In astrology, it is said that full moons disrupt sleep. This is because the moon controls the tides in the oceans and humans are made of 50 to 70 percent water. The moon also disrupts the REM phase of sleep. However, there are ways to reduce exposure to moonlight and get a better night’s sleep.
Effects of lunar gravity on sleep
Researchers have speculated that the full moon may affect how well we sleep. The effect may be as small as 20 minutes for healthy sleepers, but for people with sleep disorders, a 20-minute loss could have a dramatic effect. They say we need to practice healthy bedtime and sleep habits to get a good night’s sleep.
The moon’s gravitational pull may affect our sleep, but it is not entirely clear whether it has a causal or correlative effect. A number of studies conducted on astronauts suggest the moon affects human sleep in a similar way to the tides of the ocean. While scientists can’t establish a definitive causal relationship between moon gravity and human sleep, they have theorized that it affects sleep quality and sleep duration in both men and women.
Despite this compelling evidence, the moon’s influence on biological rhythms has been disputed by some researchers. In the natural world, researchers have observed that the lunar phases affect crab reproductive patterns, tree diameter, and spawning events in the Great Barrier Reef. Even owl monkeys’ night activity is affected by lunar phases, but research on humans is less clear. Most moon phase studies are small-scale and not longitudinal, but nonetheless provide compelling evidence that lunar phases may disrupt sleep.
Despite the lack of definitive evidence, studies conducted in Toba-Qom showed a semilunar oscillation of sleep patterns. These patterns were modulated by the main lunar rhythm, but the effect was much smaller than expected. Moreover, it was only noticed in two rural Toba-Qom communities. This suggests that the lunar effect may be due to other factors other than light.
Besides the full moon, the moon’s phases affect the way we sleep. Some studies have shown that people sleep less during full moons than during other moon phases. Others, however, failed to detect any significant effect. While many people attribute this to a cultural phenomenon, other research suggests that the full moon has a real effect on our sleep patterns.
Similarly, studies conducted in Toba/Qom communities have shown that moonlight availability early in the evening is associated with later sleep onset and shorter sleep duration. They also found that the moonlight availability during early evening correlated with a lower quality of sleep. These results show that the lunar phase is closely related to the time of day that humans sleep during the day.
Effects of moonlight on sleep
A recent study examined the effects of moonlight on sleep during the full moon. Participants in the Toba/Qom communities of rural Argentina experienced reduced sleep on days leading up to full moon nights. The research team also found that sleep onset times tended to be longer on full moon nights compared to days before full moon.
The study’s results showed that the moon’s light may have a profound impact on sleep. The researchers found that during the days before a full moon, people were likely to fall asleep five minutes later than they did on days without a full moon. They also slept for 20 minutes less on those nights and reported lower melatonin levels. Although the study was conducted using volunteers, it is unclear whether its results can be extrapolated to everyday life.
The study looked at how much moonlight was available to participants throughout the first six hours of each night. Using a mathematical model, researchers classified moonlight phases into full, waning/waxing, and no moonlight. They found that the amount of time spent in each sleep phase varied according to community.
In this study, participants were not told that the purpose of the study was to see if the full moon affects sleep. Researchers analyzed the data later to see if the full moon was a significant factor. The lab was darkened in order to prevent the full moon light from penetrating the windows. In addition, the study found that the volunteers took five minutes longer to fall asleep when the moon was full.
Early morning moonlight is thought to influence sleep, thereby stimulating wakefulness. The moonlight increases the amount of time people spend awake, and this may have important evolutionary implications. It might be possible that ancestral moonlight had synchronized reproductive activity and fertility. Regardless, the true adaptive value of such an arrangement remains unanswered.
The effects of moonlight on sleep are not fully understood. There are no studies to date confirming this hypothesis. However, there are some theories that suggest that the moon’s gravity may have a specific effect on sleep.
REM phase disrupts sleep during a full moon
Many people experience difficulty falling asleep during the full moon phase, and as a result, sleep quality is affected. The most obvious effect of the full moon on sleep is a disruption of the REM phase. This is an important sleep stage for memory formation and brain health. However, the REM phase is not affected as drastically during a new moon.
However, it is not entirely clear why the moon has this effect. Many people attribute this phenomenon to folklore. Several studies have looked into the possible impact of the lunar cycle on sleep. Although these studies rarely use objective measures, the results seem to indicate that sleep patterns are indeed affected. One study from Sweden reported that sleep duration was shorter around the full moon, and the time needed to enter REM sleep was delayed. The findings are also consistent with the widely held belief that the full moon affects sleep quality.
The full moon can disturb sleep quality and cause a person to wake up later than normal. It’s important to practice good sleep hygiene during these phases. People should also try to avoid sleeping under the stars, which may interfere with sleep. Using blackout curtains before going to bed is another effective way to improve sleep quality during full moon phases.
Recent studies on the effect of the moon on sleep quality and time spent in REM have produced mixed findings. In one study of female and male participants, women reported shorter sleep duration, reduced Stage 4 sleep, and less REM than they do at other times of the month. However, male participants showed an increase in REM activity during the full moon. In addition, studies have noted that sleeping duration was similar for both sexes during the full moon phase.
While evidence supporting the effect of moon phases on sleep quality is not conclusive, there is a growing body of evidence that moon phases disrupt sleep. In a study of nearly 6,000 children in twelve countries, sleep duration decreased by 1% during the full moon. Despite this, no link was found between the lunar phases and children’s sedentary time or activity level.
Ways to reduce exposure to moonlight for a better night’s sleep
The full moon can be disruptive to our circadian rhythm, but there are ways to limit our exposure. Moonlight is 7% as bright as the sun, and its light can cause sleep problems. Moonlight can also disrupt our circadian rhythm, which affects our biology and behavior. To combat this, we can follow some proven sleep hygiene practices.
First, consider when the moon rises and sets. The moon will be higher in the sky later in the evenings on evenings leading up to the full moon. The moon will also be higher in the sky at dusk, and it will rise in the middle of the night.
Researchers from Basel University studied how exposure to moonlight affects sleep quality. They used data on 464 college students to evaluate their sleep during the days leading up to and during the full moon. They found that people who lived in rural areas experienced a lower quality of sleep on these nights.
Another study published in the journal Science Advances found that people had a harder time sleeping at night when the moon was in its full phase. Study participants also reported that they were more likely to stay up later on evenings preceding the full moon. People who slept less on these nights were less likely to have high levels of melatonin.
Many people believe that the full moon interferes with their sleep. However, research suggests that the moon effect is caused by the increase in light levels in the evening, which suppresses the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for the onset and duration of sleep. The latest study further explored the cultural and practical reasons for staying awake during the full moon.