Worried When It Is Dark

[Rain]

Lately I’ve been finding that I am scared in the small hours of the night, when it is still pitch black. I live deep in the countryside where there are no street lights and it really does get dark. It isn’t just a general fear, nor it is it a fear of the supernatural. I am afraid that a burglar may be about to break in, or an attacker. I realise this could happen at any time of the day, but the prospect of it seems so much more scary when it is dark.

We have a small light that stays on all night in the back garden and a security light that comes on if movement is detected. We also have 2 dogs. They would be no use as actual guard dogs but they do bark if they hear a noise. Of course, if they do bark or growl in the night, it frightens the life out of me. I feel so helpless not being able to see further than a few feet round the house.

I have started sleeping with the light on all night. It doesn’t bother me or my partner but I have read that sleeping with the light on can cause depression. I often stay awake for hours late at night. A lot of that time I am listening for noises. When dawn breaks (currently around 5.30am) I get up, have breakfast and then go back to sleep, relaxed and happy because it is no longer dark.

We did have a horrendously frightening experience with a prowler who was circling the house, howling like a wolf and trying to get in one night about 9 years ago. The police caught him. It doesn’t help that I live in the middle of nowhere, with just one neighbour 500 yards away.

I’ve noticed that now midsummer’s day is past the dark periods are getting longer and I feel worried about this. Basically, whenever it is dark, I’m not happy and desperate for it to be light again. I don’t want this to become an obsession. But right now I am dreading midwinter when it is dark from about 3.30pm to 9am.

It is all to do with feeling helpless when it is dark because I can’t see who is out there. I am agoraphobic and probably do see the world as containing many dangerous people. I’m not really sleeping properly any more. Does anyone else feel this way, and if so, did you find any ways of getting over it?

[looking4answers]

We moved here about a year and a half ago. Before that we lived in a place that was 8 miles from town and 2 mikes to our nearest neighbor but we were at akmost a mile and one half above sea level. We actually lived up in the mountains and had a wonderful view of the small city below. Im not sure why I wasnt afraid as I could see way better at night than in the daytime but no...but my wife could feel that way and she is afraid of supernatural things We had pretty much an arsenal of guns for fun and protection from wild animals and many times I would go out in the dark to shoot at coyotes that were bothering the horses. That was the great thing about being out that far is going outside and shooting at 3 oclock in the morning if you wanted.I would suggest you invest in a few firearms and learn how to use them sfely and I dont think you will hsve prowlers coming around if you wakked outside and shot a few shotgun blast in the air, I think it would makeo all the difference to you in the world to know that you are experienced and know how to use a firearm,but well thats what I would

[Rain]

I found out today that it is true that sleeping with the light on can cause depression. It seems that research has shown that night time light can suppress the production of melatonin, a mood-regulating hormone which is only produced during darkness. So I will really have to try to spend at least some of the night with the light off.