Does the moon really affect our mood or is it just a myth?

Always surrounded by an aura of mystery, the moon and its possible influence over human behaviour has been object of ancestral fascination and mythical speculation for centuries.

While the full moon can’t turn people into werewolves, some people do accuse it of causing a bad night’s sleep or creating physical and mental alterations.

But is there any science behind these myths?

To establish if lunar phases affect humans, a group of researchers studied children to see if their sleeping patterns changed or if there were any differences in their daily activities.

The research studied a total of 5,812 children from five continents.

The children came from a wide range of economic and sociocultural levels, and variables such as age, sex, highest parental education, day of measurement, body mass index score, nocturnal sleep duration, level of physical activity and total sedentary time were considered.

Data collection took place over 28 months, which is equivalent to the same number of lunar cycles.

These were then subdivided into three lunar phases: full moon, half-moon and new moon.

The findings obtained in the study revealed that in general, nocturnal sleep duration around full moon compared to new moon reported an average decrease of five minutes (or a one per cent

No other activity behaviours were substantially modified.

‘Our study provides compelling evidence that the moon does not seem to influence people’s behaviour,’ said Dr Jean-Philippe Chaput.

The only significant finding was the 1 per cent sleep alteration in full moon, and this is largely explained by our large sample size that maximises statistical power,’

The clinical implication of sleeping five minutes less during full moon does not represent a considerable threat to health.

‘Overall, I think we should not be worried about the full moon’ Dr Chaput added.

‘Our behaviours are largely influenced by many other factors like genes, education, income and psychosocial aspects rather than by gravitational forces,’ he added.

While the results of this study are conclusive, controversy over the moon could result in further research to determine if our biology is in some way synchronized with the lunar cycle or if the full moon has a larger influence in people suffering mental disorders or physical ailments.

‘Folklore and even certain instances of occupational lore suggest that mental health issues or behaviors of humans and animals are affected by lunar phases,’ Dr Chaput explained.

‘Whether there is science behind the myth or not, the moon mystery will continue to fascinate civilisations in the years to come,’ he said.

Source: daily mail

N.H.Kh