Do you sleep with a weapon near your bed?

Calimama wrote: I remember growing up my dad had a metal baseball bat under his bed. DH and I have nothing. Ironically we're not a gun family.. well when DH is off work we aren't. But when he's deployed I'm thinking of getting some mace or something. I don't know.

So do you sleep with anything near you? Bat? Screwdriver? Just curious.. no real purpose for asking.

sparkys2boys replied: Nope, we don't.

But its funny you bring this up, dh adn I just had a conversation about friends of ours a few streets over having people break into there house a few nights ago while they were asleep. So scary Anyways, all I can say is lord help the person that they can run faster then dh because if he gets ahold of them... it won't be good.

boyohboyohboy replied: I used to have a hallowed out baseball bat that was filled with lead pipe..but then when i got married my dh pointed out that the chances of someone taking that from me and using it against was far to great..
so its gone now..
but we have been discussing getting a gun but i only agreed if we had a safe, which kinda defeats the purpose...
its hard when you have young kids..

msoulz replied: Nope. But just the sight of me in the middle of the night would be enough to scare off anyone!!

boyohboyohboy replied:
mary can you come to my house and just stand in the entry way?!?!
would make me feel a lot safer!

luvmykids replied: No, all of DH's guns and hunting knives are locked in a secret place the kids can't even get to. When he's out of town I do keep the phone right by me so I can call 911 quickly if I have to

3xsthefun replied: Yes, we do have a gun if needed.

MoonMama replied: I have a high power pepper spray, with a dye in it. So even if the person tired to say it wasn't them the dye is there. But I do keep it in the safe, I'm so scared that Brae will get hold of it. But I do take it with me when I go out. We do have an alarm system on the house.

lisar replied: Yes we both do, there is a gun on each side of the bed. Neither of the kids could get to them if they tried. And there is never a bullet in the chamber it would have to be chambered first. And both kids have been taught not to go into my room without asking permission first.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: No. We have an alarm system, we put the doors and windows monitoring at night. We also have our dog, and I have a house phone and my cell phone on my bedside table.

stella6979 replied: Yep. Jeff works nights and I'm terrified of being alone at night so I do sleep with a hunting knife right next to me. I keep it in it's hard leather sheath and it has a snap button so all I have to do is grab and unsnap if needed.
I would like to add that Avery sleeps upstairs and she never leaves her room without yelling for me first, so there is no way she could get her hands on it. I also keep it up during the day and she knows she is not allowed in our room without permission.

moped replied: No but with recent events around here I have thought about it

lovemy2 replied: We have guns - but DH is a cop so it goes without saying I guess - they are locked away in a gun safe in our room that the kids can't get into if they tried and there are also no bullets in the chamber....DH always carries one on him as well when he out of the house with us......he never knows when he will run into a past ummm client shall we say

HuskerMom replied: We have a couple guns on Dh's side of the bed (unloaded). The kids can't get to them.

ZandersMama replied: no but only because my kids are better then any attack dog.

im too scared the kids would get their hands on any weapon, but i do sleep with my cell phone literally in my hand every nite since my ex moved out. i have a few friends who live close on speed dial.

cameragirl21 replied: lol, I'm one of those freakshows that sleeps with the windows open, sometimes I forget to lock the doors, no weapons, just attack cats, lol, plus I sleep nude so I would be in deep...stuff if I got a surprise of that sort in the middle of the night.
The whole pepper spray thing has me curious, though, where would I get some of that? That may be a viable option for me.
No way would I sleep with a gun, I'm so out of it when I'm awakened in the middle of the night that my own gun could easily be used against me in that situation.
I'm interested in the whole pepper spray thing, though, if anyone who has some can give me the 411.
I say the best defense is a dog, but then again, I grew up with a very fierce German Shepherd so that is the only kind of dog I know, but still even the little ones will generally bark and give you a heads up if there is trouble.
My friend and I once took a 15 mile hike in the Everglades in the winter and found ourselves in the pitch black of night in the middle of the woods where you literally couldn't see your hand in front of you. We brilliantly got started past 2pm so you can imagine that it would get dark right in the middle of our hike. We had no weapons and were stuck in the woods all alone. She was nearly hysterical because it was so dark but I stayed calm...barely. I was thinking as I was walking that I have never heard of anyone being murdered in the Everglades but then I realized that that could be because we were the only ones there! We finally made it out and for the next hike, we bought a survival kit, complete with a sharp knife and all.
The cool thing is that after we got out and got in her car to drive away, we saw a florida panther and a bobcat (not together, just in the interim of our 18 mile drive out of the glades. I wanted to get out and see them closer but she was still hysterical so that wasn't going to happen without a fight.
I'm sure all of you who sleep with weapons would never go hiking in the woods in the darkness...just goes to show how kooky I am....
Incidentally, I was telling her all about the blair witch project in the beginning of the hike because the woods reminded me of it which, after it got dark, turned out to be a most unfortunate subject in our minds.

