Nyctophobia: What to Know about Your Child's Fear of the Dark

Fear of the dark, or nyctophobia, is common, especially in children. If your child is afraid of the dark, you know how disruptive it is. A fear of darkness affects a child's bedtime routine and makes falling and staying asleep challenging. Many children naturally outgrow this fear. However, if your child's fears are intense or long-lasting, they should be addressed. Therapy is an effective way to manage a fear of darkness.

Here, we look closely at nyctophobia, its causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

What is a Phobia?

To better understand nyctophobia, it is helpful to understand what a phobia is in general. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a phobia is an uncontrollable, irrational, and lasting fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. Individuals with phobias have elevated anxiety and fear when exposed to what they fear. The fear may be of an activity, object, person, animal, or situation (something specific). For some, even thinking or hearing about what they fear causes anxiety.

In children, specific phobias may involve animals, aspects of the natural environment (including darkness), and blood or injections (vaccines) are most common. Facing one's fear can cause an immediate and intense reaction. In children, this may manifest as crying, throwing a tantrum, shutting down, freezing, or clinging intensely to a parent. Specific phobias are diagnosed when fear persists for six months or longer and causes significant problems or avoidance.

What Is Nyctophobia?

Nyctophobia is a phobia of the dark. In some ways, it makes sense that a lack of light and visual stimulus creates fear, stress, and a feeling of uncertainty. Many young children develop fears surrounding the dark because it evokes feelings of unfamiliarity, vulnerability, and lack of control. Young children have active imaginations and may easily spin stories about creatures lurking under beds or in closets.

For most children, this fear of darkness passes once they understand there is nothing to fear when the lights go out. Parents often wonder when a child should stop being afraid of the dark. Unfortunately, sometimes, the answer to that question is that the fear of darkness can linger and become a phobia. Unaddressed nyctophobia can endure for years. Many adults fear the dark. For example, a study from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that about half of all adults with insomnia fear the dark.

How Common Is Nyctophobia?

About 40% of the population will experience a specific fear. Approximately 10% of people have phobias that endure throughout life. One study found that 43% of children aged 6-12 experienced specific fears. Of these children, fear of the dark was one of the most common. Research shows that about 2% of children experience a persistent darkness phobia.

Other fears commonly experienced by children include the fear of:

• Large dogs.
• Fire.
• Heights.
• Thunder.
• Kidnappers, robbers, or war 
• Loss, separation, and death manifest around preschool age in most children 

What Causes a Child to be Afraid of the Dark?

Experts aren't sure what causes specific phobias like nyctophobia. Phobias are thought to be caused by a combination of factors, including genetics and environment. Many people with fears have experienced a traumatic or stressful event involving what they fear.

Many children experience a fear of the dark at one time or another. It is not clear why some children develop nyctophobia while others do not. Some contributing factors may include:

• A genetic predisposition to fear and anxiety.
• Having at least one parent who lives with anxiety.
• Experiencing a stressful or traumatic event like hospitalization, death in the family, or family separation

What are the Triggers of Nyctophobia?

Often, nyctophobia is caused by a difficult or traumatic experience that happened in the dark or at nighttime. Possible scenarios include a child:

• Waking up from a bad dream and being alone.
• Getting lost outside at night.
• Remembering their parents saying goodbye to them at night and experiencing separation anxiety
• Crying out at night for a parent to comfort them and not receiving the comfort they requested
• Watching a scary movie at night or learning about a frightening news story that occurred at night.

While the child does not always consciously think about the original event that caused their fear of the dark, when the lights go out, or when a child thinks about nighttime or darkness, their fear is triggered. Some describe nyctophobia and other specific phobias as a kind of post-traumatic stress reaction.

Nyctophobia Symptoms in Kids

The symptoms of nyctophobia vary between individuals. Usually, symptoms appear soon after a child faces the idea of darkness or bedtime or when the light goes out. The child may protest going to sleep or ask to keep the lights on. Nyctophobia in children is strongly associated with sleep issues like trouble falling asleep and disrupted bedtime routines. 

Children with nyctophobia may experience many symptoms people with specific phobias face, such as:

• Nausea.
• Lightheadedness.
• Labored breathing.
• Racing heartbeat.
• Fears that don't match the danger presented by the situation.
• Avoiding situations involving fear stimulus.

Help for Parents 

It is usual for parents with children who experience nyctophobia to wonder, how do I stop my child from fearing the dark? and struggle with questions like, how do I get my child to stop being scared at night? The good news for parents whose children have nyctophobia is that the condition is treatable. Phobias in children are usually treated with therapy, typically cognitive behavioral therapy, which includes a focus on exposures that support children in gradually facing their fear. Children may also be taught relaxation methods. Occasionally, melatonin supplements or medication is prescribed. Let's look closer at some common treatments for nyctophobia.

Treatments for Nyctophobia

The good news for parents whose children have nyctophobia is that the condition is very treatable. Phobias for children are usually treated with therapy, typically cognitive behavioral therapy or exposure therapy. Children may also be taught relaxation methods. Occasionally, medication may be prescribed. 

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Let’s look at the common treatments for nyctophobia.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a type of therapy that teaches a child to become more aware of their thoughts and feelings and how they affect their behaviors and emotions. The therapist teaches your child strategies for managing their thoughts and feelings effectively.

Exposure Therapy

A crucial part of CBT treatment, exposure therapy for nyctophobia, consists of a child gradually and in a controlled environment being introduced to the thing that they fear. Doing so desensitizes the child to the stimulus (in this case, darkness). One study found that exposure therapy is 80-90% effective at treating phobias.  

Relaxation Techniques

Kids receive help from learning relaxation techniques to cope with their fears. These relaxation techniques may include breathing, mindfulness, therapeutic movements, and activities like journaling and managing emotions through art and play. These strategies provide a sense of mastery when facing fears.

Medication

Phobias aren't typically managed with medications, but in some instances, pharmaceuticals can help when combined with therapy. Your care team will tell you about medicines used for children with phobias.

Not all children who fear darkness require treatment. If your child's fears aren't interfering with bedtime or daily life, you can wait to see if the fear passes. Almost all children experience a fear of the dark at one time or another, and most of the time, the fear fades.

However, suppose your child has a persistent fear of the dark that causes difficulty sleeping or resisting going to bed. Your child may try to avoid situations where they might be in the dark. In that case, it may be time to seek help.

A licensed therapist can help in figuring out if a child's nyctophobia symptoms are severe enough to require more intervention. Fortunately, there are proven treatments available to manage nyctophobia.

Start with a free consultation from a licensed Handspring Health therapist today to get help for a child with a fear of the dark.