Norway's 'Light Shower' Classroom Aims to Combat Winter Blues

Psychology student Sigrid Eek enters the University of Bergen just after 9 AM. She describes the recent mornings as challenging due to the persistent darkness outside. The transition is abrupt when she opens the doors to the new classroom. A sharp blue-tinged floodlight immediately strikes her face. Eek calls the experience both intense and delightful. University of Bergen students tested the 'light shower' for the first time last week. The specially designed classroom features ceiling-mounted LED lights with blue tones that simulate daylight. University officials call it Norway's best-lit classroom, possibly even the world's best. The space operates as both a welfare initiative and research project. It opened to students and staff last week. The classroom remains available daily from 8 AM to 10 AM until New Year's. Professor Elisabeth Flo-Groeneboom, a sleep researcher at the university, leads the project. She hopes the lighting will provide insights into how light helps maintain alertness during learning. In the short term, she wants to give students a better start to their day. Spending 30-120 minutes under the lights should increase wakefulness and improve mood. The lighting system targets better circadian rhythm regulation during periods when natural daylight is scarce. Our bodies contain an internal clock that runs independently, but it doesn't exactly match 24 hours, the sleep researcher explains. Light therapy benefits those with winter depression and people who feel down during darker periods. Morning light exposure helps adjust our bodies to societal rhythms. The specialized lighting also counters winter depression and milder winter blues. Many people feel things become heavier and more dreary when it's dark, cold, and damp outside. Light exposure can provide substantial benefits during these periods. Darkness makes people tired, while light creates feelings of refreshment. Psychology student Sigrid Eek has only briefly tested the light therapy but already notices differences. She found concentration easier today because of the sharp lighting. Objects also appear clearer and more distinct. The student considers incorporating the light shower into her autumn routines. She notices a major difference from other lecture halls with darker, more yellowish lighting. Her head feels clearer and her eyes less tired. Eek hopes the light shower will make exam periods somewhat easier and brighter. She might establish a routine of visiting the space to work more efficiently on exam preparation. Starting mornings well could prevent prolonged morning sluggishness. The university's approach acknowledges a real Nordic problem - the overwhelming darkness that affects millions each winter. While light therapy isn't new, integrating it into everyday learning spaces shows practical innovation.