Things That Go Bump In The Night
Bottom Line: When was the last time you popped up in bed, looked around and wondered what the noise was you just heard? Or are you just such a sound sleeper you don’t even notice noises let alone worry about them? A new study shows worrying is the norm. Not only do most of us wake up and worry about bumps in the night, at least on occasion, over half of us, 53%, routinely get out of bed to check them out. The new research, which was focused on home security, turned up that interesting detail after discovering how pervasive nightly security routines are carried out. Those routines include...
- 66% checking all doors
- 55% closing all blinds & curtain
- 42% checking all windows
- 28% turning on outdoor lights
As for those who don’t have any nightly security routine and don’t concerns themselves with noises at night - that’s the vast minority. Only 16% of people don’t concern themselves. Our hyper-sensitivity is probably driven by another phenomenon – having been a victim of a crime. According to Gallup, 15% of Americans are victims of some form of crime annually. This ranges from 11% of Americans who live in rural communities to 18% in large cities. While many Americans are repeat victims of crimes in subsequent years, several years ago a Department of Justice study showed 83% of Americans will be direct victims of some form of crime during their lifetime. No doubt that has a lot to do with our habits. Right down to what we do when things go bump in the night. There was one takeaway though. Within the realm of controlling what we can control...those who watch TV in bed before going to sleep are generally more likely to fear the worst...
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