Alaskan summers can hit your sleep schedule hard. And it’s not just the midnight sun. Alaskan summers can make it hard for many Alaskan’s to sleep because:
How much you struggle with the light depends on:
The primary concern here is the development or worsening of insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, because our circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle, biological clock) is managed by melatonin, which in turn responds to changes in light and dark throughout the day.
During transition from light to dark, we produce melatonin (makes us go to sleep), and during transitions from dark to light we repress melatonin (makes us wake up). Without these transitions in Alaska, it can be much harder for our body to have the clues needed to produce melatonin at night and get to sleep.
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that prevents you from getting enough sleep because:
If you have insomnia, you never feel like you are getting enough rest at least 3 nights per week for a given time. It’s frustrating to not be able to sleep when you want to, and there are many risks associated with sleep deprivation.
There are two types of insomnia are secondary and primary.
Insomnia also varies in how long it lasts and the frequency with which it occurs:
Your circadian rhythm is your biological sleep clock. This biological sleep clock is a part of your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, and sits right behind the nerves of your eyes.
Circadian rhythm disorders include insomnia, but also encompass any type of sleeping problem you may have, such as:
A good example of this is jet lag, which is a temporary circadian rhythm disorder that makes it difficult to sleep at “regular” times, but once asleep you don’t have trouble getting enough sleep.
Some lifestyle choices that will help you get a good amount of sleep with the transition to summer and the actual summer are:
If you have children, setting up pre sleep routines for yourself is essentially the same as doing it for your children.
The environment in which you sleep will make a huge difference for your success at sleeping well during Alaska’s midnight sun/twilight months. The most important factors are:
The reality is that seasonal insomnia or sleep disorders may be very difficult for you to prevent or mitigate. If you have tried everything and are still struggling, feel free to talk to us or take an online sleep test.