How to get rid of the fear of the dark: useful tips

Every person, regardless of age, gender and social status has their own fears. Even a full-grown adult man, easily cracking down on a gang of bullies in the gateway, can be afraid of something unusual. Fear of heights, spiders, confined space, or water can restrain movement, leading to a panic state. Especially often people suffer from the fear of the dark. After all, darkness is the unknown, in which anything can happen. Our violent fantasy can transform dark shapes into scary monsters, and barely noticeable lights can turn into the eyes of a formidable monster. But how to get rid of this fear? Can you overcome the fear of the dark by yourself? Let's try to figure everything out.

Why do we fear the dark

Fear of the dark is called niktofobiya. Over time, if this psychological state of a person is not treated, it can progress.Such patients can not sleep without light, any dimly lit room seems to them uncomfortable. But why does this fear arise?

1. Man is a social being. We are accustomed to see everything, manage everything, control everything. If a person does not see well-lit objects around him, he panics, due to lack of control and ignorance.
2. Human visual vision is arranged in such a way that the eye perceives only solid objects. If for some reason we do not see the object completely, the eye subconsciously “draws” this object. A person's imagination is rich, so objects can be drawn as you like.
3. Since ancient times, man is not accustomed to living in the dark. All the senses are developed to work in the daytime. During the day, a man would hunt, get food for himself, and at night he would hide in a shelter. That is why darkness is subconsciously associated with danger.
4. Sometimes the fear of darkness is due to some events. Perhaps in the darkness of someone someone scared. Here you can often meet fears coming from childhood. One reckless phrase of the mother “A monster will now leave the dark room and eat you” can give rise to serious fears in a child’s head, which is very difficult to cope with even in adulthood.

Whatever the fear and whatever it is caused, it must be fought. You can not turn a blind eye to your anxiety, you need to act!

How to get rid of niktofobii

1. First, decide what you are afraid of. In the afternoon, in a relaxed atmosphere, try to talk to yourself frankly - what exactly scares you? What will the monster grab you for? Or will thieves rush into your apartment? Or maybe you are afraid of an earthquake? Every fear has its own nature and in order to suppress it, it is necessary to fight its origin.
2. If you are afraid that strangers will break into your apartment, be sure to close the doors to all the locks. Believe me, do not break through such a defense. If you are afraid of earthquakes, read the rules of action in emergency situations.
3. Often, many fears are tied to otherworldly objects. It seems to us that on the wall the outlines of a hand with long fingers stand out or we see the silhouette of a stranger in the doorway. Understand that all this - the objects of your imagination. Most often, such fears arise after watching a horror movie. No need to watch such movies if you suffer from niktophobia. And especially, do it before bedtime.
4. If you can't sleep at all in the dark, buy a night light. He does not spend a lot of electricity, does not interfere with sleep. But light illumination creates that there are no prerequisites for various kinds of fears.
5. If you see a terrible "mug" on the wall, try to remember it. In the morning, look at the place where you saw the frightening vision. Perhaps in the dark it looks like a pattern on the wallpaper or the shadow of a tree. In the daytime, fear will seem causeless to you.
6. To defeat your fear, you need to laugh at him. Look at the parodies of famous horror films - they are incredibly funny and fascinating.
7. To not think about the bad, you need to unwind. Read a good book with a happy ending, talk to loved ones, watch a good TV show. Music will help calm down and relieve anxiety. Go to bed with your favorite songs and melodies in your headphones and the alarm will evaporate.
8. If you are frightened by incomprehensible noises, try to deal with them. If none of the households can hear them, record them on a dictaphone. Sometimes the cause of strange sounds can be a simple mouse or creaking floorboards in the next apartment. Having learned the cause of the sounds, the fear will evaporate.
9. To have less time left for fear, create a comfortable sleep environment. The temperature in the room should be about 22 degrees. It has been proven that sleep in a cool air is much stronger and more lasting.
10. To calm down before bedtime, you can meditate, take a bath with a decoction of soothing herbs, use aroma oils.
11. Do not think about the bad, occupy your thoughts with pressing problems. Think about what you will do tomorrow, what you will take with you on vacation and how you will spend the next holiday.
12. To sleep was deep, exclude any possibility of daytime rest. If you sleep in the afternoon, it will be much more difficult to fall asleep in the evening, at this time the fear of the dark will just torture you. And you need to go to bed no later than 22 hours - at this time the body is most ready to go to bed.
13. If you become unbearably scary - sit on the bed and start breathing deeply. A large dose of oxygen entering the body can activate vital processes and minimize fear.

These simple tips will help you relax and sleep well all night. But what if a child suffers from nyctophobia?

How to help your child get rid of the fear of the dark

Most often this happens with children who, because of their age, were moved to their own separate room. If this is your case, do not chop off everything on the vine, do it gradually. Having settled in his room, the baby should not know that he is left alone. At first, read fairy tales to your child and stay close to him until he falls asleep. Do not forget to leave the night light on for the night so that the baby will not be frightened when he wakes up at night alone.

Be sure to give the child a toy that the baby will take with him to bed. If the crumb in fear came running to you at night in bed - do not drive it. Let me be safe under my mother's wing. You can buy a child in the room a special night light with stars and the moon, which will distract the child from fears and anxieties. And do not ridicule the fears of the child in any case. You are the closest person for your baby, to whom, if not you can trust him?

Fear of the dark most often occurs in childhood. If he is not treated and does not fight him, he goes into adulthood, often leading a person to panic attacks. If the fear grows and you cannot cope with it yourself, you need to contact a psychotherapist.He will find out the true cause of your fears and help you understand your emotions.

Video: how to overcome nicothobia as a child