luvbug00 replied: right now at my parents we have an alarm. But when i move out on my own probaly i'll keep a knife with me. I'm terrified of shooting guns, even the play ones. When i was with Lars we discussed getting a gun before his diagnosis but he is no position to have any wepon in arms reach anymore.

DillsMommy replied: DH is my weapon.
Seriously though. After watching "The Strangers" the other night--I am definitely considering getting a gun.

Celestrina replied: Never.

MoonMama replied:
I'd so go with you Jennifer. Yep I'm crazy like that too.

As far as the pepper spray DH just bought it somewhere online, if you google it you'll find a ton.

AlexsPajamaMama replied: Nope no weapons
DH hunts with a bow..but its kept out in the shed.

jem0622 replied: not a thing. we have a german shepard and three precocious cats. does that help? LOL

My2Beauties replied: No I have my cell and house phone right beside me and we have deadbolts on our doors but nothing else I just refuse, absolutely refuse, to have a gun in my home, I'm terrified of them.

mammag replied: DH always has his gun under the pillow, mine is in my concealed carry purse next to the bed.

As far as the pepper spray, I recommend getting FOX stream spray. Definitely go with stream instead of spray as it will reduce the chance of it getting in your eyes if there is a wind.

I also have on my key one of these:




You basically put it in your fist and hit them in the head....temple, eyes, whatever. Always got to have a back up plan. Then if I'm asleep and wake up with someone on top of me, I would pull out the Jiu-Jitsu and choke them.

lisar replied:
Those are cool.

cameragirl21 replied: thanks for the 411 on pepper spray, I do intend to at least look into it.
I'm wondering though--especially for those whose guns are unloaded and admittedly, I have no idea how long it takes to load a gun because I've never handled one but wouldn't it be more useful to be, say, a second degree black belt in tae kwan do? Those people have razor sharp instincts and know exacty where to kick or punch to immobilize someone...and unlike a gun, that is something that can't be used against you. I've heard of people's guns being used against them and that is another reason I don't find it to be a reliable weapon. jmo, of course.

mammag replied: First of all it would take time to get a black belt in any martial art, 2nd even our instructor who is a black belt under the Gracie family knows that against a knife or depending on the circumstances Jiu-Jitsu is not the only answer. Even trained self defense teachers will tell you that things are pretty screwed up if the guy attacking has a knife. If they have a gun it becomes a matter of who pulls the trigger first or who's the better shot. Guns are not the only answer, but they are called the equalizer for a reason.

I'm not one that has my gun unloaded. Mine is always loaded with one in the chamber because chances are if you are pulling out your gun, the person is going to be close and every second counts. I think it comes down to mind set and training. You have to think over scenarios in your mind and plan how you will handle it. For one, if I pull out my gun and point it at someone, I'm not going to sit and think about whether I want to shoot or warn. If I point, I shoot. If someone comes into my home I am not going to try and figure out whether they want to hurt me or just steal my tv. I have to go with the assumption that they mean me or my family harm and they will be shot.

Chris has some videos by Kelly McCann that are really good, some are just combatives training others are gun training. He has a lot of good information though on general awareness and the combatives training is really good.

Here is a link to some clips. I highly recommend watching his videos.

Edited to add, some of the video clips have some good techniques you can use. When you click the link above there are several videos (you have to get through a moment of music and watching him then he teaches a technique).

