New research suggests full moon may affect sleep

You may have noticed a brighter night sky recently as we experienced a full moon. NASA reports that the event, called Wolf Moon, began Thursday afternoon and ended Saturday morning. But have you noticed any changes in your personal sleep patterns in the days leading up to the full moon?

As the last full moon began, a new study was published suggesting that a full moon may affect human sleep cycles. The researchers confirmed that the nights before the full moon have more natural light available after sunset.

The new research has found that in the days leading up to a full moon, people fall asleep later in the evening and sleep for shorter periods of time.

The results were reported in a study that appeared in the publication Scientific advances. The research was conducted by University of Washington professor of biology Horacio de la Iglesia.

“When we looked at the data, it was there – we weren’t expecting that model at all,” de la Iglesia said in a video of the results. He said the study provided clear evidence that a person’s sleep-wake cycle is “synchronized”With the changes that the moon is going through.

The moon takes 27.3 days to orbit the Earth, but it takes 29.5 days to complete a full cycle from New Moon to New Moon. The new study measured the test subjects’ sleep patterns as the moon progressed over at least one full 29.5-day cycle. Some subjects were tested through two lunar cycles.

On average, those involved in the study slept about 52 minutes less on the nights before a full moon. They also went to bed about 30 minutes later. Research has shown that people have the last bedtime and the least sleep on the nights that are three to five days before a full moon.

“I became one of the subjects of the study and when I looked back on my own data, I couldn’t believe how much my sleep had changed,” de la Iglesia said.

Effect on sleep in different areas

Previous studies by the de la Iglesia team and other research groups have shown that access to electricity has a clear effect on sleep. The team therefore included this element in their research.

The study involved 98 people living in three different communities in Toba indigenous people in Argentina. Each community had different access to electricity. One rural community had no access to electricity, while a second had limited access. A third community was in a more populated area and had full access to electricity.

Sleep data was collected electronically from individuals through the wrist monitors. The research team said they believed this method resulted in more effective data than some previous studies that relied only on sleep data reported by users.

In addition to native communities, the researchers also looked at sleep data from 464 students in the Seattle, Washington area. These data were collected for a separate study. The researchers said they found the same lunar cycle patterns in student sleep data.

“Although the effect is more robust in communities without access to electricity, the effect is present in communities with electricity, ”said de la Iglesia.

Scientists say more research is needed to help explain other possible causes of changes in sleep patterns in test subjects. These causes could involve biological differences in individuals or social patterns within communities.

I am Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the University of Washington, Science Advances, and NASA. Hai Do was the editor.

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Words in this story

model – not. a particular way in which something is often done or repeated

cycle – not. a series of events that occur in a particular order and are repeated often

synchronize – v. make something happen at the same time as something else

access – not. the ability to use or participate in something

indigenous – adj. produced or naturally occurring in an area

monitor – not. a device used to measure something, such as heart rate

robust – adj. strong and healthy