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What process do you follow when you hear a noise in your house at night?

My daughter sent me a message earlier tonight asking what part of the house I was in. When I answered I was sitting at my computer, she said she heard footsteps by her bedroom. I messaged her back to lock her door and prepared to do a sweep. But, I've only got two hands and no idea if my daughter was just hearing things or not. So, I armed myself with my dog, my phone, and my flashlight. I kind of paused as I passed the kitchen knives, and then I figured it was probably riskier for me to carry one than not. Plus, you know, that's how all the horror movies go. So, I just made sure I kept my dog with me while I did my sweep. We found nothing but a rogue cat getting into things. 

But, this makes me wonder... is there a smart way to sweep your house when there might be an intruder? It's one thing if I hear someone and I think someone's in the home. I'll just call 911. But, in those uncertain moments, what do you do? What's the right thing to do? 

Posted - February 21, 2019
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Responses


  • 46117
    Try to go to toilet before I poop in pants?
      February 21, 2019 10:53 PM MST
    3

  • 10643
    If I hear a noise I just yell at my cats.  If it isn't them, then it's my refrigerator - which literally talks and sings (I think it picks up radio or phone signals).  
      February 21, 2019 11:12 PM MST
    5

  • Well, reading this has gotten me all creeped out now -_- 

    I don't like being in a room too quiet at night; I tend to have some kind of noise going, like a fan. 

    If I did hear something suspicious, I would make everything silent and then listen to see if I could hear it again. Not sure what I would do if I suspected someone was there--definitely panic, though, you can count on me for that. 
      February 21, 2019 11:18 PM MST
    4

  • 7939
    lol Sorry. Hope you didn't have trouble sleeping last night. 
      February 22, 2019 9:29 AM MST
    1

  • 4624
    First reaction is to name or interpret it -

    the squeaks of bats fighting over fruit in the orchard,
    the plaintive calls of curlews or owls,
    the pulses of cicadas, crickets and/or cane toads,
    the quiet tze, tze, tze courting sounds of wallabies.

    Often the sounds are caused by a change in the weather:
    Wind picks up and makes the wind chimes sing,
    howls through the trees,
    knocks over a piece of loose corrugated iron.
    Rain drums on the tin roof and tumbles down the pipes,
    tree frogs croaking,
    etc.

    Or it could be my husband padding to the toilet to relieve the bladder pressure on his prostate.
      February 22, 2019 1:09 AM MST
    3

  • 5835
    A house can pick up noises from the ground. It is called "settling", although the house is not literally settling. Settling noises can go on forever without any visible change in position. I once lived in a house that made the exact sound of someone with big feet running under the kitchen window every afternoon shortly before sundown. I lived for years in a house where I heard the doorbell occasionally. I eventually figured out it was the rotating roof vent, and it squeaked sometimes. I now live in a house that has a bush growing on one side and the branches brush the shade on the window to make a variety of spooky noises.

    "Process"? I guess you could say I catalog the noises for further analysis.
      February 22, 2019 4:54 AM MST
    4

  • 17599
    Houses do actually settle.  The ground moves and so does anything built on it.  Sometimes it causes a lot of damage.  We lived in a house that settled due to the mountain shifting.  We had to have one part of the house jacked up in the crawl space and that space was filled with concrete block.
      February 22, 2019 10:57 PM MST
    1

  • 7939
    I second that. I have a huge crack in the pavement in the front of my home and another on the back patio which lines up with it. Not surprisingly, a few years ago some pipes that ran below the slab burst. We had no way of knowing it beyond the fact that my son all of a sudden started laying on one spot on the floor saying it felt warm. He happened to do it in front of my in-laws once and my FIL advised us to call out the plumber. Had it not been for that, I never would have made the connection on my own. 
      February 22, 2019 11:32 PM MST
    1

  • 6098
    Being a sound sleeper I seldom hear such noises. When I do I have my husband check it out. He is more sensitive to such things than I am but we live in a mostly safe town and neighborhood.  If there were an issue I would call the police whose headquarters are in the town center only a few blocks from our house. 
      February 22, 2019 5:15 AM MST
    3

  • First I try to identify what room the sound is coming from, then I attempt to recall what is in said room and whether or not there is anything that would reasonably make the sound I heard.  Lastly I try to reason if whatever I'm thinking made the sound could have done so on its own or if external forces have to be at play.  The presence or lacking presence of those external forces determine whether or not I enter the room with a readied fist and an umbrella in my hand. 
      February 22, 2019 5:55 AM MST
    2

  • 7939
    An umbrella! That's genius. I will have to get one of those. 
      February 22, 2019 9:30 AM MST
    2

  • Get yourself a set like the penguin in Batman Returns had.  One umbrella with a retractable knife, one that serves as a flamethrower, one that fires bullets, etc. 

      February 22, 2019 9:36 AM MST
    2

  • 6023
    I just roll over and go back to sleep.
    I don't have anything worth stealing - and if they're there to kill me, I'd rather die sleeping.

    lol
      February 22, 2019 7:40 AM MST
    2

  • 7939
    lol

    I will suggest that to my daughter next time she hears something. "Just go back to sleep, sweetie. If someone's here to kill us, it's better to die in your sleep." I believe a "Mother of the Year" award is in my future. lol Thank you. 
      February 22, 2019 9:32 AM MST
    1

  • 6023
    As a kid, I thought all closets should have doors into the hallway with remote opening switches.  So you could release the monsters on intruders.
      February 22, 2019 10:55 AM MST
    2

  • 11110
    For a hoot you should build a small scale model of that idea then go on Dragons Den and ask them to invest. Cheers and happy weekend!
      February 22, 2019 11:01 AM MST
    1

  • i think you mean shark tank 
      February 22, 2019 12:38 PM MST
    0

  • cover my whole body with the blanket, until i get too hot and throw it off me, accepting my fate and letting the malevolent spirits take me 
      February 22, 2019 9:38 AM MST
    2

  • 11110
    I whisper "what's that" then I make a swirling motion with my finger then I try to remember were the mop is in case I need it to clean up the mess my dog will make out of an intruder. Cheers and happy weekend! 
      February 22, 2019 10:52 AM MST
    2

  • 1305
    Grab something heavy and check all over the house, have phone ready to call 999
      February 22, 2019 4:53 PM MST
    1

  • 2327
    I'd just open the door to take a look. If it's an intruder, I honestly don't know what I would do. I'd either rush them and fight to the death like a Spartan, or I'd just drop to the floor and curl up in the fetal position crying for my mommy. lol  
      February 22, 2019 6:44 PM MST
    2

  • 2052
    I'm the one who checks out the noises at night.  My sweetie has exceptional hearing, much better than mine.  If sweetie says it's something to be concerned about, I believe it and take the necessary steps. 
      February 23, 2019 12:45 PM MST
    0

  • 17599
    I keep a crowbar by my bed and one next to my car seat.  You can do some damage.

      February 24, 2019 2:50 PM MST
    1