Hmm!

Re reading your post, I would definitely get the alarm checked out, and ask the engineer what could have tripped it. From my practical side, I was in charge of a building some years ago, and the alarm went off in the early hours of New Year's Day( bet the engineer was sooo pleased!)It was the coldest night of the year, and a comms box( part of the computer system) whose door was held shut with blu tac had swung open and set off the alarm.( No expense spared by our technicians- they had lost the key during a maintenance visit, menaces!). The engineers slightly waspy theory was that the blu tac had been affected by the cold and the door had swung open. We have had some cold nights, depends on where you live. My other thought is rats and mice. My partner runs a busy garage, and mice and rats chewing through wiring in cars is a big problem these days, and not just for those who live in rural areas! Also one if his staff was bitten by a rat his cat had brought in during the night.I know you said you have no pets sunseeker, but the mice theory might be worth looking in to. As I said, I look for the rational explanation first, before wheeling out my ' other' side. I shall be interested to hear what happens...

We have a ghost. DD and I heard it when we first moved into our house and the GC have seen it individually and asked me 'who is that man'. I've seen him too just once but he's not scary and doesn't cause any trouble.

Foxes can make a heck of a din that sounds really eerie and we've had the odd mouse scratching about which is spooky so when I hear something I do tend to check out the wildlife first. However there was a funny scratching noise on the landing the other night and I can't work out what it was - sounded like metal being scratched. That was definitely spooky.

As for the electrics. I've forgotten to switch lights off on occasion and scared myself silly when I've seen a light on!

Perhaps I live in a state of permanent anxiety

I will agree with the lady who's DH is a natural psychic. I do know that phenomena can work via electrical items, letting you know they are 'there'.I have seen evidence previously. However, I also have a very practical side, and always check other things that could be a cause. I once went to a house where the couple were being woken by piercing screams 'in the house' at around midnight, pretty much the same time every night. They had a had a few issues with people being ill in the family, job problems etc, so were a bit edgy. The house also had a very cold room, their child's room. I went and had a good look at it, and found the room was cold because it was at the end of a terrace, on an outside wall, at the bottom of a hill, which I felt caught a prevailing wind and made the room cold( the couple were young and inexperienced and hadn't thought of anything like that. The screams they described made me think it was a fox, off on its nightly rounds as it seemed to be the same time every night, and although it was very urban, as is my house, we know foxes do abound in our streets now. The couple calmed at these thoughts, the man asked neighbours if anyone knew of a fox locally, and of course people did- someone always feeds them, even unwittingly. The noise sounded to them like it was inside because of their state.The coldness in the room was solved by insulating eventually, but also given a possible rational explanation, their fears subsided. I didn't however, tell them about the lady that greeted me as I walked in, but she was very friendly anyway....! Get your wiring checked by someone competent, and also as rosesarered said, say 'I am switching off lights 'etc to myself. No I don't think any of these are fairyland, but I have been used to seeing things like this since I was young, and they can happen, often when we are stressed over something, but I clearly move in different circles to some of you!The scratches could be explained by stress. It's a funny time of year....

Ahh well that makes it a bit clearer Blueskies and very strange behaviour I hope you changed the locks the next day

take the plugs out at night?

Why would a visitor to next door be desperate for a shower...? Sorry, but I think you should have had the locks changed after that episode!

BlueBelle I still find it distressing. The problem with stalkers/peeping toms is that they are clever at hiding their tracks and it adds to the fright when others question or disbelieve the person being stalked.
His wife (the neighbour) had my key as I lived alone and was out all day. I had no reason to distrust her. I came home one evening when a different neighbour rang and said she had seen him leaving my house. I went straight round and the excuse was that they had visitors and there were queues for the bathroom and "knew I wouldn't mind if he had a shower". I asked for my key back but he had obviously had another made.
There were many similar episodes always with an excuse. I am a professional and a post graduate--also a very independent person but when these things happen over a period of time --and I had and still have a busy life. At that time the police were powerless to act but now there are excellent laws against stalking and today he would not have got away with it. It is difficult to explain as it is often inplied that the victim has encouraged the stalker. Mine was just a neighbour. Anyway I need to put it to rest now. I just want others to be aware. Stalkers have ended up harming their victims.

I would be scared out of my wits to be honest, and would HAVE to have an explaination I am afraid, there are no ghosts, weird happenings, you are probably sleep walking which can be dangerous in some cases, my advice, seek advice. Stop worrying, and I am sure things will be fine.

