Survey reveals 29 percent of adults are afraid of the dark

Oct 15, 2025, 9:23 AM | Updated: 1:38 pm

We may love horror movies, especially around this time of year, yet 29 percent of adults are still afraid of the dark. 24 percent admit to sleeping with a nightlight. Believe it or not, men were more likely to admit to sleeping with a nightlight, and more men admit to having nightmares after watching a horror movie. Almost as many adults love watching horror movies as admit to being afraid of the dark, so maybe there’s a connection. 28 percent of people say they’re more likely to wake up in the middle of the night after watching a horror movie, 22 percent say they’re more likely to have worse sleep and 12 percent say they’re more likely to sleep for fewer hours.

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Survey reveals 29 percent of adults are afraid of the dark