Also, any women interested in self-defense, I would really recommend checking into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You learn to fight on your back and in positions that you would be in in a rape situation. It's not a kicking and punching martial art. The Gracies have a program called Rape Safe.

luvbug00 replied: Those stabby things look painful! geeze! ..........i want one!

lisar replied:
My gun is loaded also there isnt one in the chamber though. However I can chamber a bullet in a second literally. The clip is in the gun and the clip is loaded. And I am so with you on the whole if I pull the gun I am going to use it. I give myself that extra second with chambering the bullet to make sure I am awake and aware and I am a good shot, I wont miss. I have to agree with everything you said though.

Danalana replied:
Just ask the intruder if he could please wait a second while you dial 911

mammag replied:
I was the same until we took our conceal carry class. We did this drill where you had to stand there and the other guy was a good distance (more than a rooms distance) away. I believe the other guy had a fake gun for this or maybe that was one where everyone in the class had to verify it was completely empty. Anyway, the "bad guy" charged the one with the gun to show how very quickly they close the distance and how little reaction time you actually had. It was very scarey because the guy wasn't even very fast (slightly out of shape) and it's just so quick.

That was a fun class. We did so many fun little drills but it really made you realize how scarey those situations could be. I think the absolutely most important thing, regardless of what you intend to use to defend yourself is situational awareness. I think every woman could benefit from a self-defense class for that alone. They cover things that we've all done from time to time (not locking car doors, sitting in your car not paying attention, not locking your doors of your house, etc.) simple things that could mean the difference between life and death.

mammag replied:
That's hilarious!

Although, another tip for all of us is to always have your cell phone next to your bed. It would be good to have there if someone breaks in and you just hear them down stairs or something. The cell phone is good in case they cut the phone lines.

HuskerMom replied:
I'm not nearly as fast but Dh can load it in a matter of seconds. I need to practice more to get faster.

Nina J replied: No. Chances are if I did, they'd take it from me. I am not coherent when I was up, lol. If I had a bat or a gun I'd just fumble and probably end up getting beaten/killed with my own weapon

I doubt anyone will ever break in to my home and attack me in my room. If they did I would hope they went for dh first so I could escape Kidding, I would just hit them with my lamp and hope for the best. My phone is on my bedside table so I'd just call the police.

jcc64 replied:
Wow, Jeanie, isn't that uncomfortable??
Seriously, where do you guys live, the South Bronx??? Do you have a lot of enemies??
I'm just floored at the level of paranoia. We have no weapons. We don't lock our doors. I don't even have a key to my own house, having lost the last one years ago. Maybe we'll become victims of our blind faith in our own well-being. But it's a chance I'm willing to take because I can't live in a world where I'm expecting to be attacked every night as I lie down to sleep. The chances of some nut case breaking into my house are probably on a par with dying in a plane crash, and much much lower than dying in a car crash. I still take planes, I still drive in my car, and if I die, I die. There's only so much interference I can run against death. I kind of believe that when your number's up, it's up, regardless of the circumstances.
It's just how I live.

cameragirl21 replied: lol, Jeanne, well said, I was thinking the same thing. I can't imagine what would have to happen for me to feel the need to sleep with a loaded weapon next to my bed. It never occurred to me to be afraid to sleep although I have considered just carrying pepper spray on me because I tend to go jogging by myself at midnight, etc.
It never occurred to me before this to carry any sort of pointy weapon on my keychain or that people actually slept with loaded guns.
I too wondered where some people here are living to feel the need to be protected to that extent. Remember, movies like "The Strangers" or whatever it's called are just that--movies.

stella6979 replied: Unfortunately bad things happen to people all the time and it doesn't matter where you live. They can happen to anyone at anyplace at anytime, and I'm certainly not going down without a fight.

mammag replied: (okay maybe there was the one time when you were astounded by the fact that I considered myself to be empathetic... but that's long past)

We are not going around being paranoid all the time. And no, we don't live in the Bronx. Is that the only place that there is crime? Right now in fact in the last couple of weeks 5 houses here have been broken into. The swat team was around the corner one day because the lady was home and heard them come in. Her and her daughter hid under the bed. They didn't get the guys and just yesterday a few houses down was robbed. Most likely it is someone from the apartment complex nearby because they aren't driving over and someone who saw them said it was young guys.

