Afraid of the dark?

Who’s afraid of the dark? It’s scary movie season, but it turns out that watching them does more than give us a good scare. They could be fueling real fears, especially of the dark. A recent survey found that nearly 3 in 10 adults still admit to being afraid of the dark. Interestingly, men were slightly more likely than women to say this (33% vs. 26%). To cope, 25% sleep with a nightlight and about 10% even keep the lights on all night – with men again more likely to do so than women (15% vs. 7%). 11% of those surveyed admit they still sleep with a stuffed animal or comfort item. While the survey looked at how scary movies – especially around Halloween – might be contributing to these fears, 28% of respondents said they love horror films and try to watch as many as possible.