To think I might have been burgled?

Sleepwalking!
I thought someone had been in my house, years ago. Drawers had been pulled right out and placed on the floor. Didn't make any sense that someone would've done that and not taken anything. Came to the conclusion that I must've done it myself, in my sleep. Has happened several times, since (various behaviours, in different houses).
Most recently, a steak knife went missing from the draining board overnight. Annoying, as it was part of a boxed set that my parents brought back from living in the States before I was born. Worrying, because I never have found it, and where the heck did it go? I was watching the local news the next day, with everything crossed that someone in my village hadn't been stabbed to death overnight...

Glad it's near sorted now @Kittensat36 🙂

I'd be so lost without my handbag.

I'm curious if an animal, such as a raccoon, could have been involved. OP mentioned having an open window.

Read the bloody thread

sorry if PPs have said this but CHECK YOUR CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.

@Emmz1510 OP updated to say her handbag was found in the street and handed back to her by neighbours, so she was burgled.

Good shout changing the locks OP, it's what I do whenever we move to a new house. DP has never been fussed but does it anyway, but I don't like not knowing who could have a key without us knowing! We also have a full security system we can monitor remotely with motion sensors, cameras front and back, an alarm and a box as a deterrent. We've never had any trouble but it's good for peace of mind, and hopefully would deter any would-be burglars.

I think since you admit your home is very untidy and it’s extremely unlikely you’ve been robbed on each occasion those random things have gone missing (plus they would be weird things to steal) I think the most likely thing is your bag and the other stuff is somewhere in your house. Have you had a good, thorough tidy up?
I know you say you remember where your bag was because you took your phone out, but if your front door was unlocked and there are no signs of forced entry I don’t know how likely it is you were robbed. As others have said perhaps someone else has a key? Good shout to get the locks changed just in case

Do any of your neighbours have a ring doorbell or CCTV you could ask them to check for you? If your flat is untidy then maybe try getting a room in order each day. You never know what you might find.

At 8, 5 and 3 (and disabled) mine aren’t quite at the ‘killing with their bare hands’ stage yet 😊.
Oh of course I make it difficult for them to get in in the first place, that obviously goes without saying. But once they’re in, they’re welcome to my handbag.

My sons, when present, are huge rugby and judo players, and Thai kick-boxing champions, both of whom can - apparently! - kill with their bare hands (!!) so I wouldn't worry too much. But I used to write for an insurance company, and our advice was always to make it difficult for thieves to get in: plant prickly stuff round your borders, lock sheds, garages, and outside gates, check access points, don't have vegetation obscuring your windows so you can't be seen from the road, and fit locking windows and mortice locks on outside doors. It all helps.

Whatever works for you. This was the advice I got from the Police though and it makes sense to me so I’ll stick with it. All my stuff is insured and it’s just stuff, if they want it that badly they can have it. Them coming upstairs where my children are sleeping is a small risk, but not one I’m willing to take.

If only that were true then the large phone scam factories wouldn't exist and vulnerable people wouldn't lose their life savings to unscrupulous gangs. The definition of criminal definitely doesnt automatically include stupid

By definition criminals are thick as pigshit. Most are barely literate.

As Mr. McKay said in "Porridge" : "You know their motto. Thieve first, think later".

I was once burgled (in London) exactly like this. There was one small window open which they came in and out which backed into only a shared but private garden. They grabbed only my handbag and left. The scariest thing was that I was napping in the bedroom with my newborn baby, didn’t wake up or hear a thing and it was broad daylight.

It's probably not a wonder there's so many opportunistic burglars now, with everybody being advised to leave all their valuables on a plate by the front door for them 🙈

I leave an old bag in the hall, with an old purse, some spare change, keys and a fiver in it.

Oh, I wouldn't. Why make it easy for them? If they are casual thieves they won't come up and search the occupied bedrooms, and in the unlikely event that they did, I'd hand anything they demanded over.
More importantly, and on police advice, our windows and doors are all safely locked at night - we check this religiously last thing. Valuables are in an inconspicuous safe - only close family know we have one. Car keys are always kept in Faraday pouches out of sight, never left visibly on hall table. There are plenty of precautions you can take.

Which means if a burglar enters your house, instead of finding your handbag easily and leaving, they may come upstairs into yours/your children’s sleeping quarters to find something valuable instead.
Everything I keep in my handbag is replaceable. My family’s safety is more important than my bank cards and keys. I’d rather burglars found what they wanted and left.

Nothing odd about that! We were burgled years ago - carelessly left small downstairs top window open on warm night - and the theft of my handbag was the worst: telling bank and police, cancelling cards and mobile, cutting new door keys, replacing car keys, insurance claims, the lot. Ever since, my bag sits inconspicuously down by my bed at night.

Did you change the locks when you moved in? Maybe a previous resident still has a key.

Is this for real? Why would someone steal your cats flea prescription?!

Is it possible you left your bag on the doorstep and closed the door with it left outside?

Or left your keys in the door outside, enabling someone to easily open it and grab the first thing (your bag) they saw?

See I was told don’t leave the key in the door as it kind of half unlocks it and makes it easier to pick from the outside.

(uPVC doors) The best way to defeat a burglar with a key is to leave your key on the inside in the lock and turned slightly so a key from the outside can't go all the way in. This is also a good fire safety measure.

However it does mean that if anyone gains access by another route (climbs in the window) then they can just walk out the front door. Although in most cases the key can only be left in the lock inside if you are in.

Thumbturns won't protect you from a key-holding burglar. Also make sure the lock is truly "bump proof" (see link in PP).

Glad mystery is solved. Nothing worse than a feeling you are going mad.