White nights, night awakenings, light sleep … What if the full moon has something to do with it?
Did you have insomnia last night? It may be the fault of the full moon. The latter occurs every 29 days. There is one month. During this period, we often notice that we sleep badly, sometimes from the previous nights. Some scientific explanations exist on this link between full moon and sleep.
What is the influence of the full moon on sleep?
According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, sleep begins later and is shorter the 3 to 5 nights preceding the full moon. “The moonlight probably stimulates night activity and inhibits sleep” explained the authors of the universities of Yale in Washington (United States) and quilms in Argentina. “It is mainly the moonlight available during the first hours of the night that is most likely to modify the appearance of sleepthey note. On the other hand, the moonlight late at night, when most of the individuals sleep, should have little influence on the occurrence and the duration of the sleep. ”
Because of the light of the moon?
The researchers also made the parallel with the exposure to artificial lights: “In general, artificial light disrupts our innate circadian clocks in a specific way: it makes us fall asleep later in the evening; It makes us sleep less. But in general, we do not use artificial light to “move forward” in the morning, at least not voluntarily. These are the same models that we have observed here with the phases of the moon “, said Professor Horacio de la Iglesia, director of the study.
The full moon has an impact on the elements of the earth: tide, plants …
In general, the moon has an impact on the earth and all the elements that make it up : It acts on the rhythm of the tides, the growth of plants, it causes earthquakes … It also acts on the human body: mood, menstrual cycle, appetite, energy level but also sleep. In question, The clarity of the moon and its radiation which delays the production of melatonin, sleep hormone. If the study by researchers from the universities of Yale, Washington (United States) and quilmes (Argentina) has shown that the falling asleep was delayed in full moon evenings, On the other hand, they have not discovered that the satellite could be responsible for insomnia.
For Better sleep on full moon eveningsit is advisable to:
- go to bed earlier,
- do more sport to channel your energy,
- avoid the consumption of tobacco and stimulants,
- adopt a varied and balanced diet,
- Make a Valérian herbal tea,
- disperse a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow
In general, do not forget that Sleep is treated on a daily basis. You have to make sure to have a rhythm of sleeping and lifting regularly, sleeping enough as often as possible.