The Science On How The Moon Can Affect Health, And How Lunar Cycles Can Influence Your Sleep, Period, And Mood

You, too, can blame the moon without believing in astrology – and you don’t have to feel weird about it! I mean, our bodies are one with nature after all. If you think about it, the sun gives us life and energy, and it stimulates our circadian rhythm. So maybe it's time we all recognize the role the lunar cycles play in our wellbeing as well! Here are some of the ways that the moon can affect your health.

It’s Harder To Sleep on a Full Moon 

I’ve noticed that I have a harder time falling asleep on a full moon, and I’d twist and turn in bed all night. As it turns out, studies show that people take longer to doze off and have poor sleep quality in general during a full moon – even if their curtains completely block out the light.  Researchers found that in the days before and after a full moon, people had 30% less deep sleep. Volunteers even reported poorer sleep in one survey during this period.

"This paper showed that it's possible to detect a correlation between the human sleep cycle and lunar phases, which strongly suggests to me that there is some kind of synchronization," says one neuroscientist Kristin Tessmar-Raible. "And the question now is what is the mechanism behind this?" According to biologist Christian Cajochen, our circadian rhythm is likely influenced by the lunar cycle. 

Perhaps instead of wasting our time in bed trying to sleep during a full moon, we can just embrace the wakefulness it brings us and use it to write, read, or meditate.

Can the Moon Affect Human Behavior and Moods? 

Maybe! It’s unclear, but there are some studies that might support this theory. David Avery, a psychiatrist, met one engineer who admitted in the psych ward that he would experience extreme mood swings. The man had an unpredictable and erratic sleep schedule, at times being completely unable to doze off to sleeping 12 hours a night. Avery studied his patient's patterns, and he was surprised to find that the engineer's struggles synced with the rise and fall of the oceans – which are heavily dictated by the moon. "There seemed to be high tides occurring during the night when the sleep duration was short," he explained.

The sun and moon influences the behavior of animals, plants, and humans.

Interestingly, another psychiatrist named Thomas Wehr found that the manic and depressive cycles in his patients with bipolar disorder correlated with the moon's gravitational cycles. So, the lack of sleep, possible hormonal changes, and the gravitational pull of the moon – in theory – could all influence people’s moods.

The Moon and Your Menstrual Cycle 

A period, on average, lasts 28 to 29 days – that’s about how long the moon cycle is! The moon has a 29.5 waxing and waning cycle, and many cultures have linked periods and this celestial body together.

There are many women today who have experienced this seemingly-mystical synchronization.

In Science Advances, researchers concluded from long-term data (32 years) that, at some point in their lives, the women's periods synced with the lunar light and the gravity cycles. Participants who had cycles lasting longer than 27 days showed "intermittently synchronized with cycles that affect the intensity of moonlight," as written in the statement. 

In their conclusion, the researchers said that “menstrual cycles also aligned with the tropical month (the 27.32 days it takes the moon to pass twice through the same equinox point) 13.1% of the time in women 35 years and younger and 17.7% of the time in women over 35, suggesting that menstruation is also affected by shifts in the moon’s gravimetric forces."

While some scientists still believe that the link between periods and lunar cycles are nonexistent, there are many women today who have experienced this seemingly-mystical synchronization, and it shouldn't be brushed off so easily.

A more recent study published in 2022 recognizes that the sun and moon influences the behavior of animals, plants, and humans. "All matter on Earth, both live and inert, experiences the effects of the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon expressed in the form of tides," says the study author, Cristiano de Mello Gallep. "The periodic oscillations exhibit two daily cycles and are modulated monthly and annually by the motions of these two celestial bodies. All organisms on the planet have evolved in this context. What we sought to show in the article is that gravitational tides are a perceptible and potent force that has always shaped the rhythmic activities of these organisms."

Closing Thoughts

Did you know that the origin of the word lunatic comes from the Latin word lunaticus, which translates to "of the moon" and "moonstruck"? Even Aristotle believed that lunacy and madness were caused by the moon. In addition, the words "menstruation" and "moon" come from the Greek and Latin words mene (moon) and mensis (month). Maybe these are all myths – or maybe the ancients held knowledge on the moon that modern society has forgotten about. 

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