How Safe Is Your Nighttime Routine?
Most home emergencies happen between 10 PM and 6 AM. This assessment evaluates your nighttime safety across lighting, security, accessibility, and emergency preparedness.
Falls, medical emergencies, and break-ins are more dangerous at night — especially for people living alone. This 10-question assessment evaluates your nighttime safety and helps you identify simple changes that can make a big difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is nighttime safety especially important?
Most home emergencies — including falls, medical events like strokes and heart attacks, and break-ins — happen between 10 PM and 6 AM. During these hours, you're less alert, the environment is darker, help takes longer to arrive, and if you live alone, no one may know something is wrong until much later.
What's the most important nighttime safety change I can make?
If you live alone, the single most important thing is ensuring someone will know if something goes wrong. A medical alert system or ImAlive's daily check-in means that if you don't respond by a set time, your emergency contacts are notified. After that, adding nightlights to prevent falls is the next highest-impact change.
Are nightlights really that important?
Yes. Falls are the leading cause of injury for adults over 65, and many happen during nighttime trips to the bathroom. A simple plug-in nightlight or motion-sensor light in the hallway and bathroom can reduce your fall risk significantly. They cost just a few dollars and could prevent a life-changing injury.
How does ImAlive help with nighttime safety?
ImAlive sends you a daily check-in. If you don't respond by the scheduled time, your designated contacts are alerted. This means that if something happens overnight — a fall, a medical event, or any emergency — someone will know within hours, not days. For people living alone, this can be the difference between a quick recovery and a tragedy.
What should I keep on my bedside table for nighttime safety?
Keep your fully charged phone within arm's reach so you can call for help without getting up. A small flashlight is essential for power outages. If you take medications, keep a water bottle nearby. Eyeglasses should be in a consistent spot so you do not have to search for them in the dark. Some people also keep a whistle on the nightstand as a low-tech way to signal for help if they fall near the bed and cannot reach the phone.
← Back to Loneliness & Connection Assessment
Take Action
Related Topics
Get Started in 2 Minutes
Download I'm Alive today and give yourself and your loved ones peace of mind. It's completely free.
Free forever • No credit card required • iOS & Android