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.

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Snowy Swedish winter scene with dark clouds parting for emerging winter solstice sunshine over forests and village.
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Sweden's dark December: Sunshine forecast after record-low start

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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.

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In her diary, Irina Pino shares how she copes with prolonged nighttime blackouts in Havana, relying on simple tools and reading to pass the time. She highlights the stark social differences revealed by these power outages, where wealthier families maintain generators while others adapt modestly.

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.

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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.

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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.

 

 

 

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