Also, if you go to this local news site, you will see there is a serial rapist around the Columbus area who just commited a 7th attack where he goes into the home, ties the women up, and rapes them.

I don't consider it being paranoid, I call it being prepared. You have insurance don't you? You hope to never have to use it but you have just in case. We don't expect to be attacked, chances are we won't. However, my life and the life of my children is worth a little effort to prepared in case something does happen. Just like I buckle my seat belt just in case I get in an accident. Just like I shred papers with information about me just in case someone digs in the trash. The way I look at it, I am responsible for my own safety. I know better than to rely on the police getting there in time.

And no, it's not uncomfortable. It's a pistol......don't worry, it's not the AR, Sniper Rifle, or Shotgun that's under his pillow. It's not uncomfortable for him to sleep on, and it's not uncomfortable to me knowing it's there because it's been some time since I heard of a gun getting up in the night and deciding to shoot someone on it's own. (Just thought I'd cover all the bases of comfort in case I was not getting your meaning of uncomfortable).

If you wish to take your chances and not be prepared, that's your prerogative.

mammag replied:
And frankly, this doesn't even really warrant any serious response from me.

lisar replied:
Oh yea I have practiced. At the gun range we go to they have this section just for women to practice pulling their guns and shooting them, and if your gun is in a purse they have you pull it out that way. I can chamber a bullet in a second literally. I can also clear a jam in 2 seconds. ( i don't use a revolver) I have practiced over and over and over and over on that. I just dont leave one in the chamber because it makes me feel better knowing that I have that extra second to think and make sure 100% that the person I am about to shoot isnt family. KWIM? Although I think dh would have already been out of the bed and out of the room by then. LOL

jcc64 replied: Jeanie, my apologies for insulting you- that was not my intention, and if my post came off as snarky, that was also not my intention. My question about the gun not being comfortable under a pillow was not sarcastic, it was a legitimate question. I can't even sleep with dh's hand under my pillow, so I can't imagine sleeping comfortably with something as hard and scary (to me) as a gun. You answered the question, we move on.
I'm not sure what specifically offended you, but it's irrelevant. I've hurt your feelings, and I'm sorry about that. You and I have a radically different worldview, that's clear. Most of the time, we can hash it out reasonably, but apparently not always. I'm not sure if it's my diction (which I can control) or my ideology (which I can't) that upset you, but I'll step a little lighter going forward.

TheOaf66 replied: we don't have to worry a lot. We don't have anything valuable enough for someone to want to steal

If they were trying to hurt us while we slept...they would have to come upstairs and that would entail trying to maneuver around the cats that sleep on the stairs (you can't see them in the dark and it is like they try to go under your feet and trip you) then our dog would hear something, Aiden would stir because the floor squeaked and Jennie would be elbowing me to "go see what is wrong with Aiden".

We have so many involuntary booby-traps that no wrong doer would have a chance.


Sorry just trying to lighten the mood around here a bit

jcc64 replied:

That's not a bad idea, Troy, thanks for that!
I was thinking maybe we feel safe b/c my house is such a dump that no one would bother coming in looking for anything worth stealing!

luvmykids replied:
We don't have our guns loaded or even nearby, but I wanted to address this just because there are many scenarios other than what you mentioned.

I have a husband who travels constantly. We live in a rural area and average response time from law enforcement is 22 minutes. We have neighbors but not close enough that they'd hear a scream. Oddly enough, country life isn't always idyllic and quiet, the odds aren't necessarily high that someone would pick my house down a dirt road but it does happen, and if it does, we're far enough out that it would be do or die for me.

I don't keep a loaded weapon for the simple fact that I'm not confident in using it....however, it's a discussion DH and I have had many times, he very much wants me to learn more than I know should something arise when he isn't home (which is just about always).

It's not only the people either. We have mountain lions and bears that run through our property, rattlesnakes, etc....the year we moved here there was a mountain lion who was ill and took up residence in a horse pen. It wasn't an option to just stay inside until he decided to leave or die.

I've said all this in spite of the fact that I don't have a loaded gun, our theory is the barking dogs would give DH enough time to load one. If I was more comfortable with my own ability to handle one, we probably would keep one loaded.

