How the Phases of the Moon Affect Your Sleep — and How to Counter Its Effects

Granted, these hypotheses are pretty outlandish. But science has revealed that the Moon does affect Earth in various ways. 

The ocean’s tides, for example, are influenced by its gravitational pull — twice as much as they are by the Sun. 

It also helps put the brakes on our planet’s rotation. Without the Moon, our days would be just 6 hours long! Imagine trying to cram everything into that schedule… I don’t think the kids are going to make it to soccer practice. 

And one thing the Moon is definitely guilty of? Affecting your sleep. Below we’ll examine how it does so — and what you can do to counter its effects.

You’ve no doubt heard of the circadian rhythm. That’s your internal 24-hour sleep-wake cycle that’s balanced by sunlight.

But did you know you’ve also got an internal circalunar clock that’s synced to the Moon’s cycle? This affects what time in the evening you start to get drowsy, as well as the duration and quality of your slumber.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. (If you’re a good-news-first kind of person, you’ll want to skip ahead a couple of sections and circle back.)

The Moon is at its brightest during its waxing gibbous phase, just a few days before it’s full

Our off-the-grid ancestors used that extra light to get more done with a diminished threat from nocturnal predators.

As much as we don’t like being compared to our relatives, those ancient ancestors are responsible for a lot of our behavior today.

This helps explain the results of an international study led by University of Washington’s Professor Horacio de la Iglesia. In the days leading up to a full moon, the research team found that our bodies start pumping out drowsiness hormones later in the evening, and we get less sleep per night.⁽³⁾

And the sleep we do get? It’s not as deep.

Chances are, you don’t need the extra time to hunt woolly mammoths, tan leather for clothing or gather berries. Yet there’s no way to stop that full moon from coming.

But with a little advanced preparation, you can keep it from affecting your sleep. Here’s how:

On the other end of the lunar spectrum is the new moon.

Less moonlight means better sleep, according to results from the study mentioned above.

In the few days following a new moon phase, participants fell asleep about a half-hour earlier — and averaged nearly a half-hour more sleep.

If you’re targeting changes to your nightly sleep routine, this might be the best time to make them. You’ll be working with your internal lunar clock rather than against it.

Oh, and one more factor to consider:

The place you call home affects the strength of your circalunar rhythms.

If you’re in a rural environment, free from the city’s artificial lights, the moonlight is going to keep your body’s lunar clock ticking strong. 

You’re going to be more prone to the effects of your circalunar rhythms, so you’ll want to pay special attention to the moon’s phases and take preventative measures during that bright, nearly full moon. 

City-dwellers, rejoice: the moon still has some influence over your body’s natural sleep patterns, but not as much. And that seems fair, since your nighttime already includes dealing with streetlights, traffic, neighbors, sanitation workers, late-night clubs, etc.

When the Moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s… potentially keeping you from a good night of sleep. 

Try our werewolf-approved tips above to limit its shimmering influence on your slumber.

Sources:

(1)”7 Unusual Myths and Theories About the Moon.” History, https://www.history.com/news/7-unusual-myths-and-theories-about-the-moon. Updated 20 Mar. 2019.

(2)”The Moon's Influence on Us.” Lunar and Planetary Institute, https://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/marvelMoon/background/moon-influence/. Accessed 12 May 2021.

(3)James Urton, ”On Nights Before a Full Moon, People Go To Bed Later and Sleep Less, Study Shows.” University of Washington News, https://www.washington.edu/news/2021/01/27/moon-sleep/. 27 Jan. 2021.

(4)Samantha Lauriello, “This Is the Best Temperature for Sleeping, According to Experts.”

Health

, https://www.health.com/condition/sleep/best-temperature-for-sleeping. Updated 9 Jul. 2019.

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