Many people choose to protect their homes with security alarms, complete with cameras and motion sensors. They’re certainly not a bad idea, but they’re definitely not a guarantee of your safety. At least, not in the same way a bedroom security door can be.
What ends up happening with home security systems is that they’re used improperly, which makes them less effective. Residents set them off accidentally by venturing outside a specified zone, opening the door before disarming the alarm (because they forgot), or the dog is tripping the motion sensors. For all of these reasons (and more), homeowners tend to turn the alarm off when they’re home, leaving them entirely unprotected.
Before long, the alarm is only used when the residents leave for the day, or the evening, or when they’re on vacation. And if that’s the case, the alarm is actually just protecting your stuff.
We understand that some of your possessions are incredibly important to you — your computer might store valuable work, your grandmother’s jewelry is in your bedroom, the art on your walls would certainly be worth something to someone in-the-know. But unequivocally, the most important thing in your house is your family.All of this begs the question: if your home security alarm is only armed when you’re not there, what’s actually protecting you? 
Furthermore, what’s protecting you while you’re sleeping and otherwise unaware of your surroundings?Given this line of thinking, it may be unsurprising that one of our most common client requests is our Sanctuary™ System — and in most cases, they specifically want to fortify their bedroom. This allows them to sleep more soundly at night, knowing that they are completely, entirely protected. No one is getting through their bedroom security door or windows. Let’s talk about why clients typically request their bedroom to be fortified, how this system works, and why it will help you sleep like a baby.
The Vital Importance of Sleep
We hear stories about how important sleep is all the time — from doctors, random articles online or in the newspaper, or from our well-meaning family when they’re chiding us for not sleeping enough. Why we need sleep so badly is frustrating for those of us who are hyperactive, have ambitious goals, or simply like to be awake and experiencing life in all its glorious chaos. While the question of why we need sleep remains a partial mystery, the fact that we do need it is irrefutable. Scientists know with certainty that sleep is essential: “Sleep serves to reenergize the body’s cells, clear waste from the brain, and support learning and memory.” In short, sleep is like a spa day for our brains. It’s the time when our brains dump the needless stuff we haven’t used in years (like Algebra) and repurpose the space to store the information we still need.We literally need sleep so our brains can function on a higher level — or any level at all, for that matter. When we suffer from sleep deprivation or deficiency, we have more trouble making decisions, regulating our emotions and behavior, and even processing simple information. Surely, you’ve experienced this in some way or another, snapping at someone for a silly mistake or forgetting something important that you were reminded of multiple times.Lack of sufficient, quality sleep can lead to increased anxiety and depression, which isn’t really any wonder — your brain simply cannot cope with the realities of your life. 
Not only is sleep essential for our brains, but for the rest of our bodies as well. Sleep (quite literally) has healing powers, working to repair tissue and vessels. The rest of your body gets to rest, which means it can focus on more pressing matters. Those who don’t get enough sleep are at a higher risk of heart and kidney disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and stroke.Sleep also helps regulate important hormones, such as the ones that make you feel full after eating and the one that controls your blood sugar. Not getting sufficient rest makes it difficult for your body to judge when you’re actually full while eating a meal. Alternatively, your body may tell you you’re hungry when you’re actually not. Therefore, lack of sleep is often linked to obesity and diabetes.
Getting Restful Sleep
Doctors and other relevant experts tell us we should sleep eight hours each night. (Seriously, how many of us actually get eight hours of sleep?) The average adult is unlikely to hit that marker.Furthermore — even if we’re actually in bed attempting to sleep for eight hours — how many of us get eight restful hours of sleep?The negative effects of sleep deprivation and deficiency can also manifest when the sleep you are managing to get doesn’t include enough deep sleep. The REM portion of the sleep cycle is when your body is getting its best rest. If you’re laying down for eight hours, but only getting 30 minutes of REM sleep, you still might be exhausted in the morning. If you wake up every morning still tired, you may be experiencing something like this, and if the reason you can’t seem to get restful sleep is because of anxiety or fear for your safety, a bedroom security door is a first step toward changing that pattern.
How a Bedroom Security Door Helps You Sleep Better
Shutting Down Your Primitive Brain
Tens of thousands of years ago, our ancestors couldn’t afford to be caught unaware. Their very survival required alertness and strength. Neanderthals needed to be able to fight off whatever threat was looming, whether it was in the middle of the night or the bright sunshine of the day, or otherwise outrun it. In the 21st century — millennia after cavemen fought for daily survival — this instinct has not left our primitive brains. Now, experts call it the Fight-or-Flight response. When we’re lying in bed at night, trying to sleep, we’re at our most vulnerable. Because we’re not awake, our brains aren’t as attuned to potential danger, but they’re still paying attention to our surroundings. If we hear a noise, if someone touches us, if we can’t breathe — if anything at all seems out of the ordinary, our brains wake us up.For those who have endured threats of physical violence, shutting down that primitive part of their brains can be nearly impossible. Some resort to sleeping pills to get a restful night’s sleep, while others can’t fathom being knocked out too hard. If you’re missing out on too much sleep, eventually, you’ll just crash. But in the meantime, your physical and mental health will suffer, and so will your job performance.
