How to overcome fear of the dark

Are you afraid of the dark? Do you panic at night? Fear of the dark is quite normal in childhood. However, not treating it properly can lead to a phobia. If this is your case, in this article you will find some strategies to overcome that fear.

The fear of the dark or nyctophobia is an irrational fear of the night or dark spaces, generated by a distorted perception of the brain of what could happen in those circumstances. Actually, In the fear of the dark, it is not the night itself that scares you, but the risks that you imagine you are taking.

In adults, the fear of the dark should be treated as a phobia.. This fear usually comes from specific traumatic memories that occurred in the dark or from unresolved childhood terrors.

Strategies to overcome fear of the dark

To overcome the fear of the dark you have to alleviate the pain of times past, usually from our childhood. Facing your fear rationally is the way to overcome it. You can do it by following the following strategies:

1. Turn off the light voluntarily

People who suffer from nyctophobia are usually tired and sleepy. This is because Sleep is much more restful if you sleep in the dark. Even dim light prevents deep sleep. The problem is that this tiredness can accentuate the feeling of fear.

People with a fear of the dark can begin to gradually reduce the light at bedtime. By doing it little by little, over several days, it is easier to get used to it and get used to the idea, while working on the rest of the strategies.

2. Find a moment of relaxation to be in the dark during the day

Daytime can also provide the opportunity to be in the dark. Find a relaxed moment and voluntarily stay in a dark room. Play relaxing music and try to think about something positive.

The advantage of this formula is that you can control the time you spend in the dark and, when you are done, you can enjoy the natural light, which is very comforting and stimulating. But remember that It should be a personal choice and you should increase the time little by little as you feel more confident.

3. Challenge your own fears

The fear of the dark is not the fear of the lack of light, but of the thoughts that occupy your mind.

4. Control your body

Imagination can stimulate fear, but it needs your body to collude with the fantasies in your mind. so that fear takes over you. Therefore, even if you cannot control your thoughts, you can control your body.

One way to control the body is to stop breathing and move for a few seconds. This is what we do unconsciously when we want to get away from an uncomfortable situation without being seen.

After a few seconds, avoid the usual panting that follows these situations and control your breathing by exhaling the air strongly, as if in a sigh. This stimulates the heart and brings you back to reality. In addition, this way of breathing, exhaling slowly and strongly, relaxes.

Breathing slowly, focusing on inhaling and exhaling slowly and with control will also help you control panic attacks and fear of the dark, and It will help you enter dark areas in a controlled manner.

5. Change your concept of “darkness”

As you learn to feel relaxed in dark environments, to control your impulses in the absence of light and to sleep with less light, you will be able to change your concept of darkness as something beneficial for you. The darkness will go from being an area of ​​negativity to becoming an opportunity to rest and relax.

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