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Original poster

Do you keep your windows open at night?

163 replies

FeelingLikeAnAlien · 18/07/2021 22:56

I’ve never dared do this due to security concerns… but I am so hot tonight I am considering taking the risk. Anyone else? Am I silly to worry?

OP posts:
InFiveMins · 19/07/2021 17:06

Surprised at how many sleep with their windows open! At my old house I just couldn't do it because I was so worried about someone getting in. Now I live on a top floor apartment so much less chance of someone being able to climb in unless they want to try and scale the building!!! So I have all of them open all the time and in this weather it feels wonderful Grin

RubyGoat · 19/07/2021 17:37

@CatherineAragon

Those who leave their windows open all year round.. do you not care about your heating bills or global warming?
We only heat the living room & bathroom, & turn DD's radiator on for an hour before she goes to bed, that's only for about 3 months over winter, We shut the windows in those rooms, & all the internal doors. It's only our bedroom windows that are open all year round. Otherwise DH would boil to death, I think.

DD & DH are both boiling hot people, & I grew up in a house without working heating, just an open fire & a south facing conservatory. I'm used to layering up. In winter I have about 4 layers on my side of the bed... DH still sleeps with just the 4 tog duvet over him. Our bedroom is usually about 12 or 14°c in winter. Right now it's 29°c & they can't cope!

Our utility bills are really low. We obviously don't use very much to heat the place, despite my being home all the time.

HasaDigaEebowai · 19/07/2021 17:41

Those who leave their windows open all year round.. do you not care about your heating bills or global warming?

You’re presupposing here that the heating is in whilst the window is open.

We sleep with the window open all year round unless its absolutely freezing out but the heating goes off in the house by 8pm anyway. I care a lot about global warming. We both sleep better though with the window open.

properg · 19/07/2021 17:56

@CatherineAragon but why have you assumed people who have windows open have heating on 24 hours a day?

Rubyupbeat · 19/07/2021 17:57

We always used to, but have air con now.

Itstheprinciple · 19/07/2021 18:21

Windows open all the time that someone is at home in this weather. Cats come and go through the bathroom and DDs window from the flat roof outside.
Windows open as much as I can in winter, although DH is a cold bod so often closes them.

TeanupFlutter · 19/07/2021 18:26

Always open, I can't sleep with the window shut even in winter. They aren't huge windows though just the top ones. I could imagine feeling insecure if the bigger escape type window was left open. Needs must in this heat though!

blueshoes · 19/07/2021 18:38

@InFiveMins

Surprised at how many sleep with their windows open! At my old house I just couldn't do it because I was so worried about someone getting in. Now I live on a top floor apartment so much less chance of someone being able to climb in unless they want to try and scale the building!!! So I have all of them open all the time and in this weather it feels wonderful Grin
That's sounds great.

That said, top floor apartment are hot because hot air rises. You will need to open your windows.

Sallycinnamum · 19/07/2021 18:48

Every window in our house is open in hot weather but we shut the downstairs when we go to bed.

We're in the loft and only ever close it in extreme cold. I hate sleeping in unventilated bedrooms as it gives me a terrible headache.

Mandalay246 · 19/07/2021 20:45

Those who leave their windows open all year round.. do you not care about your heating bills or global warming?

I don't live in the UK. I heat the living room while I am using it, when I go to bed there is no heating at all - so no, I don't care about my heating bills or global warming because they don't apply.

Maggiesfarm · 19/07/2021 21:05

@Mandalay246

Those who leave their windows open all year round.. do you not care about your heating bills or global warming?

I don't live in the UK. I heat the living room while I am using it, when I go to bed there is no heating at all - so no, I don't care about my heating bills or global warming because they don't apply.

It would be stuffy to sleep in a room with no window open. I don't have loads of windows open all the time, just one in bedroom at night.

How does that impact heating bills or global warming?

Ladybird69 · 20/07/2021 03:22

Always left windows open in houses and bungalows. Always had wooden shutters that would make such a noise if someone tried to climb in. Then In rural areas used to sleep on sun loungers in garden in hot weather with french doors wide open , but now I have an indoor cat and have to have all my windows closed and I hate it.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 20/07/2021 05:22

No, never. I don't live in the best area, I'd never feel safe with windows open while I sleep.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 20/07/2021 08:23

No heating on at night, even in the depths of winter so leaving a window open isn’t a problem heat wise.

3Britnee · 20/07/2021 08:39

@CatherineAragon

Those who leave their windows open all year round.. do you not care about your heating bills or global warming?
I don't like heating on at night, however cold it is. I prefer a window open at night and a toasty bed. If I had the heating on during the day, the windows would be shut. I'd open them just a crack or when the heating was off.
RoseAndRose · 20/07/2021 08:42

-Those who leave their windows open all year round.. do you not care about your heating bills or global warming?

Heating is off overnight, of course.

MildredPuppy · 20/07/2021 08:47

I suppose by opening our windows at night in winter we are increasing the liklihood of needing to heat the downstairs in the day as all that heat must rise and presumably would be trapped in a bit more.

CatherineAragon · 20/07/2021 09:54

I assumed that people saying they leave their windows open all year round meant all day not just at night. My mistake. I have bedroom windows open in winter too at night.

Ninkanink · 20/07/2021 10:06

Our upstairs windows are open all day and all night all through the year, but in the winter we keep them on the latch or maybe up to an inch open on milder days. We also don’t heat our bedrooms much, if at all, so heating is generally only on in hallway, kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom. Kitchen window is opened whilst cooking. Windows in living room and dining room are opened wide every few days for an hour or so to air out properly.

In summer upstairs windows are generally wide open at all times, kitchen window and door are left open while we’re home, as is dining room window, hallway window downstairs is on the latch (faces a walkway), living room windows are opened daily for an hour or so as we can’t leave them unattended (facing road at front of house). Luckily our house stays quite cool even on the hottest days, except for the bedroom and bathroom which do get quite warm.

Appletreehat · 20/07/2021 10:13

Upstairs windows are open all day with the safety catches on. At night , we just have our bedroom window open. When it is this hot, there's no way we could all sleep with it closed. I like the breeze and hearing the birds twittering in the early morning.

inmyslippers · 20/07/2021 10:15

I have them open about half an inch but locked. I'd love to fully open them but have a ninja cat and adventurous pre schooler

Naaaaah · 20/07/2021 10:16

@headintheproverbial

365 days.

Burglars do not go into occupied houses through upstairs windows!!

I'm pretty sure there will be instances where they have!

I have security windows, so no one could climb in anyway. I also have bug nets, which keep all the creepy crawlies out.

IsobelEd · 20/07/2021 10:25

Live in a modest house in London, do open upstairs windows at night all year round, but unless it's very hot probably on a restricted setting.
Downstairs windows are only opened during the day and to be honest I wouldn't leave the downstairs front windows open even in the day time unless I was actually in the room. It would be too easy for someone to leap in off the street and grab valuables.

SteveyWeevey · 20/07/2021 10:26

No, but I'm tempted

Nervousdrivingtest · 20/07/2021 10:27

No no no! A close family member was a burglar to support his heroin addiction. He's cleaned up now but still tells stories of homes he broke into, how he could squeeze through the smallest window, creep around bedrooms while the owners slept, and how open windows were like an invitation to burglars.

There are no 'safe' areas. Posh areas are targeted by more professional thieves. Addicts will often stay within their local area and rob neighbours homes.

He said the things that put him off were dogs, spotlights, alarms and locked windows. I have all of those!