Indeed, summer nights in Poland are glorious.
Warsaw Center, 10pm in July
I initially welcomed the change from the ubiquitous gray which plagued us all winter and spring. Nonetheless, I found myself getting agitated at the 4am sunrise and the overly long afternoon light. The constant brightness became downright overbearing.
I felt like Al Pacino in the Chris Nolan film Insomnia (closely based on the excellent Norwegian original).
Sun, sun, go away!
I don't think I'm alone in disliking incredibly long daylight. Researchers have found that in geographies close to either the North or South Pole, suicide rates tend to spike during the summer, and dip during winter. One hypothesis is that because sunlight enhances "feel good hormone" seratonin levels, too much sun can be overwhelming and lead to increased impulsivity. Additionally, the "sleep hormone" melatonin can be negatively impacted by insomnia and sun exposure. The Irish Times has a great summary on the research here.
Before you buy that summer home in Sweden, maybe take a moment to consider whether you can handle all that sun!
