Alaskan winters are characterized by a lot of darkness. This makes it easier to go to sleep at night, but waking up can be a struggle. However, if you work a standard 8-5 job, are in school, or do anything that requires you to wake up energized, then these dark mornings may be quite the struggle. Here are a few things you can do to help you wake up energized, even if it's dark and cold outside.
Alaskans’ sleeping schedules are unique. While it sounds reasonable to think, “Summer in Alaska is for long, fun days and winters are for lots of sleep,” it’s actually not quite that simple. As you go further north, things get even more complex. Our extreme lighting conditions affect our lives in many different way – ways that can be incredibly disruptive towards sleep.
It’s no secret that we are living under unique circumstances in Alaska: lots of light over the past few months, and lots of darkness to look forward to for the next six months. Though it might seem counter intuitive, winter in Alaska actually makes sleep more difficult for many people, especially as you move further north.
Simply put, the excess darkness can be extremely disruptive to three things that are essential for the onset of sleep:
Thus, there are many ways for your circadian rhythm to be negatively affected as winter approaches. It is crucial to understand this before preparing for and preventing insomnia as we head into winter because you need to know what and how to prevent it. Let’s look at circadian rhythm more closely.
Much of the year in Alaska, we live in either the extreme darkness or extreme lightness. These extreme lighting conditions affect our lives in many different ways:
Alaskan summers can make having a sleep schedule feel impossible. If you’re reading this, you are likely one of those people.
It’s not just the sun/twilight that burns throughout the night. Alaskan summers can make it hard for many reasons, including:
Of course, we all (in Alaska) struggle with light different based on:
Summers and Winters in Alaska can both be hard on getting enough sleep. The extreme lighting conditions don’t provide the transition from light to dark and dark to light in the morning/evening that prompts us to get tired and wake up. Because of this, setting a good sleep routine can be extremely hard.
Some signs your sleep schedule isn’t working are:
If these symptoms hit or worsen during our winters and summers in Alaska, it may be related to a sleep disorder, such as insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders. If you feel this way all the time, then you have an issue with your sleep schedule. Continue reading for five ways to set a good sleep schedule.
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.
Much of the year in Alaska, we live in either the extreme darkness or extreme lightness. These extreme lighting conditions affect our lives psychologically, physiologically, habitually, emotionally, and sociologically.
Contrary to what you might think, the long darkness affects our lives in ways that aren’t conducive to sleep. Perhaps you suspect that you have developed a sleep disorder or your existing sleep disorder is worsening.
However, what may actually be happening is your sleep is distorted because of the difference in architecture of the day. This means that we have to work harder to maintain a normal sleep schedule in winter. The good news is that there are many tricks to you can use to help maintain a normal sleep schedule, though some people will need more direct intervention from sleep specialists or healthcare practitioners.
Other than a few months out of the year between “spring” and “fall” in Alaska, living here poses unique sleeping related to either receiving mostly (or only) daylight or mostly (or only) darkness. These extreme lighting conditions affect our lives in many different ways, most of which can be very disruptive towards sleep.
Extreme light conditions in Alaska can cause sociological, psychological, physiological, and habitual challenges.
These changes can make you two different people, which seems to be the case. Nearly everyone is different between winter and summer. It’s why you might sometimes hear the quip, “Living in Alaska means being two people.” Long winter nights, especially, can cause physical and social habit changes, as well as emotional and mental changes that lead to behavioral changes.
Living in Alaska poses unique sleeping challenges most months out of the year. Other than a few months between “spring” and “fall” in Alaska, we are dealing with darkness that lasts most, or all, of the day, or light that lasts most, or all, of the night.