<human>: Can you condense the text into three sentences or less?

I suppose I'll start from the beginning: I (like so many others) am afraid of the dark. Though I know a lot of other people are afraid of it, I'm worried about the extent to which I'm scared. 

I'm usually able to go to bed without too many problems if I have two nightlights set up in the darkest corners of my room, as well as all the windows closed (so nothing can peek in) and the closet doors closed (so nothing can come out). But I scare myself and, even though I got better for a while, I've recently begun to regress. 

In the height of my anxiety I can't leave my bed, my eyes are opened as wide as I can get them and I sob myself into a fitful sleep, usually to wake up crying a few hours later. As soon as it gets dark I find myself constantly checking over my shoulder, my breath catching as I imagine things. I'm okay when my boyfriend is within sight, but the poor guy can't always be around to deal with my craziness.

Even now I'm listening to my house creak (it's made of wood and likes to do that) and I'm struggling not to cry, even though I know the perfectly rational explanation behind the noise.

Nobody I've talked to really understands how afraid I get, and I was wondering if I have a real problem? Are there any other redditors who are this afraid? Is there any advice you can give me to help me deal?
<bot>: I'm fucking terrified of the dark to the point of it affecting my nightly activities and/or sleeping unless someone is in my line of sight. Any advice?