People may actually sleep 20 minutes less and take longer to fall asleep on a full moon night, a new study has found. Numerous studies through the years have attempted to prove or disprove the hypothesis that lunar phases affect human sleep.
Michael Smith and his co-researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University in Sweden have analysed data generated by a previous sleep study and compared them with the lunar cycle.
Based on a study of 47 healthy 18-30 year-olds, the results support the theory that a correlation exists. “Subjects slept an average of 20 minutes less and had more trouble falling asleep during the full moon phase. However, the greatest impact on REM sleep appeared to be during the new moon,” said Smith.
The retrospective study by the Gothenburg researchers suggests that the brain is more susceptible to external disturbances when the moon is full. “The purpose of our original study was to examine the way that noise disturbs sleep. Re-analysis of our data showed that sensitivity, measured as reactivity of the cerebral cortex, is greatest during the full moon,” Smith said.