Calimama replied: I'm not paranoid, I'm realistic. DH is gone a lot of the time and it's Miabella and I. I'm not a gun person and chances are I'd shoot myself. I'm thinking of pepper spray so hopefully that would give me enough time to get Bella out. It's my job to protect her and when DH is gone we're more vulnerable.. especially at night. I'm trying to eliminate some of that vulnerability.

Oh and robbery's don't just happen in the South Bronx. Even people from a "good neighborhood" are far from immune from them... base included.

BAC'sMom replied:

Nope! I figure if a robber is brave enough to walk by my DH's company truck that saying he works for a Home Security Company then they are on the their own. I think the sign on my gate that says We don't call 911! would get their attention too.

luvmykids replied:
I love that! Only in TX

TheOaf66 replied:
I want one of those

lisar replied:
me to. I want one

lisar replied:
I know what you mean on that. Heck I have bobcats that arent nice at all and we know there is atleast one bear in the woods. And there are coyotes there also. HELLO last thing I want is a coyote in the yard but I have seen them more than once. And those things are not nice looking at all. So I feel your pain on that. I dont have mountain lions thankfully but we also have fox's that are always around. And these animals are not people friendly. They will stand there and growl at you. I will point and shoot. And for the snakes I have shot and killed many more than I can count. The latest was a 6ft cotton mouth that a head the size of dh's fist. Scary.

BAC'sMom replied:
here found this

http://www.trulytexas.com/911-ys.html

my2monkeyboys replied: We have a few loaded pistols on the shelf in our closet (which is about 2 ft from our bed). There is a 9mm (which is mine), a 357 magnum and a 44 magnum (which are DH's), all within easy reach if the need calls for it. We lock our doors when we go to bed at night, and although we have a dog I doubt he'd even pay a lick of attention if someone broke in. He's useless in that department I think.
When DH is working late I keep the phone at my bedside, just in case, but I hardly sleep until he's home.
We do not have anything directly beside our bed bc I'm paranoid about Will coming into our room and getting nosy, though we are teaching him gun safety and even got him a bb gun for his birthday, which stays locked up in the gun cabinet when we're not using it.

DVFlyer replied: We have guns (pistol, shotgun, rifle), but nothing by the bed. We also have a house alarm and Ginger the attack Aussie.

I figure by the time I hear something, wake up, realize that what I heard was an intruder, analyze the situation, grab the gun and chamber a round, either I'd be dead already or the robber would have realized he made too much noise and left.

I see a lot of people with pistols for home defense.... IMO, a shot gun is a much safer and effective home defense weapon.

Unless you are completely aware and trained, by the time you squeeze the trigger on that 9mm the path of the bullet may be somewhere you didn't intend.

lisar replied:
I am so not trying to argue with you on this I am just curious so if this comes out the wrong way please dont take it that way

How is a shotgun safer? It spreads ALOT of little pellets out and can hit way more than the one intended target.
And a 9mm is a single bullet that goes exactly where you want it to.

I am just curious on why you think this. If I am shooting a snake then I shoot it with a shotgun mainly because I dont have to aim as much and with a shotgun is a guarantee as long as its in the right direction.

luvmykids replied:
I think thats probably why he said that, my DH feels the same way, that because of the spray you don't have to have such good aim.

DVFlyer replied:
A 9mm slug will penetrate walls further than a shotgun's pellets. i.e. you could accidentally kill your next door neighbor or your child ( ) in another room more easily with a 9mm, .45 than you could with a shotgun.

While the shotgun will hit more than you intend, the chance of minor collateral damage far outweighs the chance of missing with a 9mm.

In a panic/ stress situation, an untrained person will not have the same accuracy shooting a 9mm as they would, say, at a gun range. They will either miss completely or hit a non-lethal part of the body.

i.e. Let's go to a range and I will come running at the "average" person on the firing line screaming while they try to hit a target. They will miss with a pistol. They will hit it with a shotgun.

