Confession time. I’m twenty-three years old and I am still afraid of the dark – embarrassing, I know. My overactive imagination is mostly to blame. When the lights are off, every shadow is some kind of demon or ghost, every creak or squeak is some evil entity that's attempting to make its way into my bedroom, every draught is a spirit reaching towards me from the underworld, and if I dare to look into the darkness outside my window, there is almost definitely something out there that’s watching me. There is no room for rational thought. I lay awake, fully expecting to be murdered in my sleep until I finally wake up, not knowing when I fell asleep in the first place.
It’s expected for children to be afraid of the dark – if you never were, then I commend you! But, as a young adult, who has been through school, college and university, has a savings account, and has an average understanding of the real world, surely I’m too sensible to be afraid of the dark and the imaginary entities that live within it?
After doing a little bit of research, I was comforted by the fact that around 40% of us are scared of walking around the house in the dark and that 10% are so scared stiff that won't even allow ourselves to nip to the loo in the night. A recent study has also discovered that a marked percentage of insomniacs are actually afraid of the dark and that their inability to sleep is caused by the foreboding anxiety they feel because they have to turn the light off to sleep.
But, what can you do about a fear of the dark? Although you might want to, it isn't feasible to simply avoid darkness completely. In my twenty-three years, I have developed some coping mechanisms to deal with my fear that might just help you too!
It’s expected for children to be afraid of the dark – if you never were, then I commend you! But, as a young adult, who has been through school, college and university, has a savings account, and has an average understanding of the real world, surely I’m too sensible to be afraid of the dark and the imaginary entities that live within it?
After doing a little bit of research, I was comforted by the fact that around 40% of us are scared of walking around the house in the dark and that 10% are so scared stiff that won't even allow ourselves to nip to the loo in the night. A recent study has also discovered that a marked percentage of insomniacs are actually afraid of the dark and that their inability to sleep is caused by the foreboding anxiety they feel because they have to turn the light off to sleep.
But, what can you do about a fear of the dark? Although you might want to, it isn't feasible to simply avoid darkness completely. In my twenty-three years, I have developed some coping mechanisms to deal with my fear that might just help you too!
Develop A Nighttime Routine.
This might involve doing a quick check of doors and windows, making sure they are locked and secure, or looking under beds and inside closets before you hop into bed. Nothing is too silly if it helps! Making sure you completely wind down before bed is vital; any stress or anxiety, whether it is caused by your fear or not, is not going to help you. I like to make my room a little cosier by putting on some fairy lights and lighting a candle before getting under my duvet with loads of pillows. I will then read until I’m sufficiently tired enough to fall asleep. Making myself a sleepy tea to sip on whilst I'm reading really helps me doze off. Also, don't forget to get yourself a big glass of water to put by your bed, saving yourself from any terrifying trips to the kitchen if you wake up thirsty in the night.
Make Some Adjustments To Your Bedroom.
This could be as simple as making sure you shut your wardrobe door or move a coat stand if they usually cast an unsettling shadow across your room at night. But, it might also be worth investing in a couple of bits and bobs from Ikea – a small price to pay for a peaceful night’s sleep. One thing that, rather ironically, helps me is my black out blinds. Pulling down the blinds, as well as drawing my curtains, blocks out any light coming from outside my window and leaves my room pitch black. I find that this is much better than the creepy dim light that creeps through the curtains when my blinds are up, which gives birth to strange looking shadows.
Buy Yourself A Fancy Alarm Clock.
My saving grace is my alarm clock – a Lumie Bodyclock – which doubles up as my bedside light. When you turn both the light and the alarm clock on, the light begins to slowly dim over half an hour, which usually allows me enough time to fall asleep. The light is then off for the entirety of the night until it slowly comes on half an hour before your chosen wake up time. By the time you wake, the light is on. These alarm clocks are also proven to improve your natural body clock and ease the symptoms of conditions such as SAD. What's more, if I wake in the night, I can turn the light on a dim setting; it gives off enough light to help me find my way to the toilet, but isn't so bright that it wakes me up completely. Take my word for it, it is the best alarm clock and they come in various shapes and sizes.
Watch A Nice Movie Or Read A Nice Book.
Emphasis is on “nice” here. When I’m completely freaked out, I’ll turn on my iPad and put on a teen movie or a kid’s film (my go to “I’m-too-scared-to-sleep” movies are My Neighbour Totoro, The Little Mermaid and The Breakfast Club) or I'll grab a Roald Dahl book – aside from The Witches, for obvious reasons – from my bookcase. Just distract yourself with something that isn’t remotely scary until you are too tired to care about whatever it was that you convinced yourself was lurking in the corner of the room.
Share Your Room With A Pet.
Unfortunately, my dog is too stupid to figure out stairs, otherwise I would definitely make him sleep in my bedroom from time to time. Your pet is going to provide you with company and comfort, but they will also sense any real danger before you do. If there really was a monster under your bed, they would let you know about it!
No comments:
Post a Comment