Norway, a European country located high in the Northern Hemisphere is known for having long winter nights oftentimes called Polar Nights. During the winter solstice, the time of the year when the Earth’s northern pole is tilted farthest from the sun, nights in countries lying near the Arctic Circle experience longer nights compared to that of those nearer the Equator. For the little Norwegian town of Rjukan, a municipality surrounded by steep mountains, this darkness lasts for 6 months.

The cold autumn months are heralded by longer nights that begin in September, when the sun is farthest from the northern hemisphere. Unfortunately for residents of Rjukan, the mountains that surround them rob them of sunlight earlier than the rest of Norway, plunging them into its shadows from September until March and sunlight, as we all know, is very essential to life as a source of heat and much needed energy. But aside from this, it also has an important function most of us often disregard: sleep regulation.

Sunlight regulates our circadian rhythm or our sleep patterns and helps our body know when to shut down and rest or wake up and work. This rhythm is essential to growth, and even tissue repair, keeping us healthy.

With this in mind, the town of Rjukan have learned how to literally harvest the sun’s rays in the hope of boosting its citizens’ health as well as their productivity.

Watch the video posted in The World Economic Forum’s Facebook page below.

Source: World Economic Forum

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