Nyctophobia (Fear of the Dark): Definition, Symptoms, and Treatments

Key Takeaways

• Nyctophobia can cause panic and avoidance of dark spaces.
• Treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy can help overcome this fear.

Nyctophobia is an age-inappropriate fear of darkness that can prompt someone to limit their activities, avoid certain situations, and experience anxiety in anticipation of there being no light. While being afraid of the dark may be a part of normal development in young children, that is not the case for older children and adults.

It is when the concern crosses over from being an inborn protective mechanism to disrupting everyday life that it is designated a phobia.

Symptoms of Nyctophobia

Symptoms of nyctophobia vary from person to person and according to the severity of a particular case. In general, symptoms of nyctophobia include:

• Becoming nervous in any darkened environment
• Being reluctant to go out at night
• Experiencing physiological symptoms, including an increased heart rate, sweating, visible shaking, and even feeling ill when forced to spend time in the dark
• Need to sleep with a night light

Symptoms of more severe cases of nyctophobia include:

• Attempting to run away from dark rooms
• Becoming angry or defensive if anyone tries to encourage you to spend time in the dark
• Compulsively staying indoors at night

Specific phobias are quite common. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that around 12.5% of all U.S. adults have some type of specific phobia at one point in their lives.

What Causes Nyctophobia?

Nyctophobia, also referred to as scotophobia, achluophobia, and lygophobia, may be evolutionary in nature, as many predators hunt at night. The fear may not be related to darkness itself but unknown dangers hidden in the darkness (which is why horror and suspense movies often use darkness as a way to scare viewers).

Lack of security and confidence can play into this as well, especially if you tend to be afraid of the dark more often while alone.

Some psychoanalytic writers believe that fear of the dark may be related to separation anxiety from a primary attachment figure, a phenomenon that is detailed further in a 2014 analysis on attachment and fear arousal published in the journal Psychoanalytic Dialogues.

Genetics, upbringing, experiences, and brain structure differences can also play a role in the onset of specific phobias.

How Is Nyctophobia Diagnosed?

There is no specific test to look for nyctophobia. Instead, a doctor or therapist will ask questions about your medical history and symptoms. 

It is also essential to recognize that nyctophobia is not a distinct condition in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5-TR). It is instead considered a type of specific phobia. 

Specific Phobia Diagnostic Criteria

Nyctophobia has some diagnostic criteria that are common to all phobias, which distinguishes them from simple fears. To be diagnosed with a specific phobia, you must:

• Experience symptoms of intense and excessive fear in response to the dark
• Experience this fear immediately every time you encounter the source of your fear
• Have symptoms of fear and anxiety that are out of proportion to the actual danger
• Avoid the source of fear or endure it only with great distress

These symptoms must create considerable distress and interfere with a person’s ability to function normally. Such symptoms must last at least six months and should not be due to another mental health disorder or medical condition.

Treatment for Nyctophobia

The goal of therapy is to challenge fearful beliefs about the dark and reduce the severity of symptoms one experiences due to that fear.

The rate of successful treatment for specific phobias like nyctophobia is about 90%. Many techniques for nyctophobia treatment are drawn from the cognitive-behavioral school of therapy.

The treatment plan your therapist suggests for you or your child may include:

• Exposure to the dark in small, incremental, non-threatening doses in a process called desensitization (this should only be done under professional supervision)
• One-on-one talk therapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Mindfulness practices that help you become more aware of how you are feeling and what is happening in the present moment
• Learning relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing

Coping With Nyctophobia

In addition to seeking treatment for your condition, there are also self-help approaches that can help you cope with your fear.

Some strategies you may find helpful include:

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Levos J, Zachilli TL. Nyctophobia: from imagined to realistic fears of the dark. Psi Chi J Psychol Res. 2015;20:2:102-10. doi:10.24839/2164-8204.JN20.2.102

2. National Institute of Mental Health. Specific phobia.

3. Slade A. Imagining fear: attachment, threat, and psychic experience. Psychoanal Dialogues. 2014;24(3):253-266. doi:10.1080/10481885.2014.911608

4. Garcia R. Neurobiology of fear and specific phobias. Learn Mem. 2017;24(9):462-471. doi:10.1101/lm.044115.116

5. American Psychiatric Association (APA). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.

6. Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG. Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review. F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1

7. American Psychological Association. The exercise effect.

By Lisa Fritscher

Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics.

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