Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Humøret ditt blir bedre når du sover regelmessig. - Your mood gets better when you sleep regularly.

humør is a neuter noun: et humør (a mood), humøret (the mood).
When the possessive comes after the noun (postposed), Norwegian uses “double definiteness”: noun + definite ending + possessive. Hence: humøret ditt = “your mood.”
You can also put the possessive before the noun: ditt humør (no -et). This is correct but often a bit more emphatic or contrastive. The neutral everyday choice is humøret ditt.

Why is it ditt and not din or dine?

Because humør is neuter singular. The possessive forms are:

Masculine: din
Feminine: di (in many Bokmål varieties also din)
Neuter: ditt
Plural: dine So: humøret ditt (“your mood”).

What does blir mean here? Why not er?

bli = “to become, to get.” Humøret ditt blir bedre = “Your mood gets/becomes better,” emphasizing a change or result.
er = “is.” Humøret ditt er bedre når du sover regelmessig is also possible; it states a general state (“is better”) rather than the process of improvement. blir highlights the improvement that happens when the condition is met.

How does bedre work? Shouldn’t it agree with humøret?

bedre is the comparative of god (good): god – bedre – best (good – better – best).
Comparative forms in Norwegian don’t take gender or number endings, so you say humøret er/blir bedre, dagen er/blir bedre, etc. No extra -t or -e is added in the comparative.

Why is it når and not hvis?

når = “when/whenever” (temporal). It’s used for situations that are expected or repeated: når du sover regelmessig = “when(ever) you sleep regularly.”
hvis = “if” (conditional). Hvis du sover regelmessig is also possible but frames it more as a condition/hypothesis than a general recurring time.

Why are both verbs in the present tense? Isn’t this about a general truth?

Norwegian commonly uses the present tense for habits and general truths. So blir and sover in the present convey “Your mood gets better when you (regularly) sleep”—a general, repeated relation.

Can I start the sentence with the når-clause, and what happens to word order?

Yes. If you front the subordinate clause, the main clause inverts (verb-second rule):

Når du sover regelmessig, blir humøret ditt bedre. Note the comma after the introductory når-clause.

Where does regelmessig go? Could I say når du regelmessig sover?

The neutral, most natural placement is after the verb: når du sover regelmessig.
når du regelmessig sover is possible, but sounds a bit more formal or contrastive.
With negation and many frequency adverbs in subordinate clauses, the adverb usually comes before the verb: når du ikke sover regelmessig, når du ofte sover sent.

Do I need a comma before når in the original sentence?

No. When the subordinate clause comes last, you normally don’t use a comma:

Humøret ditt blir bedre når du sover regelmessig. If the når-clause comes first, put a comma after it:
Når du sover regelmessig, blir humøret ditt bedre.

How do I pronounce tricky parts like ø, the ending -et, and words like når and regelmessig?

ø (as in humøret, bedre) is like the vowel in French “deux”; round your lips: hu-MØ-re.
The definite neuter ending -et (as in humøret) is typically pronounced like a schwa [uh]; the final t is usually silent: [hu-MØ-re].
når: long vowel [noor], the å is like “aw” in “law,” and the r is tapped/flipped in many dialects.
sover: [SOH-ver], long o.
regelmessig: often pronounced roughly [REH-gel-mess-ee]; in many accents the final -g in -ig is weak or silent.

Is humør countable? Can I say a plural like humører?

In practice humør is treated as uncountable. You don’t use a normal plural. You’ll see it in set phrases:

i godt/dårlig humør = “in a good/bad mood.” Plural forms like humører are not used in everyday language.

Are there natural alternatives to this sentence?

Yes, for example:

Du er i bedre humør når du sover regelmessig.
Når du sover jevnlig, blir humøret ditt bedre.
Hvis du sover til faste tider, blir du i bedre humør.

What are some synonyms for regelmessig?

jevnlig (regularly)
til faste tider (at fixed times)
fast (fixed/regular, as in a routine) All can fit with slight nuance differences.

How do you conjugate å sove?

Infinitive: å sove
Present: sover (Jeg sover lite.)
Preterite (past): sov (Jeg sov dårlig i går.)
Present perfect: har sovet (Jeg har sovet bedre i det siste.)

Could I say Humøret ditt bedres/forbedres instead of blir bedre?

You could, but bedres/forbedres sounds formal/technical in everyday speech. The most natural choice is blir bedre. A reflexive option exists (Humøret ditt bedrer seg), but it’s less common than blir bedre in casual language.