If you still keep a nightlight on, you’ve got nothing to be ashamed about. In fact, you’re nowhere near alone. A new Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans found that nearly one in three adults still fears the dark.
The study, commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress, arrived just in time for Halloween, when everyone’s pretending to love being scared but secretly losing sleep over it.
About 29% of adults admitted they still feel scared once the lights go out. Men were slightly more likely to confess it than women, 33% to 26%. A quarter of people sleep with a nightlight, and 10% leave every light on. Eleven percent also still keep a stuffed animal or comfort item close by, proving some bedtime habits never age out.
“With everything in October’s spooky season, from horror movies to haunted houses, it’s no wonder that some Americans aren’t sleeping as well this month,” Laura Scott, director of brand marketing for Avocado Green Mattress, told the New York Post.
What scares people now looks different but feels the same. The survey showed a blend of old survival instincts and current-day stress.
Still Afraid of the Dark? 5 Fears That Keep Americans Awake at Night
1. The Dark
Centuries later, our eyes still tense at what they can’t see. The dark keeps winning that old argument with logic.
2. Nightmares
Horror movies do their job a little too well. Men were more likely than women to say they often get nightmares after scary films, 24% compared to 13%.
3. Quality Sleep
Twenty-eight percent said horror movies make them wake up more often. Another 22% reported worse-quality sleep, and 12% said they sleep fewer hours after watching one.
4. Losing Time
When the clocks fall back on November 2, apparently, everyone’s sense of time goes out the window. About a third think they’ll lose an hour, and 13 percent admit they have no idea what happens.
5. Change Itself
Sixty-two percent would scrap time changes completely. Most said adjusting takes over a week, and no one seems eager to do the math again next spring.
Halloween gives us an excuse to laugh at fear. The rest of the year, we just keep the lamp on and call it coping.
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