Aibu to imagine burglars/character from horror films on balcony?

[GeraldineAubergine]

This is very childish. Dp has sadly had to go to a funeral out of the country. I am alone with ds in our flat. This is the first night I have stayed alone/with ds (6months) since I met dp seven years ago. I can't sleep as I'm imagining all kinds of things outside. Ds sleeping soundly as is cat. I know I probably am bu but, eel!

You need to put something really funny on the TV for half an hour....trust me been on my own for 4 yrs and in the beginning every single noise was the bloody chain saw massacre

You are safe - the doors are locked - keep phone by you to make you feel safer.

Thanks ladyA that's a really good idea, might put black books on.

And don't be afraid to sleep with the bedside lamp on sometimes I still do .

Nah, not childish - just out of the ordinary.

Make yourself a milky drink (any cocoa in the flat?) and maybe watch something funny -

More4 has Time Team

Yesterday has Antiques Roadshow

E4+1 has Rude Tube with "weird" internet clips

I'm sure you can find something distracting which has no mention of funerals / crime...

I meant funny ... or serious ...

I used to put noisy things in front of doors, so if anybody came in the huge noise would wake me up.

I cope better now, though :D

Careful with your language, eh? They're not burglars till they break in; at the moment they're simply stalkers and/or peeping toms.

No, no, I'm happy to help...

Yeah, like that helps any, Heracles...

"Careful with your language" - you should try it yourself!

Oh, GeraldineAubergine, I so understand this. DP is away for work a lot. I have always hated being at home alone. Actually, DP always was away a lot, then we were separated for a while, so I was home completely alone (mostly had to set lots of traps before I slept!!), now we are back together but he is still away for work very often.

Seriously, sometimes when I get home after a night out and he isn't here, I grab a knife and check all the bedrooms / wardrobes / under beds / en-suites / balcony. I get well freaked out. Feck, just realised that's a bit mad, hey?

I agree with LadyA though, the best way to handle it is to stick on some comedy (I have stocked up on DVDs...) Yes OP, Black Books is good!! You can't but be laughing while watching Bernard Black . Or IT Crowd or Friends, anything light-hearted. Also some wine and ice-cream. Well, in theory. It's after 5am and I am still waiting for him to get home as I mostly can't sleep alone. But all of the above really works!! OP, hope you are sleeping soundly by now!

@Network: Yeah, that was the joke. Thanks for pointing it out though.

Heracles made me smile and I am alone in the house a lot. Mind you I am the other way and forget to lock doors! got spooked one night when wind chimes in sun room started gengle chiming as if the door had been opened......It was on TV... Grand Designs floaty music!!

So glad I am not the only one to totally freak out!

Here is what I do when Dh is away:

-"sleep" with the light on and the 4 Dcs in my bed
-I usually read until my eyes cannot keep open anymore. always have two volumes of this on my bedside tableI read them dozens of time but it still seems to do the trick for me.

@Heracles - unfortunately, not knowing what might "freak out" some stranger (unless you are already friends and the OP would laugh with you), it seemed a spectacularly bad 'joke' to me, at the time.

Hence my use of generic term 'crime' rather than mention anything more specific that might cause alarm bells for the OP, eg from an old memory...

I am even more sad... I live in a Victorian building which creaks [wooden floorboards in upstairs and downstairs flat] and I freak myself out imagining ghosts if I am home alone... So I tend to read in bed until I can't keep my eyes open anymore and I leave my hall light on so a bit of light enters my bedroom. Can't stand it being dark as then I imagine all sorts of ghouls that go bump in the night!
I am 36 years old by the way. Sad, sad, sad.

Thanks all for the responses glad I'm not on my own. Black books and kitchen light on did the trick. Just have To get through tonight now seems very silly to be scared during the daylight.