To Your Health: Full moon rising

By Gillian Slade on August 6, 2018.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com  @MHNGillianSlade

Most of us have blamed, at some time or other, a full moon for our grumpiness or that of other people.

It usually is said in jest and with a bit of a laugh but now researchers are saying it really makes sense.

There has been scientific evidence that during a full moon we tend to get less sleep and that affects how we feel and behave during the day.

In fact the term “lunar” is where the term “lunatic” is derived from, indicating insanity.

If you have battled to sleep more than a few hours at night you may have felt insane as you have struggled to go about your daily activities. A severe shortage of sleep can make you bad tempered, affect your mental well-being, and even your appetite.

So let’s be clear: A full moon does not make you insane but it could affect your sleep and that can influence how you feel mentally and physically.

One sleep study suggested that on average we lose between 15 and 30 minutes of sleep during a full moon. That may not seem like a whole lot but that is an average and some people are affected more significantly than others.

When there is a full moon the sky is brighter, contributing to us having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. If you often wake up at night you may have noticed as you stand by the window, surveying what is going on outside, some nights you can observe the landscape clearly without the benefit of a street lamp while at others times that is not the case.

During a new moon the sky is darkest.

That additional light also affects us hormonally, changing our melatonin levels, which in turn affects our sleep patterns.

I hesitate to use an example of a small study of less than 40 people but this particular study in Switzerland actually monitored the sleep of the participants and found they took an average of five minutes longer to get to sleep. They also slept 20 minutes less on average during a full moon. The quality of the sleep was also monitored and indicated a 30-per-cent reduction in really deep and restorative sleep.

What we do know is that room darkening, or even blackout window coverings can make a difference. They don’t have to be unsightly. You can get blinds that stack up very neatly and become almost invisible under more decorative window treatments during the day.

If you are looking for the maximum benefit ensure that the black-out blind is on the outside of the window frame and that is extends a few inches beyond the frame each side. If it is set in the window recess there will be light leakage on the sides and you will lose some of the benefit.

Here’s to the phases of the moon but also blissful quality sleep and here’s To Your Health.

To Your Health is a weekly column by Gillian Slade, health reporter for the News, bringing you news on health issues and research from around the world. You can reach her at gslade@medicinehatnews.com or 403-528-8635

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