Northern Daylight Variations

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Where I live now, the days get seven hours longer or shorter with the seasons. Scotland and Denmark get even more variation. How do others cope with it? Do you adjust your meal and sleep times? Find them going random?

It doesn't affect my routine but I do hate the nights drawing in (getting longer). It starts on the 21st of this month, and I hate the fact that summer solstice is at the beginning of summer instead of in the middle or the end, which would be preferred.

The closer to the Equator you are the less the changes in the ratio of daylight to night over the year. The farther the more.

I dont think of Washington DC as being in the "tropics", but at 39 degrees latitude our city is slightly closer to the Equator than it is to the north pole. So I guess it aint a big deal here for that reason. The boundary line between Canada (on one hand), and Vermont and New Hampshire (on the other) is exactly on the 45th parallel (midpoint between the equator and the Pole). Most of France, and all of the UK is way ABOVE the 45th Parallel!

I lived all my life in pretty much the centre of Britain, and lately have spent a lot of time in Arkansas. I didn't notice much of an effect from differences in the day lengths over the year. I prefer the long twilight that happens in England. It gives me more time to adjust to the fact that it's going dark, though as the temperatures are often extreme in Arkansas, I was indoors most of the time anyway. The hot, humid summers make a prisoner of me. I've also come to appreciate that England's insects are relatively benign. It's nice to just walk across a field of grass without worrying too much about ticks and other nasties. I think the temperate UK climate suits my body better, perhaps naturally since I grew up in the UK and barely left it till I was 60. For some reason, in the UK I sleep better (once the jet lag has worn off) and feel slightly healthier all round, though overall I can't say I'm happier in the UK.

I have to struggle to not go nocturnal. It takes me a long time to settle down after an evening event. Soon, I will be tempted to stay up and watch the glow of the sun travel across the northern horizon. During the dark months, I might be up for stargazing or watching auroras. I often check a web cam at this latitude, but 12 hours around the globe just to see more daylight.
However, the question is about what you do to cope. It may be less of a problem with a regular job as a time anchor.

Blinds in the windows.
My day-night rythm is regulated by medication but blinds are very useful not to get awake too early, especially with Eastern windows.

My bedroom windows have heavy drapes that get closed at about the same time every night and opened at about the same time every morning (unless I sleep in).  Eye masks also help.

Thats another latitude thing. You dont get long sunrises, or long sunsets, in the tropics. So the ratio of light to dark may change more the closer you are to the pole, but you also get a longer adjustment time (and more time to watch the pretty sunsets). The sun gets directly overhead at noon right on the equator -so- the sun has to haul ass to get there! Cant loiter near the horizon like it does in England.

Arkansas and Washington DC are in intermediate between the Equator and England.

But even in Lauderdale Florida on the beach at dawn- a Washingtonian like me is shocked that you blink- and you miss the sunrise.

In the far north, where people can be idled by the snow and "cabin fever" is a real hazard for those living alone, we might expect suicide to peak during the long nights with SAD or "winter blues" but actually, it happens in early summer, when there is too much to do and not enough darkness to force people indoors.

Agreed. Hot weather should conflate with the longest days and visa vera but that is not how it works.