A KTVA Alaska news report details the effects of chronic sleep deprivation on Alaskan residents, who have summer days that last anywhere from 12 to 19 hours, and how to avoid them.

Our longest day of the year in Anchorage was on June 20 — at over 19 hours of daylight. Later this month, we’ll drop to about 18 hours. Then it’s down to about 15 in August and still over 12 hours on Sept. 20.

For many, those long days for months on end mean sleepless nights. A pattern Anchorage Dr. Ross Dodge says should be avoided.

“The off setting effects of light exposure can be beneficial in the short term because it feels good and there’s lots of fun stuff to do in this state this time of year, but chronic sleep deprivation, regardless of how much light exposure you get, ultimately usually leads to problems,” said Dodge, a pediatric sleep specialist at Peak Neurology and Sleep Medicine.

Problems like moodiness, lack of focus or even loss of basic motor skills.

Read the full story at www.ktva.com