Loaded gun on the nightstand + person who sleepwalks = some kind of lock device?

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Another possibility is a quick access pistol safe.
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That's what I do. Loaded, cocked lock and ready to go. There's also a streamlight flashlight in there. I have an 11 year old who sleep walks. Sleepwalkers will scare the living crap out of you. It is for that reason alone that I don't use a weapon light. I keep one on my hd gun...but I absolutely never investigate with it. A suspicious bump in the night may get a firearm in hand or holstered if there's time for pants...but I use a flashlight with my weak hand.

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A few extra seconds accessing the safe doesn't bother me. My youngest, 7 has asthma. He's "growing out of it," but he had bad problems (compounded by allergies) when he was younger. I am a light sleeper. I was formerly a heavy sleeper. After watching your own small child suffer an asthma attack and feeling completely helpless to make it stop, you will find yourself adjusting your sleep habits quickly. A wheezing through a baby monitor is a quiet sound that suddenly becomes a 200db siren in your head. After going through that with my son, I no longer sleep well. If the wind catches a window screen wrong, I'm up and coherent.
 
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After watching your own small child suffer an asthma attack and feeling completely helpless to make it stop, you will find yourself adjusting your sleep habits quickly
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That is a horrible helpless feeling. I am glad he is "growing" out of it.

BTW, I used to be the same way...my daughter could roll over in her bed two rooms away and I would be aware of it.

These days she could practice with her Smith 19 and I might not wake.

Sleep patterns change, not only through time, like as your boy's asthma abates, but day-to-day. (some days you are just dead-dog tired)

Your defense plans and weapon storage should allow for all scenarios.
 
I had a good friend who recently killed herself during the night with a loaded gun.

She kept it under her pillow while she slept because of X-spouse issues.

We may never know for sure the details of how it happened.

But I know that I don't want a loaded gun anywhere near me at night unless, at an absolute minimum, it requires purposefully opening a drawer of some kind to get to it.

If I don't have time to purposefully open a drawer etc. to shoot an intruder - it'll just have to be my time to go.
 
People taking sleep aids have been known to sleep walk, eat, drive, etc. What makes you think that they couldn't open a pistol safe, remove the gun and shoot someone. If it were me I'd put the gun somewere inaccessible and unloaded until I got off the Ambien. Also be careful it is very habit forming.
 
Keep the Ambien locked in a Safe...

Keep the Gun, accessible

A 'win win'


Gun under Pillow and Girl getting shot somehow, well, golly, that does not sound like an 'accident' so far.


Is there an Autopsy report?


You know, like Gary Web got? "Shot two times in face, point blank, Powder Burns etc, 'suicide' obviously...move along now, nothing to see here..."

Maybe Mr. X lent a hand...who knows.


X was not the medical examiner I hope?
 
Joking aside, I would consider mounting something like a personal alarm in the gun safe/box/drawer such that when it is opened, the pin is pulled and the alarm goes off.

If you're awake, you can deal with it easily enough. And presumably, 120+ dB would be enough to wake you if you're not.
 
The alarm is a good enough idea but you guys are joking about it being 120 db, right?

I'm just saying that if a 120 db alarm went off next to the bed in the middle of the night I wouldn't need a gun because I'd already be dead of a heart attack. Seriously, a gentle beeping is all I would need.
 
well, there is some frivolity in thread
but I do remember a true story of some lady half (?) awake who thought she was putting a toothbrush or some such thing in her mouth and blew her teeth out the side of her head... she lived, no mysterious night time attack by zombies or burglars, no autopsy req'd.. substantial surgery, yes

it is a serious question, and be it something/anything that takes multiple "conscious" actions to access and/or load and shoot is worth thinking about

if you owe the drug dealer money, do what you have to survive, I guess...
but if you don't, every action you consider for self defense need be considered within the practical context of need for speed vs probability

several good options here include some of the handgun safes and/or your speedloader kept "close but elsewhere"

sometimes you eat the bear
sometimes the bear eats you
but only you get to decide how imminent the bear threat is
 
Are you married, or living with someone who doesn't sleep walk? If so, let them secure the handgun. They can get it for you if it's needed in the middle of the night.

