13 year old scared of the dark?!

[alicemummy]

Hi all

Im from baby club, i'm on here to ask a question for a friend!!

She has a daughter who has just turned 13, and is still scared of the dark- she sleeps with a light on dim, but it is still on. If she is sharing a room with someone, she will sleep in the dark no problem.

Is there anyway my friend can get her out of this habit??? As she has no bedroom door at the moment (needs replacing) it keeps her parents awake as they sleep with their door open because of the baby.

Any advice will be much appreciated.

 

[moomin_troll]

maybe put a sheet pinned to her door frame so the light doesnt show thru? i hate the dark and like to sleep with a light on in another room to let anit of light into mine but im ok if im sharing a room with someone...its weird

i think at 13 theres nothing much they can do other then talking to her n seeing why shes scared of the dark

 

[Kimmer]

Why does she need to get out of the 'habit'?

I'm 22 now and have been scared of the dark since I was a little kid. I still sleep with a light on now. I'm a normal functioning adult and it hasn't hindered my life in any way.

I think most children are scared of the dark at some point. Some people grow out of it, some don't.
There's no way of making someone get over an irrational fear.

I'd suggest a small battery powered light that she can have next to her. I'm aware of how expensive electricity can get when the lights on all night

 

[JASMAK]

I'm 36 and i sleep with the bathroom light on

 

[Tori4]

Alice mom, I think it's pretty normal. All of 4 of my children have gone through it or still going through it. 2 are still afraid of the dark, ages 11 and 14. Both sleep with a light on. A friend called a month ago prior to her son sleeping over (11) and said he was all of a sudden terrified of the dark . I think it's age appropriate. They are exposed to so many horrible things in the media, movie trailers even the radio and they are at the age that they are realizing that the world expands much further than their little realm. The what Ifs start popping into their minds at bedtime and I think it freaks them out.
We picked up night lights and leave the hall or bathroom light on and close our door . I personally ( just my opinion) think it's not a something that has to be stopped. It's just one of those things that they may or may not grow out of. Good luck to your friend.

 

[vix1989]

im 22 and im still scared of the dark.
When i was a child it wasnt so much the dark that scared me it was being alone and quiet somewhere where it was dark.
So when i was about 7 my mum bought me a radio, and i used to plug my headphones in but keep the headphones on the side table on a high volume so i could still hear the radio but wasnt that loud.
made me feel so safe!
whenever OH's away or working nights i still do this!

 

[deafgal]

I'm still scared of the dark not because of monsters, but just can't see whats lurking around (creepy critters or intruders). Also, I like to leave the night light on so people outside can't tell I'm awake or not, and insects usually avoid lights.

I'm scared to walk in the dark out of fear I might trip over and get hurt

 

[newmommy23]

Yeah, I'm still scared of the dark and I'm 21 :/ sorry

 

[nyomi1990]

Hi, I'm 21 and still scared of the dark, when I was 17 I went through a phase that drove my parents mad, I had too have my curtians and window open, never my door... I had it open too let air in and allow me too see there was an outside, I'm an anxious person and suffer panic attacks.. But being in the dark has always scared me even as a child, now I live with my partner its getting better but the first year and first house we lived in I kept the bathroom light on all the time.

At 13 it may just be a phase, a lot of children and teenagers are afraid of the dark, but there isn't really anyway of stopping it other than what others have said like maybe a quiet radio on or headphones with music or even a story that helped me a lot as I felt more relaxed and forgot about my sorroundings

hope that helps xxx

 

[supermaman]

it's ok to be scared of the dark but not if it bothers her to be scared of the dark. If she wants to feel more confident in the dark (can be useful if staying at friends) then there are things she can do eg EFT or hypnotherapy which are both really effective. Worth finding someone who has experience of working with kids if she decides to try this.

 

[Lenny]

when i was 12 my mam bought me a lava lamp cos its not as bright as a side lamp so it wasnt really light but it was dark cos i didnt want to be in the dark and i soon found my lava lamp to be to bright after a couple of years i will admit and found i had to turn it off to sleep lol

 

[suzib76]

i think they should just buy her a door, it seems like they are the ones with the problem not her

lots of people still sleep with the light on, i always leave the hall light on when dh is away