Our new TV switched itself on in the middle of the night. We discovered that it was set to do updates at a certain time, so changed them. Since then all is well, fingers crossed.

all these ghosts are kept busy aren't they?Turning tv on and off ditto lights and taps.What an afterlife! Am not looking forward to it.

Know u will all think I'm mad but for a while after my mum died our TV would suddenly switch itself on in the middle of the night. Scary.

Blue skies how can you have someone entering your house and using your toilet without you knowing or giving said person a key or leaving the door unlocked Don't understand your post

Just because someone has forgotten they didn't put their light off and also scratched themselves in the night does not mean they have a stalker Huge leap there

Get an electrician in to put your mind at rest. I don't so much scratch as dig my (rather long) nails into my shoulder or upper arm especially when I'm stressed.

I have been known to leave a light on which I normally switch off as my bedtime routine

I have scratched myself in my sleep, left on lights I was sure I turned off.

Once woke up one morning and the tap in the bathroom was full on. Internet search revealed that water pressure was a bit too high and the tap had not been turned all the way off, altered the stop cock to reduce water pressure problem solved.

I don't know about ghosts but if I am ever a ghost I am sure I will have better things to do than increase someone's electric bill.

I hope none of these posts have not alarmed you Sunseeker. Peace be with you it's a peculiar time of year.

Skweek1....... are you 'aving a larf? I do hope so, because the alternative means having a screw loose.

Has gransnet been invaded by bored Mumsnet posterWe are for t he most part a bit sober apart from galen

Has gransnet been invaded by bored Mumsnet posterWe are for t he most part a bit sober apart from galen

Fairyland, antonia

Being a total wet blanket here: Am I alone in finding some of these posts a bit weird?

DH and I used to experience some very useful phenomena (he's a natural psychic, I was just beginning Developmenr classes). We used to find that every night, when we'd both been downstairs all evening the electric blanket was lovely and warm at bedtime and in the mornings I would go down to find the kettle freshly boiled, Most of the time, very useful except when we were staying with a friend a couple of hundreds of miles from home when we were simultaneously aware of the electric blanket being on and had to remotely switch it off psychically (because of distance from home, the most scary incident). However, from about 3 months DS took after dad - hated being put to bed, would switch on lights, throw heavy furniture around room and on one memorable night, we found him levitating a foot off his cot. That said, sunseeker, if it does start recurring, having checked all physical/psychological causes, would suggest that you look into psychic development classes, where you will be taught psychic protection.

I don't want to frighten people but weird things happened to me in my house--things missing and misplaced. I thought I was losing my marbles and it wasn't until a lovely electrician fixing something unrelated solved the problems. I asked him why my outside light came on whenever I went upstairs to bed.
He showed me that there was a small gap at the side of my curtains which gave access to a mirror by the door giving a full view of my sitting room. I had a Peeping Tom who activated the light when he moved. Further to that I discovered that he had access to my house--he was also a stalker--- and had even used my bathroom.
It had been happening for years--he was a "respected " neighbour-- and it was such a distressing time in my life. I had a full time job then and thought I was just stressed and imagining these happenings.I eventually moved.
There are many sick people around-- even the most respectable ones. My advice is to always trust your instinct and if you are not sure of anything get in touch with the support network for anyone who thinks they are being stalked. It is now recognised as a crime and the police have to respond.
Just typing this brings back memories and makes me anxious!

We had a problem with house lights turning themselves on even when we were on holiday, turns out that next doors mower and lightning were activating our remote control dimmer switches. My friend has this problem and can't get to the bottom of it, the light in her deceased son's bedroom switches itself on and oddly battery operated candles light themselves. I can understand power surges and interference making lights malfunction but no answer to battery operated candles switching on.

Thanks for all the replies. No history of sleepwalking for me or anyone in the family. Yes, I have been under lot of stress lately so maybe sleepwalking is the answer. No more incidents so hopefully it was a temporary thing.

Greyduster - I have no problem with your post - I have taken the whole episode quite lightly myself, although if it happens again I may be a bit more serious about it.

Some funny things have been going on here. My computer was disconnected completely from the internet and I had to do a systems restore to get it back. My ipad screen was locked and would not rotate. My phone had the sound switched off. The bed side lights in our bedroom were both suddenly switched on in the middle of the night. Apart from the lights everything happened during the day. I have no explanation for any of these things.

What a fascinating thread...I hope that the answer soon becomes obvious Sunseeker. I think if it were me I'd be having the wiring checked as others have suggested...maybe also wear some of those cotton gloves to bed - the ones which you put on after applying moisturing cream to your hands at bedtime...at least that way if you are scratching yourself, you can limit the damage. Do keep us posted.