A supermoon occurs on the night of July 3-4. Restless sleep, difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, fatigue in the morning… The full moon has a real impact on sleep. For what ? What to do ? Advice.
There full moon occurs every 29 days. At this time, you may have noticed that you sleep badly? That you often wake up in the middle of the night? For what ? What are the effects of the full moon on sleep ? On the production of melatonin which normally helps us sleep? This is what studies have shown to date.
According to a study published in the journal Science AdvancesTHE sleep starts later and is shorter the 3 to 5 nights before the full moon. “THE moonlight probably stimulates nocturnal activity and inhibits sleep” explained the authors of the universities of Yale in Washington (USA) and Quilmes in Argentina. “It is primarily moonlight available during the early hours of the night which is most likely to alter sleep onsetthey note. In contrast, moonlight late at night, when most individuals are sleeping, should have little influence on the occurrence and duration of sleep.” The researchers also made the parallel with exposure to artificial lights : “In general, there artificial light disrupts our circadian clocks specifically innate: 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 on purpose. These are the same patterns we’ve seen here with the phases of the moon.” said Professor Horacio de la Iglesia, director of the study.
In general, the moon has an impact on the Earth and all the elements that compose it : 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 brightness of the Moon and its rays which delays the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
If the study carried out by researchers from the universities of Yale, Washington (United States) and Quilmes (Argentina) has shown that the falling asleep phase was delayed on full moon evenings, they did not, however, discover that the satellite could be responsible for insomnia.
One can, for example, according to Paul Ferris:
- go to bed earlier,
- do more sport to channel your energy,
- avoiding the use of tobacco and stimulants,
- adopt a varied and balanced diet,
- make yourself a valerian tea,
- sprinkle a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow