So far, there did not exist any serious study concerning the influence of the full moon on our being sleep less. Many scientists even denied the possibility of such an influence. A new data analysis conducted by Swiss scientists yielded an unexpected result: the scientists compared data of an already finalized sleep-study with the phases of the moon and came to the following conclusion: it is no myth, that people are sleeping less when there is full moon. No, the changes in sleep are even measurable.
The study showed that in the nights round full moon people actually sleep worse and shorter. So inform scientists around Christian Cajochen from the Centre of Chronobiology of the “Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken” in Basle, Switzerland in the journal “Current Biology”. By their own account, for the first time they discovered a convincing scientific evidence for the fact that the moon indeed is influencing the human sleep. This is also a “game of the hormones”.
An idea led to “full moon research”
A beer after work in a bar led the scientists to the idea for their research, namely in a night of full moon. They thought about newly evaluating the data of an already finalized study and thereby considering the phases of the moon. In this study, scientists already had tested different aspects of the sleep-wake-rhythm of 33 volunteers. Their new to-the-moon-related-evaluation resulted in the fact that in nights with full moon it took the participants five minutes longer to fall asleep. Furthermore, in total they slept 20 minutes less and evaluated the quality of their sleep poorer.
Full moon measurably lowers the melatonin-level
There were measurable biological indications for the “moon factor”. The brain activity showed that die length of deep sleep decreased, so the scientists. Finally the level of the sleeping hormone melatonin declined at full moon. This hormone has a significant part in the control of sleep- and wake-phases. This describes it to be the first reliable evidence for the possibility of an influence of the lunar rhythm on the human sleeping structure, explain the scientists. Possibly, the moon has even an influence on our behavior, like our mood or mental performance.
And how is your sleep when the moon is full?
Consciously test your own sleeping behavior in nights with or around full moon and share your insights: samina@samina.at.
Source: “Current Biology”, Research Director Christian Cajochen of the “Zentrum für Chronobiologie der Universitären Psychiatrischen Kliniken Basel”, Switzerland,
“Evidence that the Lunar Cycle Influences Human Sleep” of Christian Cajochen et al., published 25. Juli 2013.
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