The results of a recently published study suggest that theLunar cycle influenceon how difficult it is to sleep during a full moon. The researchers examined groups of participants with different levels of access to artificial light. Using wrist sensors, they tracked the sleep patterns of 98 people living in three indigenous communities in Argentina.
Sleeping poorly during a full moon – are the causes known?
The communities studied varied in terms of access to electricity during the study period. The researchers collected sleep data for one to two lunar cycles for about 75 percent of the participants from the Toba-Qom people. They found that all three groups showed the same changes in sleep patterns as the moon went through its 29.5-day cycle. On average, the subjects went to bed the latest and slept at least 3 to 5 days before the full moon. The team then analyzed sleep monitoring data from 464 Seattle-area students. These were collected for a separate study to find the same pattern of sleep changes. Sleep was shortest before the full moon. In addition, nighttime activity increased, according to the study authors. Second, the researchers were extremely surprised that such an effect was present regardless of access to electricity and even among university students living in Seattle. The experts consider these findings to be plausible.
According to scientists, the moon most likely exerts its effect through an increase in evening or night light. This could suppress the sleep hormone melatonin, which influences the onset and duration of sleep. According to this study, there appears to be a significant delay and reduction in total sleep time in the nights leading up to the full moon. However, this does not explain how the moon affects sleep. The main limitation of the study is the fact that it cannot establish a causal relationship between the phase of the moon and changes in sleep. The moon's gravity could explain it, according to the study authors. They believe that the gravitational pulls associated with the lunar month may cause humans to be particularly sensitive to the effects of light, moonlight or artificial light on nights near the full moon. The point of all this is that humans really are sensitive to light. Everyone has a circadian rhythm, a built-in body clock that doesn't necessarily follow a 24-hour cycle.
In the end…
It's exposure that puts people into a normal 24-hour cycle, researchers say. So light is the crucial factor that really wakes up the brain. Additionally, the authors of this study are unsure whether the moon's gravity has a significant impact on sleep. Healthy sleepers will most likely do well with a small reduction in their total sleep time. For people with insomnia, light or unrefreshing sleep, a loss of 20 minutes can have negative effects. Modern life, with its artificial light sources and forms of entertainment such as smartphones and televisions, probably has a far greater influence on sleep than the phases of the moon. According to the authors, this suggeststhis studyfocusing on maintaining healthy sleep patterns and habits.
