According to sex educator and therapist, Shirley Zussman, the answer's pretty simple: Lock your doors. Zussman advises, "In my opinion, parents' bedroom doors should always be closed, not just for lovemaking. Even at an early age, children can be taught to respect privacy and to knock before entering a room."
Another common reason why parents might choose to lock their bedrooms from the outside is to keep birthday or Christmas gifts hidden until the big day arrives. It's far better than keeping them in the cold (or musty) attic, and it provides easier access so you might actually start wrapping them in advance.
“It's not OK to lock kids in their rooms,” says Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg, a licensed clinical psychologist, Yale educator, and Fellow of American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Besides the fact that, with a well-thought-out gentle behavioral plan, it is not necessary, there is also the vital reason of safety.
If you have reasons not to trust your teen with more privacy, a door lock may not be the right option for your family. However, if your child hasn't given you any reasons not to trust them, you may want to consider giving them this added degree of privacy.
Locking in a dark room
Isolating your child might seem like a simple punishment without hurting him physically. But it wrecks the child emotionally. This sets out the message that I am not loved or needed anymore, explains Dr Sonar.
Keeping bedroom doors closed at night provides more protection in case of a house fire. That's right; it's actually safer for you and your entire family to keep your bedroom doors closed at night.
People with OCD have been known to repeatedly check locks to ensure that they are properly bolted. The person who checks knows that they have checked the lock, but feels it is important to check again just in case. The person may check locks on doors, they may check window latches, or car door locks.
There are no disadvantages to locking your door at night, however some people might feel a bit more anxious about getting out of the house in an emergency.
According to sex educator and therapist, Shirley Zussman, the answer's pretty simple: Lock your doors. Zussman advises, "In my opinion, parents' bedroom doors should always be closed, not just for lovemaking. Even at an early age, children can be taught to respect privacy and to knock before entering a room."
Closing your bedroom door before you go to sleep will substantially improve your chances of surviving a fire in your home. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the number of home fires decreases when people go to sleep.
It also significantly keeps carbon monoxide levels down. By limiting a fire's ability to spread, closing your bedroom door at night also gives you more time to react when the smoke alarm goes off. And these days, every second counts.
This particular case may have been an instance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by an uncontrollable checking behavior and recurring, bothersome thoughts. However, many of us are exposed to sudden bursts of uncertainty.
Dr. Basora-Rovira says there is no specific age that is “too old” for co-sleeping. She encourages parents to not begin practicing co-sleeping in the first place. And, if you are already co-sleeping with your child, to transition him or her out of your bed and into his or her own room as soon as possible.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should sleep in their parents' room—but not in the same bed—for at least the first six months of life, ideally for the whole year, to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by as much as 50 percent.
While it's not illegal for them to share, it's recommended that children over the age of 10 should have their own bedrooms – even if they're siblings or step-siblings. We know this isn't always possible.
Age at Onset
OCD usually begins before age 25 years and often in childhood or adolescence. In individuals seeking treatment, the mean age of onset appears to be somewhat earlier in men than women.
The exact cause of OCD is unknown. Children with OCD don't have enough of a chemical called serotonin in their brain. Obsessive symptoms include repeated doubts and extreme preoccupation with dirt or germs. Compulsive behaviors include hoarding objects and checking things often.
Primarily obsessional OCD has been called "one of the most distressing and challenging forms of OCD." People with this form of OCD have "distressing and unwanted thoughts pop into [their] head frequently," and the thoughts "typically center on a fear that you may do something totally uncharacteristic of yourself, ...
You can get it under control and become recovered but, at the present time, there is no cure. It is a potential that will always be there in the background, even if it is no longer affecting your life.
Some people have a superstition that sleeping with your feet facing the door is bad for your health because dead bodies are taken out of a room feet first. Some people also have a superstitious fear of being dragged out feet first by ghosts and spirits.
The single most effective way to avoid Carbon Dioxide build-up is to keep windows open while you sleep. This allows fresh oxygen in, as well as allowing Carbon Dioxide to escape naturally. Another important factor in choosing to keep windows open at night is for temperature control or thermoregulation.