What items do you keep on your bedside table for convenience or emergencies?

Next to my digital clock, I keep a bottle of water or a sports drink, ChapStick, a D-Cell MAG-LITE, and a glow stick ready to open, break, and shake as a backup for the flashlight.

In no particular order:

• Glasses — I don’t wear them often due to contact lenses, but I do want to be able to put them on immediately at need
• Readers — I’ve reached that stage in life, if I’m reading or whatever before taking out my contact lenses for the night
• Lamp — on a timer when we’re out of town
• Flashlight
• Phone, plugged in to charge — I have an especially long cable to facilitate pre-sleep phone usage
• Noise masking sleep buds in their charger case, which I leave plugged in
• Tissues
• Water bottle
• Pistol — This is my EDC weapon, in its holster, in a rapid access pistol safe

Glasses
Two flashlights
Assorted reading matter
Cellphone, on charge
Cordless phone, on charge
Emergency painkilling tablets, not for regular use.

Immediately adjacent but not actually on the table.
Shoes, slippers, bathrobe.
walking stick
Cat

I don´t have a bedside table per se but around my bed is:

24 inch baton
Rondel dagger
A spear
A variety of small flashlights

Then I have 2inch wide glow-in-dark tape on strategic places;
On the table where I put my glasses for the night
The end of a cupboard so I don´t bump in to it at night if nature calls
On the protective case of my phone

So my small apartment is full of glowing spots in the dark

Some of you mentioned glasses. I usually keep mine on my desk, although that has not always been the case.

Stuff that stays there

Tissue
Scissors
Kleen Kanteen straw (only used when have a serious cough and want to drink without risk of spillage)

Usual EDC items get put there

Nalgene
Swiss Army Knife
Flashlight & Headlamp
Bic Lighter
Phone

Bedside table drawer

Lithium primary batteries for the lights
Painkillers
Wallet & keys

The kit for greeting unwelcome visitors
- LED flashlite on brightest setting
- a can of OC gel animal repellent (anti person version is not allowed here)
- Böker AF knife

personal kit
- hickory cane
- cell phone
- canteen with water
- titanium mug (wont break if it gets dropped)
- keys

The chair holds clothing items in sequence for putting on

Inexpensive alternative to the Kanteen straw - a wash bottle similar to this -

https://www.amazon.com/Melphoe-Succulent-Watering-Irrigation-Sprinkling/dp/B09K7LSK6Z/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2HV8018BDRO8J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8IZR6ABPAyyZYWdu6KZbzL40ZmIBOFAAjUpESThTQTq7k_3nFjSjxbtyb8_vvQcVmTMIRDl9af7bgA1xMK940pkI79HnArB6K_MCkwhDi03AIoOxfnZW1zj0U644zR1AD3C0klOI4LpzwPZMYnoJyE9_1MHww710QQSN64mpfzdFhHdWIpTu1a6LiJlQFX91PIniSwPhE0IP9PPArEcoZsF1lLXBOTxxDCo3gvSwdw0.DR1hBgaw9FsAWaFgskgjK66411_S0Gudsz5d9x0TE3k&dib_tag=se&keywords=wash+bottle&qid=1733748178&sprefix=wash+bo%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-6

The straws weren't that expensive at the time, got them in a brick & mortar store locally. Mainly to prevent burning lip on a hot cup camping.

Can get a 4 pack for £8.

I don't have a conventional nightstand but a set of wire shelving, with one shelf set at about the level you'd have a table. On it I keep glasses, a flashlight, two clocks, a phone, an HK P30 in .40 cal and a carbine in 5.56 NATO set up with a WML and an Aimpoint.