Fear of darkness in children how to help them overcome it

Between 3 and 6 years it is extremely common for children to develop fear of darkness. It is normal, even adaptive. However, if fear lasts for prolonged periods or the little ones present serious symptoms, such as palpitations and anguish, then we must take other measures.

In this article we will tell you about the fear of darkness in children, How to help them overcome it and accompany them in the process. If your child suffers from fear of darkness then stay here, we will tell you what you can do as a father for your life to improve.

Content

• What implies the fear of darkness?
  • Main symptoms
• Why is a child afraid of the dark?
  • 1. Past traumatic experiences
  • 2. Horror movies and stories
  • 3. The personal characteristics of your caregivers
• Tips to help your child overcome the fear of darkness
  • Sources

What implies the fear of darkness?

The fear of darkness is recurring in children, especially from 3 years of age. It is an acquired fear, that is, something must happen for a small issue to darkness.

If it is a passenger, there is no need to worry. It usually happens that fear arises and lasts for a few days, and then disappear without major consequences. However, not all cases are like this. Some of them have greater seriousness and complex symptomatology. When so, it is determined that the child suffers NICTOFOBIA And you will need the support of adults responsible for their care and therapeutic accompaniment to overcome it.

If you suspect that your daughter or son may be suffering from a fear of pathological darkness, then stay reading. We will tell you what are the main symptoms of fear of darkness, and we will enter its causes and possible treatment.

Main symptoms

The symptomatology of fear of darkness varies from person to person and according to how serious the case is the case. However, there are a number of common symptoms to find in most children with this fear. These are:

• Nervousness in environments lacking luminosity. Which includes cries, screams and kicks by not perceiving light.
• Impossibility of reconciling sleep without lights on.
• Believe that "there is something" Among the darkness, in reference to a spectrum or monster that they imagine is there waiting.
• Try to stay awake at night.
• Check the cabinets and under the bed before bedtime.
• In more extreme cases, also Increase heart rate, dizziness, vomiting and fainting could occur.

Do you present your child any of these symptoms? Do you think I could be suffering from a fear of darkness difficult to overcome? Then keep reading. You should not worry, but yes alarm. We will tell you why this could be happening and how to help to solve it.

Why is a child afraid of the dark?

As we already anticipated, the fear of darkness is acquired. Some event must take place for a child to end up fearing the darkness. Between 3 and 6 years is when it usually occurs, Children fear at these ages to ghosts and monsters that could stalk during the night. When fear generates serious symptoms or lasts for extensive days, that's when you have to be alarmed.

We will now tell you which are the most common causes of fear of darkness in children. Thus they can be alert in the case of their children.

1. Past traumatic experiences

Traumatic experiences, which have been able to generate shock for the child can always be the cause of fear of darkness. In the dark the little one looks alone, so fear of darkness is related to abandonment. The death of a loved one could lead to darkness.

Also some event happened during the night may have left as a sequel fear of darkness, as a violent act or miss.

2. Horror movies and stories

Exposing a child to horror stories, whether about monsters, spectra or ghosts, related to the lack of light they probably cause fear of darkness.

3. The personal characteristics of your caregivers

People in the care of children mold, in parenting, much of their ideas. That is why, caregivers too attentive or overprotectors stimulate the development of this intense fear of darkness. The child, in the dark, fears the helplessness. Therefore, he fears the absence of his precious protector. Also, a fearful caregiver of the dark will influence that the little one develops this fear.

Tips to help your child overcome the fear of darkness

As parents, we want to help our children at what costs. It is very possible that, if you see your little afflicted by some fear, you want to do everything possible to help overcome it. That is why we will now give them some tips on what to do in case their little ones suffer from fear of darkness.

First and main, Do not make fun from them. Their fears are as serious as those of an adult, although from our perspective they may seem minor.

Besides, Let them speak. Listen to what they have to say, try to understand them. Let them explain what they fear, what happens to them in the dark, containing them is essential.

Another good measure implies Do not allow you to see horror movies or read this kind of stories.  If a film of this class has scared them, or it has been a story of the style, then he chose to see with them another kind of films or read other stories, some more in line with their fears and needs, to avoid them.

Finally, a very useful advice to account, Help them face their fears. Have them play in the dark, propose games that involve covering their eyes, making pijamadas and watching movies with the lights off. If we accompany our children and face them what they fear, but with patience and containment, we will help them overcome fear and will no longer be distressed being in the dark.

We hope these tips have been useful and, with them, they can help their little ones to overcome their fears. The fear of darkness is extremely normal, as parents it is up to us to accompany children so that they can overcome it.

Sources

• Camera, a. (2014). Treatment of a case of fear of darkness by training parents. Clinical Psychology Magazine with Children and Adolescents, 1 (2), 125-132.
• The vanguard. (2019). What is Nicophobia? | Symptoms, causes and how to treat the disease. Recovered from: https: // www.the vanguard.com/life/health/disease-disease/20190514/462240648733/nictophobia-phobia-a-the-darkness-phobia-language-angustia.HTML
• Ramirez García, M. (2018). The importance of overcoming the fear of darkness in early childhood education.
• Sánchez, m. Yo. G., Sánchez, c. M. R., Pérez, e. G., & Ramírez, R. G. (2014). Relationship of suffering a traumatic experience and suffering fear of darkness in children. Magazine of Fundamentals of Psychology, pages, 6, 55-60.
• Arciniegas Solano, N. TO., & Montes Molina, D. System of strategies for the solution of the fear of darkness in children from 4 to 6 years "to be brave".