This is a continuation of a previous post
And what about stress? Are we more on edge when the lunar star shines? To find out, English researchers9 evaluated the number of calls to a listening and support center. They looked at phone calls related to stress or anxiety. And according to them there would indeed be a correlation with the Moon, but only among women. They would indeed be more nervous as the Full Moon approaches. Could it be hypersensitivity to the Moon? The explanation remains obscure, even if scientists suggest a correlation with menstrual cycles. Previously, when there was less artificial lighting, women were in tune with the Moon's calendar and perhaps relied a little more on the lunar quarter to monitor their menstrual cycle. Today, some women report that their menstrual cycle is synchronized with the lunar cycle. Once again, this phenomenon is perhaps more linked to each person's lifestyle.
Another study, published in the journal Current Biology and carried out in Switzerland, revealed that the Full Moon could disrupt melatonin levels. However, melatonin is a hormone whose secretion increases at the end of the day in order to prepare the body for sleep. Lunar cycles could therefore have a slight influence on sleep, leading to difficulty falling asleep during the Full Moon phase or difficulty waking up during the New Moon (melatonin levels increase.).
Depression in the moonlight
If the Moon doesn't seem to irritate us, perhaps it has the opposite effect: that of giving us the blues. Again, you have to dig into the statistics to look for a correlation. An English study showed that the Full Moon did not increase the number of consultations for depression or anxiety10. Nor would there be more patients hospitalized in psychiatry11,12. French researchers13 looked at the number of suicides in the Dordogne, to check if there could be more on Full Moon evenings. And the result was that on the contrary, there would be even fewer successful attempts when the moon is full!
On the other hand, an American study14 found correlations between lunar phases and manic/depressive episodes in certain patients with bipolar disorder, but also a deterioration in the condition of people with schizophrenia15.
Disturbed sleep when the star is brightest
Regarding sleep, the dates of the Full Moon would indeed have an influence. As many individuals report that they have more difficulty sleeping during this period, scientists wanted to analyze this relationship. A first study16 demonstrated that Full Moon nights were associated with less deep and restorative sleep or clear night insomnia. In another study17, the researchers took care not to explain to the participants the aim of this work, so as not to bias the experiment, "the personal beliefs of each person being able to influence the results". In the end, they were also able to observe a reduction in the deep sleep phase, of the order of 30%, as well as greater difficulty in falling asleep (5 minutes more on average) and a total time of decreased sleep (20 minutes less).
Similar observation in children who, according to a third study18, sleep less on these nights. Finally, an American and Argentinian study published in 2021 shows that in the days leading up to a full moon, people fall asleep later in the evening and sleep for shorter periods. Variations in the sleep cycle that researchers noted in both urban and rural settings, with less access to electricity. Some scientists have raised an interesting hypothesis to explain these results: that of the existence of a "circalunar" rhythm which regulates our biological activities over an average of 29.5 days, as does the circadian rhythm over 24 hours.
(to be continued)
No comments:
Post a Comment