How many people are afraid of the dark

In general, symptoms of nyctophobia include:. Symptoms of more severe cases of nyctophobia include:. Nyctophobia has some diagnostic criteria that are common to all phobias, which distinguishes them from simple fears. The goal of therapy is to challenge fearful beliefs about the dark and reduce the severity of symptoms one experiences due to that fear. Many techniques for nyctophobia treatment are drawn from the cognitive-behavioral school of therapy.

The treatment plan your therapist suggests for you or your child may include:. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Levos J, Zachilli TL. Nyctophobia: from imagined to realistic fears of the dark. Psi Chi J Psychol Res.

Slade A. Imagining fear: attachment, threat, and psychic experience. Psychoanal Dialogues. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Washington DC; Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review. Your Privacy Rights. But be warned if sleeping with the light on is your coping mechanism.

Researchers at Ohio State University found that sleeping with the light on can be bad by affecting brain structure and raising the risk of depression, according to Stylist. Professor Colleen Carney of the Ryerson team told the magazine that, as with many fears, exposure therapy is the simplest solution.

It might take a while, but it eventually does," she said. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. For much of human history, dark meant danger, and fearing it meant taking precautions to stay safe.

Evolutionarily, it was an advantage. As they age, people typically learn to disregard that link in everyday life. Darkness can up the spook factor of a novel situation, but most of us eventually become comfortable enough to ditch the night-light in their own homes. Not all, though: In one U. But the connection to poor sleeping habits also makes it easy to mistake fear of the dark for other fears, or for more general anxiety.

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