The long summer days, with extended daylight hours, impact our biological clocks by delaying the production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep. This can lead to slight sleep reduction during the summer months.

While the average sleep reduction is about twelve minutes per night, the individual impact can vary significantly. Some people experience noticeable disruptions to their sleep patterns, falling asleep later and struggling to wake up at their usual time.

Sensitivity to longer days depends on genetic predisposition and chronotype, whether you are a morning or evening person. Evening people are more likely to find it difficult to relax and fall asleep on time during the summer months.

Artificial light and behavioral factors, such as intense exercise, caffeine, or alcohol consumption late in the evening, can further disrupt sleep.

To mitigate the effects of summer daylight, it is recommended to get natural daylight in the morning and early afternoon to properly set your internal clock. This promotes melatonin production at the appropriate time in the evening.

Other strategies include wearing sunglasses to limit the influence of evening light, creating a dark and quiet environment before bedtime, and maintaining fixed habits regarding light exposure, sleep schedule, eating, and exercise.

Our clock time being ahead of the sun also poses a challenge. The Netherlands is on Central European Time instead of English time, which would have been more logical. As a result, our clock time is actually two hours ahead of the sun.

Ultimately, the body adapts to seasonal changes gradually, and prioritizing regularity and relaxation can help improve sleep quality during the summer months.