Nictofilia: characteristics, symptoms, causes and treatment

It is said that people are diurnal animals, something that is evidenced in our behaviors and habits in society. The social lifestyle is made thinking of being active during the day and resting at night, something that is easily observed by the hours in which the establishments open and close.

However, not everyone is good at sleeping at night. There are those who are more productive just when the sun goes down and, not only that, but they enjoy the serenity and calm that the dark blanket of the starry sky offers.

The nyctophilia is the name given to the attraction towards the dark night 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.

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What is nyctophilia?

Nyctophilia is defined as a strong attraction to the dark, especially at night. It is not a paraphilia in the classical 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 the diagnostic classifications such as the DSM-5 of the APA or the ICD-11 of the WHO. 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 that we have just seen has been taken from the psychology dictionary of the American Psychiatric Association, it does not include pathological connotations. Taking into account that to date there is no diagnostic system that considers it as such and, together with the lack of related scientific literature, the first conclusion we can draw from nyctophilia is that it is not a psychological problem.

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

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Causes of nyctophilia

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 at night. What they have been proposed are hypothesis regarding what is the origin of the nyctophilia, among which we can highlight the following.

1. Personal preferences

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

The night is calmer than the day, with less noise, fewer people on the street, less light and, ultimately, less environmental stimuli. This can be especially valued by people with photosensitivity or hyperacusis, seeing in the dark of night the ideal time to lead a normal life.

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2. Aversive situations

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

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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 in case the attraction at night makes it difficult to lead healthy habits or a stable life.

1. Alteration of circadian rhythms

The human body follows biological rhythms, the circadians, that occur in a synchronized way and that regulate aspects such as temperature, sleep, hunger ...

These rhythms help the body 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 or no light exposure.

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2. Labor and social difficulties

As we have mentioned before, life in society is designed to be lived during the hours of sunlight. Practically every activity that can come to mind is done while it is daytime, with the exception of sleeping and partying on a Saturday night. Everything else is done during daytime hours, especially between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. When the sun goes down, the streets empty and after 10 pm, at least during the week, most are at home and businesses are closed.

Nicthophiles are often awake at night, so they have to sleep during the day. This is a major problem since just when society is active, with shops, banks and doctors' offices open, nyctophilic people are just the opposite, inactive and trying to rest. Thus, the main problems associated with this condition is that it alters aspects of the daily life of the individual, causing potential work problems in case of having a day job and interferes with life Social.

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Treatment of nyctophilia

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

Before the intervention An evaluation will be carried out to find out what are the causes behind the case of nyctophilia in particular. It may be that the person feels that she is more productive at night or that she prefers the least amount of stimuli that are given at night times. It can also happen that this is really a symptom, a consequence of some real mental disorder, such as being in the euphoric phase of bipolar disorder in which the patient shows levels of activity even late in the morning night.

During the evaluation phase It will be checked what are the causes that make the person stay awake at night and sleep during the day, analyzing if there is any type of positive reinforcement or if there is an aversive stimulus associated with the day that is being avoided.

Depending on what is in this phase, the health professional to whom the patient had come would design the corresponding intervention to improve their health status, in addition to being able to progressively invest their sleep schedules.