To be scared of the dark?

[HomeIsWhereTheGinIs]

Massively ashamed of this. I rather supposed it would go away once I became a mother and most nights I'm fine but some nights (like tonight obviously), I become paranoid that there's some sort of evil being skulking around the house. Snap me put of it please - or are some of you the same?

[QuickSilverFairy]

Home, I am staring 50 in the face, mother of three children and I still sleep with either the lights or Telly on. My husband works overnight shift in EMS, so I am alone 4 nights out of the week. My house is very old and very creaky and I just know there is something lurking in the darkness...

Now, someone much more sensible will be along soon to suggest ways to combat this illogical fear.

[RandomNPC]

I'm a big bloke in my 40s, and I still have to put the hall light on at night

[MinnieM1]

Nope, I sleep with the bathroom light on and bedroom door open
And am utterly convinced that Ione night when I'm tending to a crying child in their room that something will grab my feet from under their bed

[Bulbasaur]

I used to be afraid of the dark.

Not to be dramatic, but I had a close brush with death and came to terms with my own mortality and realized there's far more frightening things than darkness.

Now I'm afraid of being alone.

[Bulbasaur]

I used to be afraid of the dark.

Not to be dramatic, but I had a close brush with death and came to terms with my own mortality and realized there's far more frightening things than darkness.

Now I'm afraid of being alone.

[FloozeyLoozey]

Nope in fact I can't stand any lights on/doors open when I sleep. As dark/quiet as possible please. I'm the only adult in the house every night.

[HomeIsWhereTheGinIs]

Glad to know I'm not alone! Minnie I have the same "under the bed" fear! And sometimes worry about looking in the (huge) mirror in DS' room when I'm sitting in the dark with him in case I make out an outline of someone/thing.... shudder. Stupid fear. It only happens every couple of months or so but it spells a sleepless night...

[Discopanda]

I can't sleep if it's completely dark, real phobia, if I need the loo in the middle of the night I can't look in the bathroom mirror (thanks Donnie Darko!) and have to run upstairs as quickly as I can. I've always been like it, possibly because of my over-active imagination but it got a lot worse when I was about 12 and our house was burgled.
I'm very relieved that I'm not the only grown up who is scared of the dark!

[opalstones]

I'm not scared of the dark, but petrified of falling down holes. Even in my own house, where there are no hole in the floor (funnily enough) I am really conscious of the floor when the lights are off. I tend to shuffle around in the dark as a result.

[MinnieM1]

I don't ever look in mirrors at night either, and I run up the stairs
I also never had a baby monitor in case I heard anything other than the baby in it
I blame horror films

[Discopanda]

I blame having older siblings! We used to terrorise each other growing up. My big sister used to watch the X Files and The Outer Limits and then tell me all the scariest plots from them and one time our mum was out (sister was babysitting) so we put towels over our heads, held lit candles and stood outside our brother's door making ghost noises and chanting.

[whathaveiforgottentoday]

Yes, always hated the dark. I'm slightly better than when I was younger but when I'm on my own I sleep with the lights on. I have to run up the stairs too and when spooked have been known to spend the whole night awake with my heart racing. Stupid phobia.

[BritFlop]

I'm the same, I'm ok if DP is here, but when alone I leave hall light on.

I also won't get a rocking chair in case it rocks itself!

[sparklysnowflake]

Nope, when DP used to work nights and was alone in the house I would sleep with a lamp on (and check under the bed before going to sleep...)

[silveroldie2]

I'm 69 and exactly the same - fortunately I live alone so my tv is left on all night. Whenever I have tried to sleep in the dark (eg sharing a bedroom with someone who can only sleep in the dark) I've always had screaming nightmares, waking everyone up.

[lacksdirection]

I'm the same too.
I'm also frightened of having to get up in the night when it's dark.
The thought of the smoke alarm going off in the night, even if it were a false alarm is actually quite terrifying, just because of the noise and having to get up and face it.
I spend more time than I should thinking of this and then convince myself it will happen because I have somehow 'willed' it to happen.

[LadyLuck10]

Yanbu, I had a weird morning so I know how you feel.

[QuickSilverFairy]

So glad to read other experiences! I must have some type of cover on in bed, regardless of temp, as I fear something will grab my feet. I never look into my living room at night as it seems menacing. I hate when I hear a noise when I am in bed at night and see my cat's have pricked their ears up..or are looking in the direction of the noise.

[Unescorted]

I go to sleep with the telly on.
I can't sit with my back to a window or door at night - this is due to a kid turning up to our back door one night with a shot gun. He had shot the family dog, run away with the gun and then got lost in the bush. He must have seen our lights on and knocked on - as you do. My mother was fantastically calm given the circumstances. I on the otherhand still have nightmares of gun toting teenagers.

[netty7070]

Fear of the dark is entirely rational really, our ancient ancestors would have been in potentially mortal danger every night, so it's hardwired into us.

[Royalsighness]

I'm scared of the dark too! It's where bad things hide!

[chopinbabe]

Until a few weeks ago, I always slept with the landing light on and the bedroom door open.

A few weeks ago, I sent off for a night light. I chose this particular design because online reviewers had commented that it was too bright for them.

I have plugged it in to the socket just outside the bedroom and it is reassuringly bright without disturbing others in the house in the same way that the landing light did.

I really cannot see a time when I will be able to be confident in the dark.

[crazykat]

I'm the same. I've seen too many horror movies about ghouls in the dark. I'm fine in my room in the dark, it's everything outside it.

Dd1 scared the life out of me once, she called me from her bed in the middle of the night, as I got to my door she was suddenly in front of me when I expected her to still be in bed. I jumped and screamed so much I woke dh .

I've never been able to sleep in the dark or quiet but luckily dh doesn't mind the TV on all night. I hate waking up in the dark, not out of fear I've just never liked it.

We leave the bathroom light on all night for me the dcs.

[dustarr73]

Im scared of the dark and also i wont look in mirrors in the dark either.Doesnt help matters im deaf in one ear so cant hear anything.And the kids love hopping out and saying boo.

[fluffyraggies]

It's funny, i cant stand a light on when i'm in bed trying to sleep, but i get the heeby-jeebies if i have to move around the house in the dark. I hate hate hate going downstairs when it's been all dark and still for a few hours. The lights all go on as i move through the house and then all go off again as i run go back up. (DH just marches about in the pitch dark if needs be. He poo poo's these fears!)

I hate that thing when you go to the loo in the dark because you're all sleepy and your imagination hasn't woken up ... and then sometime during being sat on the on the loo you realise you are sat there in the bloody pitch dark - with darkness all the way back to the bedroom - and you wish you weren't! You wish you'd put ONE of the darn lights on at least ... and then the good old imagination starts ... 'what if there is something on the stairs '............' aaaaagggghhhhhh

(one weird thing - i never get like that when i'm pregnant. I get up often in the night when expecting, but never ever get freaked out. I just bumble there and back in the dark without a care. odd.)