like I would have to protect us both ;)

I always take my phone up to bed. i also leave the outside security light on, and sometimes a light in the lounge so it looks like someone is around.

solesource that is scary!

[ike1]

I usually can but now I prob wont after reading this thread!

[Viviennemary]

I'm not a single parent but I totally hate being at home alone all night. Friends have found getting a dog a great help. But I know it's a big responsibility.

[SoleSource]

I leave tbe downstairs WC light on. I have a lot of single pane glass in back door. That could easily be smashed.

[ike1]

can sleep that is! lol

[SoleSource]

I feel like that after watching Crimewatch sometimes ike1

[Inneedofbrandy]

I leave bathroom light on, don't have an upstairs. I hate going to bed and MN on phone till I fall asleep. I hate the brushing my teeth and turning tv/ pc and lights off the most.

[TerrorNotSoFrightened]

My DH works until 2am and I am not scared whilst I am awake, what I really worry about is that I am such a heavy sleeper that I wouldn't wake up if someone broke in, Such is my fear that I stay up until he gets in :(

If someone got through the doors/windows they would have to get past my German shepherd who is posted outside my children's door at nighttime.