Do you sleep in close proximity to a loaded gun? Under your pillow or by your side? Why?

From your nonresponsive reply I take it you think all my questions are directed at you specifically og? Rest assured they are not. This question is for those who do. As you can see they answered my question seriously and informed me very thoughtfully. You did neither. Maybe next time?

In my opinion, a shotgun is one of if not the best option for home defense. :)

Yep...point and shoot. No aim required. 
My husband told me if someone was trying to get in, to give a verbal warning, if still coming, shoot top of the door, if still coming shoot the center. We used to live in the country. I had to call the cops once and they had to call back for directions lol. 

Do you wake up fully and completely immediately m2c or are you a little fuzzy headed until you have your coffee? What if you were to miss? I'm afraid when I awoke in my sleepy confusion I'd shoot someone I shouldn't. Thank you for your reply m2c and Happy Friday to thee! :)

I am a morning person, I am not groggy or confused or whatever when I wake up. I don't drink coffee (I don't like it...I know this is the Mug lol) or anything to wake up. 
One of the basic gun safety rules....identify what you are shooting before you shoot. 

How can you do so in the dark though ? I am a morning person too and I wake up happy but when I first awaken it takes me a minute or two to get oriented. I don't wake up via an alarm clock. I just sleep until I wake up naturally so being shocked awake by an intruder might really confuse me at first. Thank you for your reply m2c.

Turn the light on, use a flashlight, verbally tell the person to ID themselves. You never shoot until you have identified your target as a threat.

Shotgun not a handgun m2c? As a nongun person it seems to me that a shotgun would be more unwieldy and take longer to grab hold of and aim. Is it a more sure shot?  Oh. Is a shotgun the same thing as a rifle? Thank you for your answer m2c.

Shotgun is point and shoot. 
I have never shot a hand gun. A rifle is more for long distance shots.

So they are the same type of gun but one is for shooting at a distance. Thanks.

Clearly ru I am not a gun person. But here is what would worry me. You awaken from a sound sleep and see something moving in the dark. What would you do?  Do you wake up clearheaded and focused or does it take you awhile to wake up fully in the morning? I'm afraid I'd shoot at anything that moves in my confusion and sleepy state. Scary thought. What if I missed? Thank you for your reply and Happy Friday to you! :)

I've had quite a bit of training and am a former firearm instructor but not everyone has that luxury. I understand what you're saying and for some that would be a problem. But if you don't live in an area where violence is a problem and you feel safe without a firearm then that's great. I have one very handy because of where I live. If you don't feel safe and might feel the need to have a firearm for protection, then training with a firearm is a good idea. It helps a whole lot in gaining confidence, what to look for, being aware of your surroundings, and it also helps one to use common sense. When to use or when not to use a firearm. One thing to remember, even though the police do a fine job, for the most part at least,, they can't be everywhere at the same time. Because of that may not be able to get to you until after the fact, which may be too late.

  It may sound like I'm some sort of getting ready for a zombie apocalypse survivalist but I'm not. I've just adjusted and adapted my life to my surroundings. What if you missed? Criminals are basically cowards and, although it's not a 100% guarantee, chances are if they get shot at, they'll run for the hills. If you have no firearm to shoot, the situation changes a whole lot.