Light summer nights are the best part of a Swedish June and the worst part of a Swedish bedroom. Here is how to sleep through them, using Sweden’s own health advice, and why the pharmacy is not the answer.
When you need this
You are booking a room, cabin or mountain hut north of about the Dalälven river between May and July. You are packing for Lapland in the midnight-sun weeks, or taking the night train north. You have flown in from another continent and now have jet lag and daylight at 3 a.m. Or you are travelling with children whose bedtime at home is “when it gets dark”.
How light it gets where you sleep
How much kit you need depends on latitude. SMHI, Sweden’s weather and climate agency, draws the lines.
| Where | Summer nights | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| North of the Arctic Circle (Kiruna, Abisko, Gällivare, Jokkmokk) | The sun stays above the horizon all night for weeks; in Kiruna from 29 May to 14 July | Blackout blind and mask |
| From about the Dalälven northwards (Umeå, Luleå, the High Coast, Jämtland) | The sun sets briefly, but it never gets fully dark: twilight runs straight into dawn | Blind or mask; both if you sleep lightly |
| South of the Dalälven, Stockholm included | Up to about 17 hours of daylight; short, dim nights | A dark curtain is often enough |
The Arctic Circle sits at about 66.5° N. Stockholm lies south of the Dalälven line, so it gets a short, dim night even at Midsummer. The midnight sun itself, place by place, is covered in the midnight sun in Sweden.
Darken the room first
Sweden’s health service, 1177, puts it plainly: a dark roller blind (mörk rullgardin) can help in the light summer months, and a sleep mask can protect your eyes. A blind is the better first tool, because it works all night without you noticing it.
Before you book, ask whether the bedroom has a blackout blind or curtain (mörkläggningsgardin). No rule requires one, and a thin curtain or an uncovered skylight will wake you at 3 a.m. Why so many Swedish windows look bare is a story of its own: see why Swedish windows have no curtains.
On arrival, seal the room:
- Pull the blind fully down, then close any curtain over it.
- Clip the curtains together in the middle with a peg or hair clip to close the gap.
- Cover skylights and glass doors where you can do so without damaging anything.
- Turn the radiator down. 1177 says most people sleep best at around 14–18 °C, a little cooler than many expect.
- Before opening a window for air, check for a mosquito screen. In June and July a cool room without a screen is a room full of mosquitoes.
Earplugs belong in the same kit: 1177 recommends them if sounds disturb you.
Eye masks, tents, huts and trains
Wherever you cannot control the light, the mask does the work. Pack one even if your hotel promises blackout, because some nights of the trip will not be in that hotel.
- Choose a contoured mask that does not press on your eyes if you sleep on your side, and try it at home first.
- In a tent, fabric lets the midnight light through. A darker inner tent helps a little; the mask is what reliably works.
- In mountain huts and dormitories, keep the mask and earplugs where you can reach them in the dark, or rather the light.
- On the night train north, the same applies: you cannot choose your neighbours or the light.
Masks and earplugs are sold in Swedish pharmacies if you forget them; what pharmacies and shops sell has the details.
Keep your body clock steady
Darkness at night is only half the answer. The other half is giving your body a clear day. 1177’s advice, applied to a Swedish summer:
| Do | Why |
|---|---|
| Spend as much time as possible outdoors in daylight | Daylight during the day anchors your rhythm |
| Dim the lights and put screens away before bed | Screen light works against sleep |
| No coffee, tea, soft drinks or energy drinks about six hours before bed | The bright 9 p.m. sky makes a late coffee feel normal |
| Go easy on alcohol at night | It helps you fall asleep, but sleep becomes shallower, more restless and shorter |
| Keep bedtime by the clock, not the sky | In June the sky never tells you it is late |
That last point matters most around Midsummer, the lightest night of the year and the one most likely to involve a late party. Plan one late midnight walk on purpose, enjoy it, then sleep in the dark the next night.
Jet lag on top of the light nights
If you have crossed several time zones, light at the wrong hour pushes your body clock further off. 1177 gives a simple rule:
- Away less than three days: keep your home rhythm by avoiding bright light during the hours you normally sleep, even when Sweden’s evening sun is inviting.
- Away longer: switch to Swedish time as soon as possible, which in summer means daylight in the morning and a dark room at night.
For the clock change itself, see Sweden’s time zone.
Melatonin in Sweden: not a light-night sleeping pill
This is where much online advice is wrong in both directions. Some pages still describe melatonin in Sweden as prescription-only; others recommend it as the cure for the midnight sun. Neither is right today.
