Expert offers tips for enduring winter darkness

Sweden's winter darkness challenges many with short days and long nights. Sleep expert Maria Nordin stresses the importance of accepting tiredness and being your own light. She shares advice in an article and a chat with readers.

Sweden's winter half-year often means darkness both on the way to and from work, posing a challenge for many. According to sleep expert Maria Nordin, who is also a psychology researcher at Umeå University, it is important to allow yourself to be tired as days shorten. 'You have to be your own light in the darkness', she says in an article published by Dagens Nyheter on December 11, 2025.

In a separate chat with DN readers, Nordin discusses how to maintain the spark of life during winter darkness and what one can do to endure it. Questions address challenges with seasonal tiredness and lack of daylight. The article and chat focus on practical advice for managing the Swedish winter's impact on well-being, without specifying exact methods beyond accepting the body's signals.

These contributions from Nordin provide a perspective on navigating the psychological effects of winter darkness, based on her expertise in sleep and psychology.

Articles connexes

Snowy Swedish winter scene with dark clouds parting for emerging winter solstice sunshine over forests and village.
Image générée par IA

Sweden's dark December: Sunshine forecast after record-low start

Rapporté par l'IA Image générée par IA

Following an exceptionally sun-poor start to December 2025—previously reported as less than five hours of sun in many areas up to mid-month—this year ranks among Sweden's darkest in 15 years. Relief is coming: sunny weather is expected across much of the country by the weekend, coinciding with the winter solstice on Sunday when days begin to lengthen.

Large parts of Sweden have seen less than five hours of sunlight so far in December, according to preliminary SMHI figures. Stockholm and several other places have it particularly dark with under one hour of sunshine. Meteorologist Linus Falk describes it as generally low figures due to low pressure and clouds.

Rapporté par l'IA

Dans son journal, Irina Pino partage comment elle affronte les longues pannes d'électricité nocturnes à La Havane, en s'appuyant sur des outils simples et la lecture pour occuper le temps. Elle met en lumière les fortes disparités sociales révélées par ces coupures, où les familles plus riches maintiennent des générateurs tandis que d'autres s'adaptent modestement.

Five days after Storm Anna's peak, Sweden remains gripped by winter extremes: snow chaos advancing from Skåne to Svealand, icy conditions in the north, and ongoing power outages in Gävleborg from storms Johannes and Anna. Up to 30 cm more snow is forecast, with SMHI yellow warnings for the east coast ahead of Epiphany.

Rapporté par l'IA Vérifié par des faits

Les adolescents et jeunes adultes qui dorment plus longtemps le week-end que en semaine étaient moins susceptibles de rapporter se sentir tristes ou déprimés tous les jours, selon une étude américaine qui a analysé les données de l’enquête National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey de 2021 à 2023.

Meteorological spring has arrived a week early in large parts of Dalarna after a mild March, following its earlier debut in southern Sweden. Average daily temperatures exceeded zero for seven days straight, though winter lingers in the north and west. Pollen from southern Europe may already affect allergies.

Rapporté par l'IA

Anschen Berggren, 83, has chosen to sleep outdoors for over 40 years despite snow, sub-zero temperatures, and harsh weather. She has a fine little house with cozy bedrooms on the upper floor, but prefers sleeping outside to feel free. "If I lie indoors, I feel confined. If I lie outdoors, I feel free," she says.

 

 

 

Ce site utilise des cookies

Nous utilisons des cookies pour l'analyse afin d'améliorer notre site. Lisez notre politique de confidentialité pour plus d'informations.
Refuser