The moon is to blame! Studies have found that the moon may affect the quality of sleep

 

The moon is to blame! Studies have found that the moon may affect the quality of sleep

Sleep is a repair process of the human body, which can restore the spirit and relieve fatigue. About one-third of a person’s life is spent in sleep. Good sleep is one of the three health standards recognized by the international community. Too short, too long or poor sleep can affect health. .

As we all know, the lunar cycle affects the night sky, tides and even the reproductive ability of certain marine animals. A good night’s sleep is affected by many factors. For a long time, people have suspected that the moon is one of the influencing factors of sleep, but whether this is really late There is no conclusion.

Recently, researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden published a research paper entitled "Sex-specific association of the lunar cycle with sleep" in the journal "Science of The Total Environment".

The study pointed out that the lunar cycle may have an impact on sleep quality, and it may have a greater impact on men than women.

In the study, the researchers analyzed the sleep records of 492 women and 360 men at home. Researchers use polysomnography to measure the onset, duration and quality of sleep during a night. The polysomnography monitors various parameters during sleep, including brain activity, eye movement, muscle activity, and heart rhythm.

The researchers found by comparing experimental records over several years that the lunar cycle may have an impact on sleep quality, and the impact on men may be greater than that on women.

In the first half of the month, the quality of men’s sleep was significantly reduced, and the number of awakenings in the middle of the night increased, while in the second half of the month, it was more normal. In contrast, women's sleep is basically unaffected by the lunar cycle.

Specifically, women's sleep time during the moon's waning period was nearly 12 minutes less than during the waning period, but men's sleep time during the waning period was 20 minutes less. For other sleep parameters, men score worse than women.

Daily changes in total sleep time, wake-up time after falling asleep, and sleep efficiency throughout the lunar cycle

In the moon phase, men’s sleep time is reduced by 3.4%, the length of the sleep period is more disturbed, and it becomes easier to wake up. However, this phenomenon was not observed during the waning phase.

In general, the lunar cycle has a greater impact on the quality of sleep in men than women.

It is unclear how the lunar cycle affects the quality of sleep. Researchers speculate that one mechanism by which the moon may affect sleep is the brightness of the moon. A recent study has shown that male brains may respond more strongly to ambient light than female brains.

But the researchers also admit that this study cannot distinguish whether the connection between sleep and the lunar cycle is causal or just a correlation.