- It is sold without prescription, since September 2020, but only in pharmacies, not supermarkets.
- Its approved non-prescription use is short-term jet lag in adults. It is not approved as a sleep aid.
- Läkemedelsverket, the Medical Products Agency, warned in March 2025 that melatonin is increasingly used outside its approved indication, and says people with sleep problems should get sleep-hygiene advice first: in other words, everything above.
- Jet-lag leaflets say not to give it to under-18s, limit it to a few days, and warn against driving or using machinery afterwards, because drowsiness can last for hours. That matters on long northern roads.
In January 2026 the government asked Läkemedelsverket to build a knowledge base on melatonin use, so the official position may be refined. For light nights, the blind and the mask remain the answer.
Children and the light nights
Children are often the hardest sleepers in a Swedish June, and in April 2026 Folkhälsomyndigheten, the Public Health Agency, published Sweden’s first national sleep recommendations for children and young people. They fit the midnight sun well:
- A cool, quiet and dark bedroom.
- Fixed routines and a regular daily rhythm: keep the home bedtime by the clock.
- Daylight outdoors during the day to strengthen the body’s rhythm.
- No screens before bed, and the phone outside the bedroom at night.
The agency puts school-age children (6–12) at about 9–11 hours of sleep. In a rented cabin, check that any blind cords and chains are out of small children’s reach before bedtime. For camping families, see camping with kids in Sweden.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Midnight sun, Kiruna | 29 May–14 July (almanac year SMHI quotes), 47 days |
| No full darkness | From about the Dalälven northwards in summer |
| Southernmost Sweden | Up to about 17 hours of daylight |
| Bedroom temperature | Around 14–18 °C (1177) |
| Caffeine cut-off | About six hours before bed (1177) |
| Melatonin | Non-prescription, pharmacy-only, approved for short-term jet lag in adults |
| Children 6–12 | About 9–11 hours of sleep (Folkhälsomyndigheten) |
| Masks, earplugs, blinds | Sold in pharmacies and home stores; prices vary and are not published here |
FAQ
How do you sleep when it never gets dark in Sweden?
Darken the room and protect your body clock. Sweden’s health service, 1177, recommends a dark roller blind in the light summer months, a sleep mask, earplugs if sounds disturb you and a cool bedroom of about 14–18 °C. Spend time in daylight during the day, dim lights and screens before bed, and avoid caffeine for about six hours before sleeping.
Do Swedish hotels have blackout curtains?
Not reliably. We know of no rule requiring blackout in Swedish rooms, so ask before booking anywhere north of about the Dalälven between May and July. 1177 recommends a dark roller blind in the light summer months; if the room lacks one, a sleep mask does the job, and it also works in tents, huts and on the night train.
Can I buy melatonin in Sweden for the light nights?
You can buy non-prescription melatonin, but only in pharmacies, and it is approved only for short-term jet lag in adults, not as a sleep aid. Läkemedelsverket, the Medical Products Agency, says people with sleep problems should first get sleep-hygiene advice. Do not give it to children, and do not drive after taking it.
Is it light all night in Stockholm in summer?
Not quite. Stockholm lies south of the Dalälven line, so the sun sets and there is a short, dim night around Midsummer. From about the Dalälven northwards it never gets fully dark in summer, and north of the Arctic Circle the sun does not set at all for weeks. A good curtain often suffices in Stockholm; take a mask if you sleep lightly.
How do I get children to sleep in the midnight sun?
Make their room dark, cool and quiet, keep the usual bedtime by the clock, and get them outdoors in daylight during the day. That is Folkhälsomyndigheten’s 2026 advice for children, which also says no screens before bed. School-age children need about 9–11 hours. Pack a blind solution or a child-size mask for rooms without blackout.
Does jet lag make the light nights worse?
It can, because light at the wrong time of day shifts your body clock. 1177’s advice: if you are away less than three days, keep your home rhythm by avoiding bright light during your usual sleep hours; for longer trips, switch to Swedish time as soon as possible. Melatonin is approved in Sweden for short-term jet lag in adults.
Related guides
- The midnight sun in Sweden — where and when the sun stays up, place by place.
- What to pack for Sweden in summer — the rest of the bag around the eye mask.
- Why Swedish windows have no curtains — and why bedrooms are the exception.
- Swedish beds and two duvets — the bed you will be trying to sleep in.
- Non-prescription medicine in Sweden — what pharmacies and supermarkets may sell.
Facts verified 2026-10-15. Sources: 1177, SMHI, Läkemedelsverket, Folkhälsomyndigheten, Regeringen — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.