I had a very bad fear of the dark as a child, which resulted in a lot of insomnia until it gradually subsided when I entered adulthood. Then I started backpacking and my fears of the dark reawakened when in the woods at night. I can’t even point to something specific I’m scared of, but the first few times out I laid awake on high alert virtually all night. But I love solo backpacking and I’ve continued to go regardless because I think you just can’t beat a sunrise atop a mountain alone. I do think that one of these days the fear will subside, but until then, I’ve found one thing that helps on days when it starts acting up – Tylenol PM. It helps me sleep through the fear and be reasonably rested for another great day of hiking.
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