To think there's someone in my house

[AtSea1979]

Sat downstairs heard a strange noise sounded like an window or door suddenly banging or rattling, then a series of thuds. I convinced myself it was the neighbours as they are attached. Kept hearing rattling/banging so went to investigate.
Checked front door, locked. Checked kitchen. Back door unlocked so locked it.
Checked my bedroomas, no probs. Checked DS bedroom and his window is wide open with the safety catch off and he's snoring away.
Has someone broke in? Have they left out the back door? Are they hiding in my wardrobe?

Yep I just wanted reassurance and a hand to hold as I was fairly certain there would be an innocent, rational explanation.
Those who said I left the kids to fend for themselves should notice the time of that post and the subsequent one minutes later when I'd been round the house again to check.
Of course my kids come first. Of course I would have rang the police if I had reason to believe an intruder was in my house but an open upstairs window, a few bangs n clatters and an unlocked back door isn't enough to get me ringing 999. Likewise different people see their Gp at different times or take paracetamol for differing levels of pain. The DC were safe, I don't live in a mansion I was feet away from their beds.
Thank you for those who were supportive, it helped pass the time until dawn when I felt much more relaxed and realised it was prodominantly a fear of the dark more than anything else.

Same thing happened to me the other week at about lunch time. Ds 1 at nursery. Ds2 asleep on sofa and dd in moses basket. Was on MN and sounded like something knocked over and movement upstairs. Grabbed an ornament to use as a bat! Went upstairs and nothing. Nothing falled over. Checked every where. Wardrobes and undee bed too. All windows shut. Went downstairs and checked there too! Creepy. Still freaks me out!

Don't worry. I do this to myself a lot too. Mostly I guess it's the cats jumping down from somewhere. Sometimes I wake up and think I hear footsteps on the stairs. I totally freak myself out.

They say the best thing to do in case of an intruder is to stay where you are anyway and they will take what they want and leave.

And once you are on high alert you hear every other creak and noise that you are normally oblivious to, so although the rational part of your brain says that it is nothing, the primal side is still panicking.

I thought the replies of "ring the police" and "get out of the house with the children" were ridiculous!

So dramatic. Yes it was frightening and unsettling, I guess many of us have had similar experiences but I thought the OP dealt with it perfectly.

I understand what you're saying about not calling the police OP. You start to believe you are imagining things, and it's nothing. You don't want to pester the police over what could have just been the wind. I think I would have reacted the same, but probably have grabbed my DS (2) in bed with me. I'm lucky enough to have a dog, who would alert us if she thought the house was under threat, but sadly would then hide and let me deal with it!
Also you're in a new home, it takes time to get used to different sounds.
To be on the safe side why don't you get someone to come and check the house today, just to put your mind at ease. I don't think I would be able to stop my irrational mind, and I would start to believe I have someone camping in the loft. Anxiety at its worse . Hope you're ok this morning OP?

Well done for getting through the night OP. Why not get a lock on your bedroom door and if it happens again just bundle the kids in with you. When I hear a (so far harmless) noise downstairs I always think to myself, am I actually going to confront anyone if they are there? No. Is it realistic enough to call the police? No (so far). As long as we are all safe the worst that can happen is they take stuff. I can deal with that. Obviously occasionally people get a mad axeman etc but it is thankfully pretty rare and locking yourself in gives you a few more minutes (I'm not helping am I. Gets hat ).

Haha I use to have a lock on my bedroom door and bought a superking bed so DC could snuggle and I felt much more relaxed with them by my side. Haven't felt jumpy for a long time but haven't had a window open and door unlocked either!

FWIW in some house's we use steel beams on which to support internal dividing walls and some times as they heat up and cool down as a house usually does, they can move every so slightly and make the odd creak bang or thumping noise. We have one in our hallway and that can make a loud crack sometimes if you didn't know what it was you be well scared.

Not wishing to frighten the OP a neighbor once had someone outside use a ladder to open a window and ransack their rooms whilst they were glued to the TV they thought it was one of their daughters come home early. Husband was going to go upstairs but didn't, they heard the back gate crash as said perp made his getaway! After that they locked and chained up the ladder in the back yard and fitted some soft of chains to the windows.