Why We’re Afraid of the Dark

People of all ages are afraid of the dark; but why?

Achluophobia, Nyctophobia, Scotophobia, and Lygophobia are all words to describe one common fear- the dark. According to http://www.statisticbrain.com/fear-phobia-statistics/ it is the fourth most common fear in the United States, behind public speaking, death, and spiders. This study also explains that at least 11% of Americans suffer from this fear.

Most likely you know what being afraid of the dark is, but do you really know what it means? The fear of the dark isn't necessarily the lack of light, but the fear of the unknown. When you can’t see what is going on around, you tend to make it up, scaring yourself even more. This has many negative effects on people, physically and mentally.

Insomnia is one of the various health affects this fear can cause. This is because when a person is afraid of the dark, they have trouble falling asleep, eventually resulting in insomnia. Insomnia is when you are unable to sleep, or the habit of having trouble falling asleep. Some symptoms of insomnia include; daytime sleepiness but the inability to sleep at night, lack of concentration, slowness in activity, depression, headache, and/or irritability. This makes the person suffering affected in both a physical and mental sense, meaning the fear is deeper then just being scared.

All in all, many people are afraid of the dark. This is because of what people imagine happening around them when they can not see their surroundings. This can cause negative health effects, one being insomnia. This is a common fear that affects people of all ages.

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