It looks like there is some truth behind those old myths about the moon and how they impact human behaviour. A new study published in Science Advances found that people tend to sleep for shorter periods during the days leading up to a full moon.
Published in late January 2021, the Moonstruck Sleep Study shows how sleep cycles seem to change with the lunar cycle. Researchers at the University of Washington, led by biology professor Horacio de la Iglesia, measured the sleep cycle of 562 people as the moon progressed through one whole cycle (29.5 days). Some participants were studies for two moon cycles.
Sleep cycles and the full moon
The team studied city-dwelling college students in Seattle and Washington, as well as people living in indigenous communities in northern Argentina. The different environments would help to assess whether a person’s access to artificial light might impact sleep patterns. The team found that while the connection between sleep cycles and the full moon are more obvious in areas without electricity access, the connection was still present in areas with electricity.
The study showed that, irrespective of ethnic and socio-cultural backgrounds, people had the latest bedtimes (on average 30 minutes later than usual) and least amount of sleep (52 minutes less) during the three to five days before a full moon.
During the three to five days before a full moon, there is more light in the sky as the moon gets bigger. The researchers believe that the changes to our sleep could be an evolutionary adaptation, from a time when our ancestors would take advantage of this natural source of evening light.
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