Is it safer to sleep with bedroom door open or closed?

scotjute · February 5, 2002, 01:57 PM

Are there any studies or recommendations by experts that
one results in enhanced safety over the other?
If you sleep with the door open you're more apt to be
aware that an intruder has entered your house, vs.
with the door closed you're less able to hear an intruder
entering house, but safer in the fact that he'll have to kick
door down, etc. to enter your rooom.
What's your thoughts?

trapshooter · February 5, 2002, 02:13 PM

so that 110 lbs of p.o.'d four-legged fuzz-fighter has an unobstructed shot at the fool(s).

KP95DAO · February 5, 2002, 02:18 PM

Scot,

Leaving aside the fact that the Belgian Shepard raises hell whenever anyone even gets near the house (and she is inside most of the time) there are other things to consider when talking about closing bedroom doors while sleeping.

First, unless you have a smoke detector in every bedroom you place yourself in danger of the number one killer during house/apt fires: SMOKE. If a fire starts in your bedroom you probably will not wake up in time. This also applies to the occupant of the other bedrooms, your children. I have read that fire depts say to sleep with your doors closed to prevent smoke getting into your room while sleeping and yet they fail to take into account a fire in the bedroom.

Perhaps an investment in a room motion detector would be a alternative to a Belgian Shepard.

Erich · February 5, 2002, 02:55 PM

. . . my five-year-old nephew recommends keeping the covers pulled up over your head so that the monsters can't see you.

I used to be a lot more consistent about following the tactical plan he mentions, but got lax when I started having girls spend the night as a teenager.

Seriously, though, bedroom door closed and locked. The plan is that if the door opens and it's not my wife, loud noise should ensue.

And I'm reasonably sure any dingbat home intruders would make enough noise that we'd hear them . . . one of the fringe benefits of having a hardwood floor.

Unless, of course, they were ninjas . . .

Aion · February 5, 2002, 03:00 PM

Depends on if your cat thinks the toilet paper is a foe to be "killed" whenever the door is left open.

Seriously, since the bathroom is off the master bedroom, doesn't matter to me.

- Aion

Seeker · February 5, 2002, 04:24 PM

I like the door open.

It gives the dogs full access to the house.

It allows for better ventilation - I hate stuffy bedrooms.

Anyone approacing my sons room has to pass by my open door - his door is closed.

I can hear my son if he screams during the night (he doesn't...but if he did).

I can better see/hear/sense what is going on in the rest of the house.

If BG did enter the house and dogs went nuts I will have a good view of the main area of house without the telltale sign of the door making noise and coming ajar.

weldonjr2001 · February 5, 2002, 05:51 PM

Closed. I've got kids. Open's not an option.

gryphon · February 5, 2002, 06:21 PM

I'm not the worlds lightest sleeper. A nuclear winter could start outside my door and I would never know it until I woke the next morning. That comes from 20 years of living next to a fire station and the sirens going off in the middle of the night.

I keep the door closed. Even though I am sleeping like the proverbial log, anyone or anything that enters the room at night and I am immediately awake. It just gives me that one extra second I need to get my protection if need be.

KSFreeman · February 5, 2002, 06:38 PM

Erich, I rountinely battle ninjas of death (but only at the gunshop on weekends when I relive my days in the RLI and Selous Scouts).

I keep the door leading to the bedroom "wing" of the Fashionable Bachelor Pad closed and locked and my bedroom door locked as well. I have to because of all the supermodels trying to get to me.

No defense is unbreachable. Many layers of protection will buy you distance, time, marksmanship and hits. Fire is a bigger concern, but I'm one of those sissy types who keeps a cell phone and fire extinguisher and does not wish to go looking for the ninjas that break in every night.

stinger · February 5, 2002, 10:00 PM

my door stays open.

i have two dogs, one sleeps on the floor beside my wife's side of the bed. the other sleeps in the living room by the front door.

there is no lock on the door and it wouldn't hold up to much force anyhow. just keep your house locked up and a gun locked and loaded!

Tommytrauma · February 5, 2002, 10:11 PM

I'm a firefighter, and always close ALL the interior doors in my house, especially the basement and bedroom doors. Spent the money on a good alarm system, both for fire and intrusion.

