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.

Yep. It made me pull that exact face when she told me !!!

I'm not a single parent but lived alone for a while (it's the being alone bit that matters more than status IYSWIM). I admit I found it a bit frightening at night on my own. You're not alone in feeling a bit scared.

When I'm alone I'm afraid to put the alarm on when I go to bed in case a spider walks across a sensor and sets it off. I think I would become hysterical if the alarm started blaring in the night! We have UPVC doors and double glazing so I think no one could get through them? Several years ago I lived with a friend in the upstairs flat of a creaky old house in SE London. She was afraid of ghosts (!) but what kept me up at night was worrying about burglars.

Does anyone else imagine ghosts even though they don't believe in them? Or have that evil looking at you feeling and have to rush into bed and shut your eyes?

Oooh scaret stories but feel better knowing not alone. Had a bit of a shock at time of witing. Back to normal for last few nights.

Single parent/person alone

This is going to sound awful, but here goes.

One of the main (and I mean main) reasons it took ages to leave my XH was because I was scared of being alone in the house at night

Still. I find it OK now, kind of...

I love being on my own at night. It's so peaceful; the house feels different with no-one else in it. I know the doors are locked, and I'm fairly confident that no ghosts will get me (I felt a presence in the study when I first moved in, so asked it not to freak me out, and it hasn't. Possibly because there's no such thing, but I'm not 100% sure).

I might well feel different if I'd got kids, though. I'm much more alert to danger if I'm driving a friend's kids, for example.

Dp works nights and occasionally ill get a bit spooked for no reason.

I take my mobile to bed and the dog sleeps at the side of my bed, if I'm feeling spooked I put the tv on and fall asleep listening to something like mock the week (nothing about crime or the news)

Haven't read the whole thread because I tend to avoid things which might scare me - I don't watch the news, read books about murders and horror, don't watch scary films - because I live alone with my 3dc and find that after I've watched or read anything like that it makes me jittery to sleep. I am awful though, I frequently forget to lock the back door and sleep with my windows wide open.

Just wanted to say SoleSource that I think you live quite near to me and I am happy to pm you my number for if you ever he freaked out and need someone to chat to or some company. I have 3 dc and a very messy house but I have tea/coffee and biscuits

My precautions when alone are that I simply wouldn't open the door at night to anyone unless I was sure who it was.
I keep one light on,and a torch by the bed in case of power failure (power cut or fire),Similarly I keep a torch by the trip box so I can see to reset it if necessary.
If I was alone a lot I would fix a windchime or bell or something to the door as an early warning.
I usually take mobile to bed as I charge it in the bedroom.

There's a lot to be said for watching something lighthearted before bed and talking yourself out of it if you get the wobbles.

As awful as it is, I am so reassured that I am not alone in this! I thought I was the only adult to feel terrified when DH away and home alone /home with DC only. Phone in pocket/under pillow and great bloody torch under the bed is my answer, but still I wake at the slightest noise and really do not sleep well at all.

I think having the neighbour's number would help, but I am calmer and less stressed out about random noises when I can hear them through the not very thick walls, and tell myself that at least they'd hear me if I screamed....

Oh, and if I know I'm going to be home alone, I do not watch scary films or read anything remotely (potentially) frightening. For weeks and weeks beforehand. Months and months perhaps, thinking about it I can't now remember the last scary film I saw.

Great tips. Windchime is a good one. Imagine if it chimed in the night. How terrifying would that be?

But the wind chimes is presuming they come in the front door

I don't know if its been mentioned but just wanted to say, if you don't want to get a dog, you can get these sensor operated dogs.

My great nan has one. Basically its a movement sensor and if activated will bark like a really big dog. It sounds like a raging Rottweiler. She has one in front of the back door and front door, but only turns them on at night. I think its quite effective and good as a deterrent.

I however have 3 dogs, but I'd place more faith in the cats in the event of an emergency.

I also sleep with the house and car keys by my bed. I've learnt from being burgled before to keep things out of sight but within your reach.

My mobile is in my bed with me, I guess I could use it to call someone, hadn't occurred to me tbh, it's only there because I use it as my alarm.

I make sure doors are locked, and curtains drawn, but apart from that, nothing.

I don't get scared at people rowing or screams in the street after I've gone to bed - I get pissed off because they have disturbed me, and usually stick my head out of the window and tell them to shut the fuck up!

(Not pleasant when woken unnecessarily...)

I do keep the hallway lights on all day every day, but I don't have any windows in my hallways, so it's so that people can see to the loo!

Total sympathise with everyone who is nervous on their own at night, I'm the same. DH sometimes has to do v late nights at work and I find it really hard to go to sleep without him there. We have slightly different problems to most though...

WE HAVE A GHOST WHO LIKES TO SHAVE. DH used to leave his electric shaver on the edge of the bath (it was waterproof too). Some nights it would turn itself on and jump into the bath and rattle around. Waking up at 3am to that... Safe to say I shat myself. It happened numerous times. I made DH buy a new one and problem solved... Probably just a faulty connection but still... I was convinced the ghost must have wanted a shave. DH's phone also lights up by itself at times... So ghost must also enjoy a phone call after his shave.

I tend to be a weird one for dreams, I half wake up and see dream like things but in my actual bedroom. So I have seen shadows in our bedroom walking about but nothing actually there.

On a more 'real' note, DH's motorbike got stolen right out of our garden. Really shook us up, police knocking at 1am. Luckily we got it back, they had done some damage but we got it back which is the main thing.

Glad I'm at my parents house tonight... Poor DH home alone! Don't think it bothers him so much. I don't freak out so much about our stuff being stolen but if our pets were stolen or harmed, that's what freaks me out. (No DCs yet)

Apparently where the city we live in has some guy going about posing as an energy person who has come to read the meter so if I'm not expecting anyone at the door I'm just not going to open it. The guy looks official and has a badge and everything. But he gain entry and then steals anything he can. Fucker.

The wind chimes could be hung on front door and back doo, just above, dangling. I thought so.

Not heard of sendor operated dogs. Would a fox or cat set them off?

I live near to a pub and the students often wake me up. I used to shout at them but haven't bothered for years now. The fighting is annoying. Loathe to be woken up too.

The sensor dog is inside.

So someone or something would have to activate it by opening the window/door or being in your house.

E.g a burglar might try to climb through a window or open a door and this would set it off. Its probably about 20-30cm high so they wouldn't be able to tell where it was coming from, it would just seem like a dog was there and barking.

If you're a light sleeper maybe you could get sensor lights for outdoors.

I do think an alarm is also good for peace of mind.

Sensor dog sounds a really good idea! A burglar would shit himself thinking a mad rottie had just woken up!

Ooooh inside! I shall look at those, thank ypu. Must be comforting.

Mobile phone by bed
Sensor Dog
Winf chimes above doors.

Hate locking up the house when DH is out.

We were broken into once, last year. It was the night before we went on holiday so was only half asleep ifysim, as we were to be up early for flight. DH heard noise downstairs and went down in his pants to find a burglar in the kitchen. We had a stable door at the time, burglar had broken a wooden pane out of the top. My DH, usually a big softie, happens to be a 14stone 6ft 5 builder. He might have thrown the burglar back out the door. and detained him with help of our neighbour until police arrived

We now have a dog and I do feel much safer with him here. We have trained him that if the outside security light (motion activated) comes on he barks and growls like buggery. he'd be shit if anyone got in and show them where the good stuff is kept