Northern Day Lengths

[Shevek]

I have moved about 5 degrees north twice in my life, with the last quarter the farthest up. I didn't really notice the change the first time, but I still get amazed at the difference here, with days and nights varying between seven and seventeen hours long, and the sunbeams that go right across the house at noon in December. I'm also amazed at the lack of commentary from others who live at or north of the latitude of Manchester, Berlin, or Warsaw. How do you all feel about it?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I have spent a while at approx. 64 degrees North, from March till May. I was already surprised at the length of the day towards the end. The sun remained visible until after I went to sleep, around 23:00, and when I woke up during the night around 3:00 or so, it was already there again.

I have to say, although I love the North and everything surrounding it, the length of days/nights is not something I'd wish to experience long-term. Already during that short stay, I noticed it messing with my sleep cycle. And that was the light-period. I don't think I would react well to no sun over several months - even though the people there said that with the persistent snow, moon, stars and northern lights, it's not as dark as one would think. And during the light-period, I'd miss it being dark. Dark nights feel like a spa treatment for my brain.
I would love to see the polar night one day, but I don't know if I'd be suited to living up there.

I'm also amazed at the lack of commentary from others who live at or north of the latitude of Manchester, Berlin, or Warsaw. How do you all feel about it?

What exactly do you mean by that?
I live at that latitude, now a bit farther north, and I don't experience it as something special. Days get shorter in winter, and longer in summer.
I always struggle to some extent with it being dark in winter in the morning, when I have to get up and get ready for work, and in the afternoon when I get home. Although I love the stars and the darkness, it helps me greatly to wake up in the morning if it's bright outside. I feel much more tired in the morning in winter.
Or did you mean something else by that question?

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

I took a short canoe trip in Sweden about Midsommar. I’m not sure of the latitude, but it was a hour or two by train north of Stockholm.

I found it hard to sleep at night. It was weird lying in the tent and looking up at a lit tent roof.

I know I couldn’t manage the months of darkness.

 

[Forest Cat]

I took a short canoe trip in Sweden about Midsommar. I’m not sure of the latitude, but it was a hour or two by train north of Stockholm.

I found it hard to sleep at night. It was weird lying in the tent and looking up at a lit tent roof.

I know I couldn’t manage the months of darkness.

This is the midnight sun in Svalbard, it's a strange thing, your mind tells you it's night and it should be dark, something is wrong.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

This is the midnight sun in Svalbard, it's a strange thing, your mind tells you it's night and it should be dark, something is wrong.

What nifty images in the video. It makes me wonder how other animals take to the constant light.

It was not that light where I was. The western sky got reddish as it faded. I definitely had the feeling it was not time for bed. I didn’t check the time when darkness actually occurred, probably because I would finally fall asleep about then.

 

[Shevek]

I have spent a while at approx. 64 degrees North, from March till May. I was already surprised at the length of the day towards the end. The sun remained visible until after I went to sleep, around 23:00, and when I woke up during the night around 3:00 or so, it was already there again.

I have to say, although I love the North and everything surrounding it, the length of days/nights is not something I'd wish to experience long-term. Already during that short stay, I noticed it messing with my sleep cycle. And that was the light-period. I don't think I would react well to no sun over several months - even though the people there said that with the persistent snow, moon, stars and northern lights, it's not as dark as one would think. And during the light-period, I'd miss it being dark. Dark nights feel like a spa treatment for my brain.
I would love to see the polar night one day, but I don't know if I'd be suited to living up there.


What exactly do you mean by that?
I live at that latitude, now a bit farther north, and I don't experience it as something special. Days get shorter in winter, and longer in summer.
I always struggle to some extent with it being dark in winter in the morning, when I have to get up and get ready for work, and in the afternoon when I get home. Although I love the stars and the darkness, it helps me greatly to wake up in the morning if it's bright outside. I feel much more tired in the morning in winter.
Or did you mean something else by that question?

That's on topic. There are millions of people who are at work for all the daylight hours, but I never see them remark on it. We also have to sleep during daytime around the summer solstice. In northern areas, the suicide rate is highest, not when it is dark and depressing, but when there is no time that feels right for sleeping.
What brought this on was having the sun vanish behind the house next door. If I want to have sun in the bathroom when I shower, I'll have to time it carefully, and accept far worse distribution until after Valentine's day.

 

[Shevek]

For me, today is not just the mid-day of fall, it is the first day of the dark season. It runs to February 5, giving way to brightening quarter, light season, and darkening season. Having the sun near the horizon causes a lot of glare when outdoors, and there's a lot of shaded windows darkening my house, as well as the short daylight periods.

 

[Mary Terry]

I'm trying to adapt to daylight savings time in the US which started Sunday. I wish Congress would end it forever. The original reason for it was to save energy and that no longer applies, and the number of vehicle accidents rises every time we go through the bi-annual time transition.

I don't care if we stay on DST or stay on "real time". Just pick one and be done.