Are you afraid of the dark?

[OldAndWornOut]

Last night i walked the 5 minutes home from a friends, at around midnight.

I'm becoming increasingly uneasy when doing this, as I'm aware my sight isn't that great, then a started to think of every other thing about me that wouldn't increase my chances of running away, should anything happen.

Sadly, I think I'm getting to the point of being someone who doesn't venture out after dark.

Am I alone in feeling like this, and are you afraid of the dark; indoors or out?
And why?

Yes!
Outdoors I would be scared of some nutter jumping out on me, indoors the same plus every horror film I’ve ever seen suddenly comes to mind and I find myself creeping around listening for suspicious noises with every light on.

I always wonder how many people with a cellar would really go down there in the dead of night to check out a noise without having at least a pang of thinking "what if there really was some unspeakable terror down there?"

OP, you’re talking about two different things. Obviously, being afraid of the dark in your bed room is irrational, but you were walking alone, late at night, with poor sight and bad hearing, and wearing shoes you couldn’t run in, if needed — depending on the territory, that seems a rational thing to be afraid of and to avoid in future.

Personally, I often walk in the fields in the early hours on moonlight nights, but I’m not in any danger, and I’m certainly not nervous.

Yes, I realise I need to be much more aware of puting myself at risk in future.

Only walking in the woods behind my house. People don’t worry me because there are none.

DH freaked me out one night by turning on a torch and shone it around. There were so many sets of eyes staring back, hunting us.

I have learned blue reflective eyes are predators green are prey

I feel uneasy walking alone In the dark especially if it's after a night out so I don't. I don't allow my friends to either and will insist on a taxi or someone meeting them.

Sometimes inside because I'm alone at night but I have a German shepherd who barks at an offensive leaf blowing outside never mind a strange person lol so I feel much safer.

I'm another rare one that loves the dark. Up until recently I used to prefer the nights when they started to draw and I used to love going out on my bike at night

It's interesting what you say Op about not being as afraid from your 20-40s and so I'm wondering if it will change for me as I get older, I'm late 40s. I already don't like cycling in the dark when I used to love it.

I feel quite upset that the dark side of life has gradually closed off to me.
It always felt very freeing to wander around unfettered at night.

Outside on my own I'd be wary but if with DH / others I'd be ok.

Indoors I love the dark. I used to shut myself in storage cupboards when I was younger.

I could not walk down to the end of our back garden in the dark on my own.
It's quite long, not overlooked and has big trees at the end.
It's strange then that I like to sleep in the dark- I can't bear lights on.
Since getting my eyes lasered the dark is now darker iykwim.
As a child I was scared of the dark, scared of what might be under the bed, in the wardrobe etc. Non sympathetic Mum and Dad.
I am a scaredy cat

Totally depends where you are. Walking home in South London at 1am on my own I'd be pretty scared, walking home in my little village less so. We have a big garden backing onto fields and I love standing out there in the middle of the night gazing up at the stars. Running at dusk in the woods is one of my favourite things to do, I'm both scared and exhilarated in equal measures xx

No I'm not scared of the dark. Where we used to live the street lights went off at 12am which I liked as then my bedroom was really dark and if you looked at the sky you could see so many stars.

Where we live now the street lights stay on all night. Luckily there is not one too close to our house so it is still pretty dark in our bedroom

I never leave a light on overnight and if I have to get up in the night, which is very rare admittedly, I never turn a light on.

I know lots of my neighbours leave a light on all night. I can understand if they have children but otherwise I find it a bit odd especially as, because of the street lights, it is never totally black

Oh I can imagine how the dusk runs must feel..
Not sure I would have ever been brave enough, but then you're much more equipped physically, I guess, than I am, to fend off someone/thing?

Oldandwornout not equipped really, I'm on high alert I suppose and I hope that the ability to run would help. I do get a bit scared sometimes, I walk and run alone all the time, but always in remote places and wear a tracker so my DH can see where I am. Take the dog too.

I'm a proper scaredy cat in the dark, both inside and outside - always have been!!!

I am not really scared of walking outside in the dark (if I know my surroundings) and have done so on many occasions.
Funnily enough though I am scared of looking out of windows in the dark! I am terrified of something looking back at me. I blame watching too many horrors

I like how dark our house is at night when I'm safely tucked up in bed but really not keen being out after dark. Low points have been having to go and deal with something for my horse and bumbling my way down a steep field in pyjamas and wellies at 11.30 at night, spooking the herd and having all of them gallop past me in the pitch black. Nobheads.

I love walking in the dark, there's hardly a soul about in our village. Midnight walks are most often a consequence of an evening of wine at a friend's house. All the street lights go out at 12.

One evening I was walking back quite late. There had been a few burglaries around about and as a consequence my eyes were peeled. There was a suspicious looking van crawling round the streets, it was going down the side streets and coming back again like someone looking for something/someone. In my slightly tipsy state I decided this was the burglar and I was Miss Marple. I started to stalk the van and managed to almost catch up. I ducked behind a bush, got my phone out for evidence and... It was the milkman

I’m not scared of the dark as such, more the ‘unknown’. I used to walk home a lot by myself in the early hours when I was younger and looking back now it was very stupid of me! I was lucky to rarely run into anyone, and whenever I did they seemed more scared to see me than I was them. It helps if you walk with your shoulders back and head up so you appear confident. Being on the phone to someone makes it safer too. I’ve got quite a few years worth of anger pent up and been weight training for a long time so I feel for anyone who tries to scare me!

Never ever thought about being scared of the dark.
If I have to walk in unlit streets I just do. But never have felt threatened around the house area or in town, even at weekends or late at night.
Maybe I'm just not aware of any potential issues!

I'm fine with the dark outside. I've been a nightshift worker so kind of used to having to live like a vampire and do things like the shopping and getting petrol at 2am otherwise it won't happen.

I hate the dark inside though. I'm the sort of person who turns the lights out downstairs and run off upstairs before the heeby geebys get me. Totally irrational I know.

I will happily walk over the moors in the dark. Give me a town, or even a large village and no bloody way.

Not in the slightest frightened of the dark but of the low lifes who might be hiding in it.

Strangely I don't really ever feel scared when outside in the dark.. But inside I do. I always like to have a bit of light. In my own home I'm OK but anywhere else I stay I really hate it being pitch black. Always leave a light on..

Outside alone yes
Outside in company no
We are lucky our back gardens just back onto others so it's pitch black out there. Is great for lying on the grass star gazing.

Inside it really depends.
If I'm alone yes it freaks me out.
However I HATE looking outside the windows at night. I have an irrational fear someone will be standing other side looking in.
One time I looked out the window and saw 3 green lights at the top of the garden. Dp was out so I freaked out convinced myself I was about to be abducted by aliens and hid in bed till dp came home.
Who then brought the plastic solar frogs down from the top of the garden which is what ide thought was aliens

Still wander the woods in the dark (mostly calling the cats in!) - have no fear except when I hear a branch snap and worry the boar might be about. But in urban areas - no way do I walk alone in the dark. That's scary.