Although most people don’t care about the existence of the moon, it seems to affect us with a mysterious power. Studies have found that the lunar cycle and the angle of moonlight may affect the quality of men’s sleep.
Uppsala, Sweden (Merxwire) – According to a study by Uppsala University in Sweden, the lunar cycle may affect the quality of human sleep, which has less impact on women but has a greater impact on men. The reason is that the male brain is more sensitive to ambient light, so it is more difficult to fall asleep, and it is easier to wake up after falling asleep. The research has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
The research team at Uppsala University monitored the sleep of men and women on the opposite sides of the lunar cycle. Researchers recruited 852 Swedes, 360 men and 492 women, aged between 22 and 81 years old, and recorded their sleep time, duration, and quality. The researchers found that both men and women slept worse during the waxing moon than the waning moon.
In theory, if people want to sleep better, the environment is usually darker. When the brightness of the moon is large, it should have an adverse effect on human sleep in general, and the study does confirm this statement.
“We found that men whose sleep was recorded during nights in the waxing period of the lunar cycle exhibited lower sleep efficiency and increased time awake after sleep onset compared to men whose sleep was measured during nights in the waning period.” Dr. Benedict said.
“In contrast, the sleep of women remained largely unaffected by the lunar cycle.”
“One mechanism through which the moon may impact sleep is sunlight reflected by the moon around times when people usually go to bed.”
“In addition, a recent study suggested that the male brain may be more responsive to ambient light than that of females.”
The analysis pointed out that in the 29.53-day cycle, the moon will change regularly. From new moon to full moon, the angle of moonlight will change from low to high, and humans will also be affected by moonlight to varying degrees. The results showed that men’s sleep time during waxing nights was reduced by more than 20 minutes. On the other hand, men’s sleep efficiency is reduced by 3.4%, more awake, and more disruptive to sleep.
“Our study, of course, cannot disentangle whether the association of sleep with the lunar cycle was causal or just correlative,” concludes Dr. Benedict.