Nyctophilia: characteristics, symptoms, causes and treatment.

A summary of the characteristics of nyctophilia, the attraction to darkness and night.

It is said that people are diurnal animals, something that is evident in our behaviors and habits in society. Social lifestyles are made with the idea of being active during the day and resting at night, something that is easily observed by the opening and closing hours of establishments.

However, not everyone is good at sleeping at night. Some people are more productive just when the sun goes down, and not only that, but they enjoy the serenity and calmness offered by the dark blanket of the starry sky.

Nyctophilia is the name given to the attraction to the dark night that certain people that certain people show, a condition that is not pathological although, depending on how you look at it, it could be considered problematic. Let's see why.

What is nyctophilia?

Nictophilia is defined as a strong attraction to darkness, especially at night.. It is not a paraphilia in the classic sense of the word, but rather a preference on which a lifestyle is based.

This attraction does not constitute a psychological disorder nor is it included in diagnostic classifications such as the APA's DSM-5 or the WHO's ICD-11. In fact, as it is conceptualized, it is difficult for it to be considered a disorder, since the mere attraction and enjoyment of the night does not in itself imply any health problems.

The definition we have just seen is taken from the American Psychiatric Association's dictionary of psychology and does not include pathological connotations. Taking into account that there is to date no diagnostic system that considers it as such and, together with the lack of related scientific literature, the first conclusion that we can draw about nyctophilia is that it is not a psychological problem.

However, taking into account that most human societies are designed with diurnal people in mind, it is in this aspect where we could find certain problems if we are a nyctophile. The fact of working better at night, being more awake or having a bohemian lifestyle does not fit with the way society is set up, and this is where there could be some inconvenience. However, one should not pathologize what is not a pathology.

Causes of nictophilia

There is very little scientific research on nyctophilia. It has not yet been established, with a sufficient amount of evidence, what are the causes behind this preference for nighttime. What has been proposed are hypotheses regarding the origin of nyctophilia, among which we can highlight the following.among which we can highlight the following.

1. Personal preferences

Nictophilia may be the product of mere personal preferences. The differences between day and night make some people prefer to live a more nocturnal life.

Nighttime is calmer than daytime, with less noise, fewer people on the street, less light, and, in short, less environmental stimuli.. This can be especially valued by the photosensitive people or with hyperacusis seeing in the darkness of the night the ideal moment to be able to make a normal life.

2. Aversive situations

The other explanation as to why a person is a nyctophiliac would have to do with trying to avoid certain situationsThe other explanation for why a person is a nyctophiliac would have to do with trying to avoid certain situations, causing the person to try to avoid contexts or stimuli that usually occur during the day.

Symptoms of nyctophilia

As we have already insisted, nyctophilia can hardly be considered a pathological problem. However, it can be related to certain health problems if the attraction to nighttime makes it difficult to lead healthy habits or a stable life.

1. Disruption of circadian rhythms

The human body follows Biological rhythms, the circadian rhythms, which occur in a synchronized manner.These rhythms are synchronized and regulate aspects such as temperature, sleep, hunger, etc. These rhythms help the body to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

These rhythms help the body to maintain a balance, a homeostasis. Circadian rhythms are regulated by the action of light, so one of the symptoms of nyctophilia is that the absence of light can cause alterations in our biological rhythms, specifically in the wake-sleep cycles.

It would not be strange to think that people who prefer darkness and night have their circadian rhythms altered due to little exposure to light or the total absence of it..

2. Work and social difficulties

As mentioned above, life in society is designed to be lived during daylight hours. Practically every activity that comes to mind is done during daylight hours, with the exception of sleeping and partying on a Saturday night. Everything else is done during daylight hours, especially between 9 am and 5 pm. When the sun goes down, the streets are emptying and after 10 p.m., at least on weekdays, most people are at home and businesses are closed.

People who are nictophiles are usually awake at night, so they have to sleep during the day. This is a major problem since just when society is active, with stores, banks and doctors' offices open, people with nocturia are just the opposite, inactive and trying to get some rest.. Thus, the main problems associated with this condition is that it alters aspects of the individual's daily life, causing potential work problems in case of daytime employment and interferes with social life.

Treatment of nictophilia

Nychophilia is not a psychological problem, so there is no intervention for this condition nor is it necessary, in principle. However, if the nyctophiliac experiences great discomfort because his preference for darkness and night seriously affects his daily life, social and work environment, in addition to altering his biological cycles and manifesting health problems such as sleep problems, is when intervention should be made.

Prior to intervention an evaluation will be made to know what are the causes behind the particular case of nictophilia.. It may be that the person feels that he/she is more productive at night or that he/she prefers the lesser amount of stimuli at night. It may also be that this is actually a symptom, a consequence of a real mental disorder, such as being in the euphoric phase of bipolar disorder in which the patient shows activity levels even late at night.

During the evaluation phase the causes that make the person stay awake at night and sleep during the day will be verified.The patient will be analyzed to see if there is any type of positive reinforcement or if there is any aversive stimulus associated with the daytime that is being avoided.

Depending on what is found in this phase, the health professional to whom the patient would have gone would design the corresponding intervention to achieve an improvement in their state of health, in addition to achieving a progressive reversal of their sleep schedule.