I have Nyctophobia

Haha it is just a unique and social sounding name for people who are scared of the dark. I don't know why but I think it is because we can not see what is in the dark. Children get scared and we try to calm them but deep inside I am scared too.
The unknown always makes people scared or feel stress. What we can not see makes us wary and uncertain, also scared.

Picture from Pixabay

I guess I have not slept in a pitch black room in a long,long,long time. Maybe never haha. I guess because there has always been some kind of light, a small nightlight in the room. Lights reflecting from the streets or form the hallway or bathroom.
I just like it better if when I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom there is some light. It also makes it easier to see where you are going and prevent accidents.
Ever since my mom started to show signs of Alzheimer I always had a light in the bathroom hallway in the bedroom. But once after she tripped and fell I had another light in the room in the corner that reflects to the bed so our room is just a dim place but not dark. Then the light in the hallway is always one too for the bathroom.
The lights in the room reflects outside the living and dining room. Our bedroom (master bedroom) has 3 steps going down or up. A small landing before the steps. My mom has a tendency to open the door and go out so I also placed a light just outside the door so she won't trip.
Here in the Philippines we have a lot of power failures or brown outs. It is ok if during the day. But at night I know there is a brown out because the electric fans are not working. I wake up and open my eyes to sheer darkness. I always have a flashlight and my cellphone on my bedside table, so what ever I grab I turn on. Then I have to walk to the other side and light a candle. It is kind of risky because it might fall and if I fall back asleep I can't watch the candle.
But recently I found this rechargeable light bulb in assorted wattage. You just exchange your regular light bulb and use it as any other bulb. The great thing is that when there is a brown out at night, it will stay on. Good for 4-5 hours if full charged. That is the best invention yet. It charges as you use it. Does not eat much electricity because I have not seen any change in my bill.


Picture is mine of the rechargeable bulb

So I bought three, a 7 watts for the corner near the window. it is bright enough to reflect the foot of the bed and my mom's side of the bed. Her plastic cabinets sort of make it dim enough to sleep. As long as she can see when she wakes up. Safety first.

Picture is mine

The 9 watts I placed in the hallway leading to the bathroom because there are 3 steps too. Hmm this was my mom's design when the made the house. I guess she did not think of getting old hehehe. I also placed hand grips at the side for her.

picture is mine

Then I got a 12 watts for the outside the room. But this picture was taken using a 12 watts and not fully charged but still good. This is just outside the door.

It comes with a hook so you can carry it with you and hang it near where you want. So far it has lasted 5 months and still good.
So now I don't have to worry about the dark during brown out at night.

So if I sleep at a hotel, I keep the bathroom door open and light on inside. If I sleep somewhere else I try to make sure it is not that dark. Unless I have someone in the room with me. That is the only way I will sleep in a dark room if there are others with me.

So nyctophobia is just one of my phobias.