For roughly two months of the year –those months surrounding the summer solstice –Alaskans enjoy daylight 24 hours a day.
(MORE: Summer Solstice Explainer)
While the sun actually sets for a brief time, except in Utqiaġvik (Barrow) and places along the Arctic Circle, it doesn't drop below the horizon by more than 6 degrees, which means civil twilight is still occurring in between sunrise and sunset.
For example, in Fairbanks, the sunrise on this year's summer solstice (June 20) is at 2:59 a.m. Sunset is at 12:47 a.m. the next day. For those two hours between sunrise and sunset, it's basically dusk or dawn because it never actually gets dark.
This all-day daylight occurs from May 17 through July 27 in Fairbanks.
(MORE: Barrow, Alaska, Sees Last Sunset For Over Two Months)
So How Do Alaskans Cope with the Midnight Sun?
"In 10-plus years in Alaska, not once have I heard an Alaskan say that they don’t like the long days.It is not uncommon to hear a lawnmower running or kids playing outside at 11 p.m.," Alaska-based climatologistDr. Brian Brettschneidertold weather.com.
"Last week I traveled to (Washington) D.C. and New York City on a family trip. The overnight darkness was unsettling. I actually felt cheated that there might be things I could not do because it gets dark at night."
The Alaska day length means that any activity people want to do is only limited by their schedules, Brettschneider said. He said he has hiked during the overnight hours, and he'll sometimes see other hikers doing the same.
Former University of Alaska-Fairbanks graduate student Mary Butwin, now studying in Reykjavík, Iceland, said the all-day sunlight is a welcomed event each year because it signals the end of a long winter.
"Growing up in upstate New York, I was very familiar with the long winter nights and subsequently long summer days, but that was nothing compared to the conditions in the high latitudes," she said.
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"When you live in the high latitudes, you take advantage of the daylight in the summer by spending it outdoors as much as possible, whether it be hiking, hunting, preparing for next winter or simply relaxing in the sun."
How Do People Sleep with the Constant Daylight?
Many people have blackout curtains that help keep the sun out at 3 a.m., Butwin told weather.com.
"Personally, the long summer days and long winter nights were not a problem for me," Butwin said.
"But I did have problems with the transition seasons, as you would be gaining or losing 6 to 8 minutes of daylight a day, depending if it were spring or fall. This equates to about an hour every week, and I just have trouble adjusting."
Brettschneidersaid the very long days are disorienting at first, but soon everyone gets used to it.
"Occasionally, visitors will say they have a hard time sleeping, but eventually, they get used to it too."
"The fall transition is much easier than the spring transition. Once August begins, locals are successfully sleeping on a regular schedule, and increasing darkness is not problematic."
How Do the Drastic Changes in Daylight from Season to Season Affect Alaskans Psychologically?
"What is an issue is the psychological aspect," Brettschneider said. "Just knowing that there is a time window where you can’t do outdoor activities is a little depressing. There’s a sense of urgency to get summer activities done before the daylight clock runs out."
There are people who cannot handle the lack of light and changes in weather, and some stay only for the summer, Butwin said. Others embrace the quirkiness of Alaska's seasons and learn to love them.
"Although I moved away from Fairbanks, I have certainly not escaped the midnight sun of summer," Butwin said, adding that Reykjavík, Iceland, experiences very similar daylight changes throughout the year.