Also, if the break-in occurs at night, the flash of a 9mm will leave you temporarily blinded (and deaf, btw). The odds that you hit the burglar in a lethal spot are very small. This will necessitate firing again once your vision comes back. So now, you are blind, deaf and didn't hit the burglar in a lethal spot. Most likely they were coming toward you and are now upon you- blinded too, but their hands are their eyes at this point.

Shooting a shotgun will also cause a flash, but because of the multiple projectiles, your chances of doing lethal damage to the intruder are much greater, therefore negating the need to fire again.

And I didn't think you were arguing.

lisar replied:
Okay but heres the thing, a shotgun WILL penetrate walls. Heck it will go straight thru the front door on a house. A a 9mm doesnt always go straight thru someone and into another room thats only if you miss. If I was to shoot someone dead between the eyes which is where I would be aiming if they came into my house in the middle of the night then if it hit them it would not go thru them. Also if I shot it, it wouldnt leave me def by any means, yes they are loud but it wont leave me def. And the flash isnt that bad really I have shot them at night multiple times. And for my next door neighbor. They are so far away I dont have to worry about that. And I dont care if I dont hit them in a non lethal spot if you get hit with a 9mm then you aint comming at me no more no matter where I hit you, you are going down. (not you but you KWIM?) It isnt like what they show on TV. And my weapon of choice is Sig mosquito .22. Thats my carry weapon. But I use shotguns to I love those things I dont have to aim at the snakes. And the shotgun is always my backup in case anything ever happens. Its only 16 gauge but hey I like it.

DVFlyer replied: You are the exception, then.

For everyone else who can't hit someone between the eyes with a 9mm after being woken up in the middle of the night, a shotgun is a better choice.

Crystalina replied: We have many guns around here. The handguns freak me out though. Even when I had to carry one when I worked perimeter at the prison I didn't like it. I don't mind using them for target practice but it wouldn't be the first weapon I grab if there were an intruder. I feel so much better with the 12 guage shotgun. By the time someone hears you chamber a round they pretty much know you mean business and will more then likely leave before you have to splatter them.

They are not right next to the bed but close enough that I can get to it before they get to me.

Nina J replied: What if you heard someone breaking in, so your grabbed your gun and shot, and it turns out it was your kid or something? I mean, I doubt anyone would hear someone breaking in and just shoot, but I bet it's happened and it turns out to be your teenager sneaking back from a party or something.

I don't think I could kill someone. I mean, I probably could if they were hurting my family, but if someone broke in and took my tv and I caught them. They can just take it, if they don't hurt anyone. A tv is insignificant and not worthy of murder. I can always buy a new one. I wouldn't shoot them between the eyes and murder them for it.

I always thought if someone broke in and was stealing your stuff, you just pretended to sleep. If someone broke in and obviously just wanted to steal some of my stuff, I would just let them. If they were going to take some stuff, leave my family alone, and leave, Id rather do that than try to fight them and end up getting my children or my husband hurt.

It just reminds me of In Cold Blood; the Clutter Family who all died. Whats to say the robber doesn't have a gun themselves, already aimed at you. And if you pull one on them, or they see you have one, they would have no problem shooting you and your family. If they can break in, they can kill. I mean, with the Clutter's there were four of them and 2 criminals and the whole family ended up dead across the house.

I have read that people have guns close enough for them to get before a robber or murderer gets them. But if you're asleep, whats to say you're going to wake up before someone gets in your room with a gun pointed at your head? Chances are, if they're breaing in with the intent to murder you, they are not going to crash around and wake you up. And if they want to kill you, aren't they just going to have a gun ready and aimed, or god forbid against your head before you're even awake?

I hope no one ever gets broken in to or killed in there own home, but just having a weapon at hand in no way gauruntee's that you're protected aginst a criminal. I mean, for all I know someone has broken in to my home and is hiding here right now. I could be in the kitchen within an arms reach of the knife block and they could kill me before I even take a step.

Crystalina replied:
I understand that. I would hope anyone getting ready to pull the trigger would know exactley who/what they were shooting at. I live so far out that if someone were to break into my house they would have to be shot. DH is gone so much, there are no neighbors...I couldn't wait to find out what a stranger wants in my house because I would be all by myself with just my kids. Living in or closer to town you'd have time to call the cops or something. But yeah, you'd have to know who/what/why you're shooting.