How common is nyctophobia? Nyctophobia is very common, especially among children. Some researchers estimate that nearly 45% of children have an unusually strong fear of some kind. Fear of the dark is one of the most common fears among kids between 6 and 12 years old.
Up to 45% of children experience phobia, and nyctophobia is one of the most common, particularly in children between 6 and 12. Many children outgrow nyctophobia, but some don't. Nyctophobia is more than just being afraid of the dark. It's also a fear of what you can't see.
Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. Arachibutyrophobia is a rare phobia that involves a fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
When asked for a more specific description of their feelings about the dark, 32% of people report that the dark makes them uneasy, while 29% of people say that they are simply afraid of the dark. About 1 in 4 respondents report that they don't mind the dark, but less than 4% of respondents say that they like the dark.
Being afraid of the dark is often associated with childhood, mostly occurring in children ages 6 to 12, according to the Cleveland Clinic. But it's not uncommon for the issue to continue into adulthood.
Nyctophobia is very common, especially among children. Some researchers estimate that nearly 45% of children have an unusually strong fear of some kind. Fear of the dark is one of the most common fears among kids between 6 and 12 years old. Kids usually outgrow nyctophobia by adolescence, but not always.
If your child is afraid of the dark, they're not alone. “It's very common in children and adolescents alike,” says Thomas Ollendick, a distinguished professor emeritus at the Child Study Center at Virginia Tech who has dedicated much of his career to understanding fears and phobias in children.
1) Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
Arachnophobia is the most common phobia – sometimes even a picture can induce feelings of panic. And lots of people who aren't phobic as such still avoid spiders if they can.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is a phobia, meaning the fear of long words. Ironically, it is a long word itself. The phobia isn't considered an actual phobia, but more of a social phobia.
Cherophobia. This is the saddest phobia that could ever be. Imagine being terrified - of being happy. A happy state of mind, or being joyful in a moment are not goals for cherophobics.
The rate of successful treatment for specific phobias like nyctophobia is about 90%. 4 Many techniques for nyctophobia treatment are drawn from the cognitive-behavioral school of therapy.
Usually, the fear of the dark hits home for kids around the ages of 2 or 3, when they're old enough to imagine, but not wise enough to distinguish fantasy from reality, Berman says. This gives the unknown an opportunity to turn scary.
A fear of the dark usually first occurs around the age of 3 or 4 when a child's imagination is beginning to expand. Once a child is exposed to a world beyond what they might experience within their own home, through social media, television and movies, their imaginations are also expanded.
Darkness itself is not scary!
The problem is that they cannot see what is lurking in a dark room. This makes them feel vulnerable and a child's imagination goes wild. This is why something as simple as a nightlight or light up teddy can make the problem go away.
Children and adults suffer from a fear of the dark for a variety of reasons. For example, darkness impairs one's vision. Not being able to see as well "increases anxiety, uncertainty and tension and this can lead to fear of the dark in any age group," explained Dr.
Kids who suffer from daytime anxieties—about school, separation from parents, or other concerns—are more likely to fear the dark and fear sleeping alone (Gregory and Eley 2005). You may be able to reduce your child's nighttime fears by helping him cope with daytime stress.
According to clinical psychologist John Mayer, Ph. D., author of Family Fit: Find Your Balance in Life, fear of the dark is “very common” among adults. “It is estimated that 11 percent of the U.S. population is afraid of the dark,” he says, noting that it's even more common than a fear of heights.
What Does It Mean to Fear Long Words? Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words. Understanding the phobia can help you overcome it and live a fulfilling life. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary, and ironically, it means the fear of long words.
When does a fear of the dark typically start and end? Children are most often afraid of the dark starting at around the age of about 2 through the preschool years, although it can appear in older children as well. A fear of the dark usually lasts for a few weeks to a few months.
Fear of death is common among children. In fact, most kids will experience fearful thoughts about death at some point in their lives.
It's not the darkness that's scary
…it's the inability to see any potential threats lurking. The dark leaves us feeling vulnerable and exposed to whatever is around us that we can't see. When kids go to bed, they have fewer distractions to preoccupy their minds, so instead their imagination runs wild.
It's not easy on anyone but we've learned my family is not alone: research shows about 73 percent of kids ages 3 to 12 struggle with nighttime fears.