PS, am new to the board. Thanks for letting me add my two cents.

urban assault · February 5, 2002, 10:44 PM

No kids, no dogs, just one fat black ninja attack cat

... so not only is the bedroom door closed, it is locked AND we have a jam-stick under the doorknob. We also have an 870 police pump on one side of the bed and a modified 10/22 rifle on the other. Also a new-to-me FAL .308 under a folded blanket. If a goblin gets into my bedroom, he has a few nasty, loud and deadly surprises waiting for him

michael

Bulldozer · February 6, 2002, 07:47 AM

Front door locked, but bedroom door left cracked to allow Monique and Minot -- pair of Dogues de Bordeaux access to the house. Imagine a pair of 125-pound Hooches snarling and drooling at you. Add pair of 357s wielded by couple owning home. If I were a burglar, I'd find easier prey.

fix · February 6, 2002, 11:24 AM

Let's be realistic. The risk of fire is greater than the risk of intruders. Close your doors.

KPS · February 6, 2002, 05:47 PM

I keep the door open to let the dog have full run of the house.If there was ever a fire, he or my wife would be the first to wake me.

Glamdring · February 9, 2002, 09:06 PM

For Families being able to block sleeping area from rest of house is probably best choice.

Open door gives an advantage to goblin IMHO, doors and locks (& alarms)are there so non guests have to "make noise" and take time to get in, giving good guy time to react.

Do some searches on "safe rooms".
Get the book "Dead Clients Don't Pay", written by a bodyguard and read chapters on area security and safe rooms.
See Cooper's "Notes on Tactical Residential Architechture(sp)"

February 5, 2002, 01:57 PM	#1
scotjute Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2001 Location: texas Posts: 260	Is it safer to sleep with bedroom door open or closed? Are there any studies or recommendations by experts that one results in enhanced safety over the other? If you sleep with the door open you're more apt to be aware that an intruder has entered your house, vs. with the door closed you're less able to hear an intruder entering house, but safer in the fact that he'll have to kick door down, etc. to enter your rooom. What's your thoughts?

February 5, 2002, 02:13 PM	#2
trapshooter Junior member Join Date: January 2, 2002 Location: Missouri Posts: 902	Open, so that 110 lbs of p.o.'d four-legged fuzz-fighter has an unobstructed shot at the fool(s).

February 5, 2002, 02:18 PM	#3
KP95DAO Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2000 Posts: 699	Doors and dangers. Scot, Leaving aside the fact that the Belgian Shepard raises hell whenever anyone even gets near the house (and she is inside most of the time) there are other things to consider when talking about closing bedroom doors while sleeping. First, unless you have a smoke detector in every bedroom you place yourself in danger of the number one killer during house/apt fires: SMOKE. If a fire starts in your bedroom you probably will not wake up in time. This also applies to the occupant of the other bedrooms, your children. I have read that fire depts say to sleep with your doors closed to prevent smoke getting into your room while sleeping and yet they fail to take into account a fire in the bedroom. Perhaps an investment in a room motion detector would be a alternative to a Belgian Shepard.

February 5, 2002, 02:55 PM	#4
Erich Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 1999 Location: Albuquerque, NM, USA Posts: 2,543	Also . . . . . . my five-year-old nephew recommends keeping the covers pulled up over your head so that the monsters can't see you. I used to be a lot more consistent about following the tactical plan he mentions, but got lax when I started having girls spend the night as a teenager. Seriously, though, bedroom door closed and locked. The plan is that if the door opens and it's not my wife, loud noise should ensue. And I'm reasonably sure any dingbat home intruders would make enough noise that we'd hear them . . . one of the fringe benefits of having a hardwood floor. Unless, of course, they were ninjas . . .

February 5, 2002, 04:24 PM	#6
Seeker Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2001 Location: Lacomb, Oregon Posts: 1,393	I like the door open. It gives the dogs full access to the house. It allows for better ventilation - I hate stuffy bedrooms. Anyone approacing my sons room has to pass by my open door - his door is closed. I can hear my son if he screams during the night (he doesn't...but if he did). I can better see/hear/sense what is going on in the rest of the house. If BG did enter the house and dogs went nuts I will have a good view of the main area of house without the telltale sign of the door making noise and coming ajar. __________________ Molon Labe Seeker "The oppressed should rebel, and they will continue to rebel and raise disturbance until their civil rights are fully restored to them and all partial distinctions, exclusions and incapacitations are removed." --Thomas Jefferson Don't Tread On Me! "Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political; peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none" -- Thomas Jefferson In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us. -Thich Nhat Hanh

February 5, 2002, 03:00 PM	#5
Aion Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2002 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 277	Depends on if your cat thinks the toilet paper is a foe to be "killed" whenever the door is left open. Seriously, since the bathroom is off the master bedroom, doesn't matter to me. - Aion

February 5, 2002, 05:51 PM	#7
weldonjr2001 Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2001 Location: San Antonio, Tx. Posts: 462	Closed. I've got kids. Open's not an option.