Creating a Sanctuary™
Broadly speaking, we have two types of clients: those interested in gorgeous doors and windows, and those interested in high security doors and windows. Of course, we can accomplish both tasks at the same time. 
To help our clients get more restful sleep, we developed a Sanctuary™ System. Altogether, it includes a high security bedroom door, high security windows, hardening technology on your walls, and state-of-the-art technology that allows you to manage the system via a tablet.The Sanctuary™ Management System is written using a Crestron base (though it’s compatible with many systems) and is housed on a dedicated tablet. From there, you can see the status of your security door, lock and unlock it, and view or record using our PerfectVision™ Stealth peephole camera.Furthermore, you can include an extra layer of security through facial recognition technology, which can be used to allow entry through your high security bedroom door if you permit it. Obviously, you’d be able to enter whenever you want, but you can set restrictions for anyone else.For example, if your housekeeper comes on Mondays and Thursdays, but you only want her to enter your bedroom on Mondays, you can make that happen. You simply program her facial recognition profile to allow her entry at a certain time on Mondays. (It’s incredibly easy. You can do it yourself — we promise.)With the full system, we can tell you with certainty that no one is getting into your bedroom without permission. And if someone tries, you’ll be notified via the Sanctuary™ Management System. With the right options included, it can take a picture of the person trying to enter whenever the facial recognition scanner is active.It’s the perfect solution for people who struggle to get a good night’s sleep, whether that’s because they can’t shut their Fight-or-Flight Response down or because there is a true and credible threat looming.The entire system (always customized for your unique needs) can be installed together, or you can opt for pieces and parts. We’d always recommend a high security bedroom door, but beyond that, you can pick and choose. You don’t even have to do it all at once. If you want to start with the door and expand beyond that, we can do that, too.
Reimagining the Panic Room
The other main draw of our Sanctuary™ System is that it allows your bedroom to double as a panic room. While panic rooms aren’t as in-demand as they once were, a specific subset of people still request them — and in many cases, there is a direct overlap between the people who need panic rooms and our client base.All in all, panic rooms are awful additions to your home. They’re typically cramped, windowless boxes that waste valuable space in your floor plan. When you think about it, you’re spending an awful lot of square footage on a room that you hope to never be in. Wouldn’t that space be better utilized as a powder room? Or a large window to let light in where you could create a reading nook?
This is all the more reason to turn your bedroom into a fortress and skip the dedicated panic room. Your bedroom is probably already set up to be a place where you relax, from the paint color to your favorite scents to the books on your nightstand. Why not put a high security door (and windows) in place so you have somewhere to go in an emergency?While we hope it never comes to that, it’s a reality that some people have to accept. So if you’re ever in that position, we want you to have a place to go where you feel safe and secure, rather than panicked and terrified.
A Better Night’s Sleep, One Door at a Time
We have multiple clients who have told us how much our Sanctuary™ System has positively impacted their lives. Not only do they love the way their high security bedroom doors and windows look, but they’re sleeping better than they have in years. One client who’d been physically threatened for many years told us that after installing our Sanctuary™ Management System (complete with security windows and a door), she was finally able to sleep soundly. It wasn’t overnight, or even within a week, but as her brain began to accept that no one was getting to her in her bedroom, she not only slept for longer stretches, but the quality of her sleep improved. For the first time in years, she woke up feeling rested. It’s entirely possible to shut down that primitive part of your brain enough to sleep restfully at night, but it takes a lot of practice. With effective security measures in place, you can get there a bit faster.Our bedroom security doors are more luxurious versions of adults buying weighted blankets, or how babies love being swaddled, or even animals feeling comforted by thunder shirts. It makes them feel safer, more relaxed, and more able to get restful sleep. No, of course you won’t be putting the door on top of you (they’re very heavy — they would crush you), but the concept in this case is similar. You’re creating an environment in which you feel completely safe. And we all deserve that, don’t we?To learn more about how we use our bedroom security doors and windows to create a Sanctuary™, give us a call. We’d love to talk to you about your security needs, and how our technology can help you fortify your home. If you’re in the area, we’d love for you to make an appointment to view our showroom! (This kind of Italian craftsmanship is something you have to see to believe.)We look forward to hearing from you!
