How the full moon affects your sleep

Moon enthusiasts were in for a real treat on Monday (19 August) night, as a blue supermoon graced our skies and lit up the night.

The phenomenon marked the first of four supermoons over the next four months. Supermoons occur when the moon is at its closest point in its orbit to the earth at the same time as a full moon – making it look bigger and brighter.

In addition, a blue moon occurs every two or three years. While we typically see 12 full moons each year, the moon cycles sometimes don’t quite add up to 365 or 366 days in a calendar year, which means a 13th full moon is seen – referred to as a ‘blue moon’.

If you missed last night’s supermoon, you’ll still have the next three months to catch the phenomenon. But, while humans are fascinated by the full moon, many often wonder whether the moon cycles affect our health at all.

The moon influences many natural processes, such as the ocean’s tides and sea creatures like fish that tend to reproduce when the full moon has risen. But, until recently, scientists dismissed the idea that humans are influenced by lunar activity at all.

However, 2021 research suggests that the full moon does have an effect on our sleep. Sleep researcher Horacio de la Iglesias was surprised to find that both rural communities that used little to no electricity and students living in the bustling city of Seattle got less sleep around the full moon.

Using activity-monitoring watches to track sleep patterns, de la Iglesias and his colleagues found that members of the Indigenous Toba/Qom communities in rural Argentina went to sleep 40 minutes later on average a few nights before the full moon.

The researchers found similar sleep patterns among undergraduate students living in Seattle, where light pollution usually cancels out moonlight.

The findings echoed that of a 2013 study, which was one of the first studies to suggest a link between the moon and our sleep patterns. It found that people took five minutes longer to fall asleep around the full moon, and also experienced poorer quality sleep, including 30% less deep sleep and 20 minutes less sleep overall.

One explanation may be that the bright light of the full moon keeps us awake – however, the almost-constant presence of artificial light that drowns out moonlight pokes holes in this theory.

One hypothesis that de la Iglesias has floated is that our ancestors may have been kept up later by the light of the full moon, and this tendency may have become ingrained in us.

Another hypothesis, according to SELF, is that the full moon’s greater gravitational pull has an effect on our bodies. This pull is what influences the ocean’s tides. The shifts in the Earth’s magnetic field may also be a possible explanation for why our sleep becomes affected.

However, scientists still don’t know exactly why the lunar cycle may have an impact on some people’s sleep. If you find it harder to sleep in the lead-up to the full moon, scientists recommend practising good sleep hygiene, such as not looking at your phone screen right before going to bed and sticking to a routine to help you settle in for the night.

If all else fails, you can always head outside and indulge in some moongazing. After all, the supermoon won’t stick around for long!

Watch: Supermoon set to rise: Top tips for amateur photographers

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