February 5, 2002, 06:21 PM	#8
gryphon Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,069	I'm not the worlds lightest sleeper. A nuclear winter could start outside my door and I would never know it until I woke the next morning. That comes from 20 years of living next to a fire station and the sirens going off in the middle of the night. I keep the door closed. Even though I am sleeping like the proverbial log, anyone or anything that enters the room at night and I am immediately awake. It just gives me that one extra second I need to get my protection if need be. __________________ Your suffering will be legendary, even in HELL!! --- PinHead, HellRaiser 2

February 5, 2002, 06:38 PM	#9
KSFreeman Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2001 Location: Lafayette, Indiana--American-occupied America Posts: 5,418	Erich, I rountinely battle ninjas of death (but only at the gunshop on weekends when I relive my days in the RLI and Selous Scouts). I keep the door leading to the bedroom "wing" of the Fashionable Bachelor Pad closed and locked and my bedroom door locked as well. I have to because of all the supermodels trying to get to me. No defense is unbreachable. Many layers of protection will buy you distance, time, marksmanship and hits. Fire is a bigger concern, but I'm one of those sissy types who keeps a cell phone and fire extinguisher and does not wish to go looking for the ninjas that break in every night.

February 5, 2002, 10:00 PM	#10
stinger Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Location: west texas Posts: 772	my door stays open. i have two dogs, one sleeps on the floor beside my wife's side of the bed. the other sleeps in the living room by the front door. there is no lock on the door and it wouldn't hold up to much force anyhow. just keep your house locked up and a gun locked and loaded!

February 5, 2002, 10:11 PM	#11
Tommytrauma Member Join Date: February 1, 2002 Posts: 72	I'm a firefighter, and always close ALL the interior doors in my house, especially the basement and bedroom doors. Spent the money on a good alarm system, both for fire and intrusion. PS, am new to the board. Thanks for letting me add my two cents. __________________ But I don't WANT to be a pie!

February 5, 2002, 10:44 PM	#12
urban assault Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2000 Location: About 30 miles from Portland, Oregon. Posts: 216	No kids, no dogs, just one fat black ninja attack cat... so not only is the bedroom door closed, it is locked AND we have a jam-stick under the doorknob. We also have an 870 police pump on one side of the bed and a modified 10/22 rifle on the other. Also a new-to-me FAL .308 under a folded blanket. If a goblin gets into my bedroom, he has a few nasty, loud and deadly surprises waiting for him michael __________________ "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife... And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next!" - Gladiator "You can get further with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word." - Al Capone

February 6, 2002, 07:47 AM	#13
Bulldozer Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 1999 Location: Kansas City Metro Posts: 415	CRACKED OPEN Front door locked, but bedroom door left cracked to allow Monique and Minot -- pair of Dogues de Bordeaux access to the house. Imagine a pair of 125-pound Hooches snarling and drooling at you. Add pair of 357s wielded by couple owning home. If I were a burglar, I'd find easier prey.

February 6, 2002, 11:24 AM	#14
fix Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2001 Posts: 919	Let's be realistic. The risk of fire is greater than the risk of intruders. Close your doors.

February 6, 2002, 05:47 PM	#15
KPS Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2001 Location: MA Posts: 780	I keep the door open to let the dog have full run of the house.If there was ever a fire, he or my wife would be the first to wake me. __________________ Welcome to Cape Cod.Beware of drunken Kennedys!

February 9, 2002, 09:06 PM	#16
Glamdring Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2000 Location: MN Posts: 1,388	For Families being able to block sleeping area from rest of house is probably best choice. Open door gives an advantage to goblin IMHO, doors and locks (& alarms)are there so non guests have to "make noise" and take time to get in, giving good guy time to react. Do some searches on "safe rooms". Get the book "Dead Clients Don't Pay", written by a bodyguard and read chapters on area security and safe rooms. See Cooper's "Notes on Tactical Residential Architechture(sp)" __________________ "A traveler has no protection besides his fire-arms; and the constant habit of carrying them is the main check to more frequent robberies" --Charles Darwin from The Voyage Of The Beagle

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