If not, consider getting a dog. A dog will wake you up when you need to be awake. Secure the gun in a way that you can't access it while asleep. I don't know what that would be.
 
I'm glad I brought this up because there was a lot more to this than I thought there would be. Isn't that always the way when you're learning something new? I really appreciate the input from all of you who have already gone through Guns 101.
 
The one time I woke to find a Burglar, he was leaning over me as I slept.

And, I had a perfectly nice 1918 GI Colt M1911 under the Pillow in 'Condition 1'.

I was sleeping on my back...dim streetlight Light filtering in to the Room...somehow I woke, instantly saw the situation, big Black Guy, just leaning over looking at me.

My arm raised instantly, and, pointing toward the Door which led to the Hallway, which led to the other Room where a Door led to the out of doors, by which I assumed he had come in through, I cuncussively said the single word "OUT"...


Just said it matter of factly, no ire, no threat, no anger, no fear, no disrespect, no nothing, just a clear forthright word, intended to appeal with the utmost brevity, to his perspective and common-sense sense of context.

He startled a little, but, I would say he was a man of steady Nerves...and, he thought about it for a moment, turned, and left with haste.


I never even thought about my M1911 under the Pillow.


All's well that ends well, anyway.
 
Sleepwalking and potentially shooting a loved one would concern me. Probably make me think about not having a loaded gun around at all as sleepwalkers sometimes do intricate things and opening a safe could likely be one of them. Think I'd be gunless short-term and get the sleepwalking under control.
 
How easily are you awakened while sleepwalking? If you wake pretty easily at a moderate discomfort, it could be as easy as moving the gun out of reach from the bed and buying some really-uncomfortable-to-bare-feet traction mats to put around the bed.
 
There are alot of things to factor in based on surroundings and the history of sleepwalking. My daughter has regular occurances and even made it into the car with the keys one night before my son-in-law got to her. He keeps his gun secured on his side of the bed at night and locks hers up. They have 3 dogs and my wife and I have 4. No one sneaks around our homes! A secure gun close by and a watchdog may be your answer.
 
The one time I woke to find a Burglar, he was leaning over me as I slept.
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were I you two things would have resulted

1-the carpet cleaners would have a job

2-I would be able to post on the High Road about the effects of multiple hits of a 45ACP on the human body

That story suggests a REALLY good argument for not locking up the firearm
 
My cousin is kinda sorta in the same situation. He doesn't sleepwalk often but he has been known to do it. One time (no joke) his mom literally caught him peeing in the trash can in the kitchen... yes he was "asleep". haha

Anyways, I gave him an RRA Entry Tactical of mine for his birthday last April and I told him I really didn't like the idea of him keeping an unloaded SD weapon in the house. My opinion on SD weapons is that they should ALWAYS be loaded... but since he has a sleepwalking problem I suggested maybe keeping a loaded magazine next to his AR-15 with the bolt locked open already just in case the unfortunate were to happen. I believe every little second will count considering his bedroom is only about 10 steps from his front door. So to me it makes sense considering all he will have to do is slide the mag. in and release the bolt.

I just hope that wasn't bad advice... any thought on that guys?
 
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As a side note,

I'm not the kind of person who feels comfortable with a gun under the pillow. I'm not a sleepwalker or anything but I know accidents are called accidents for a reason and I'm not willing to take a chance. I simply keep my G27 on the floor right next to my bed (about a foot away from the edge of the bed).
 
You can do anything in your sleep that you can when you are awake.

People cook food, drive, watch TV and more while in a sleep state. If you are a severe sleepwalker, please consider whether you need a gun even in a lock box next to your bed. It may be best to upgrade your home security before keeping a gun next to your bed.
 
No, I am a light sleeper most of the time. The sound of one of the dogs snoring is usually enough to wake me up, so I don't think I need a whole string of actions to go through to get to the gun - but one or two is probably a good idea.
 
I've had a few night time issues myself, and my solution has worked for me. I keep a mechanical dial operated safe about 5 steps from the bed. Even if I DO get up, I still can't see in the dark. I have to turn on lights to see the dial, which would wake my wife.



Assuming, of course, that she could wake me. If I'm into a sleep that deep, I can be a real toughie to wake up. When I sleep, I occasionally sleep like a dead man.
 
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