Most people understand the role the moon plays for the earth. In elementary school, we learned about high and low tides at the beach and how the moon plays a role in the change. Also, we can't forget, how it triggers the change a werewolf goes through every month when a full moon is out. But what about us? Why is it, that with every full moon, people experience restless nights?
Personally, I both love and dread a full moon. I love to sit out on my porch on a clear night to look up at the stars, and the giant moon in the sky, lighting up my backyard. When it comes time for bed, that big-bright light in the sky is a little less beautiful and a lot more annoying! This takes us to our first, and easiest point to make about a full moon.
The moonlight coming into your bedroom at night through a window can be disruptive to your natural sleep cycle. Even though the light we experience from a full moon is less than 7% of the sunlight we experience throughout the day.
A new theory centers around the electromagnetic fluctuations on Earth. When a full moon passes through Earth's electromagnetic field, it becomes negatively charged. This charge will influence the Earth's field as well. Humans can be sensitive to low-level variations, and other events have been connected to health side effects such as headaches and heart attacks. The exact biological reasoning for this is still unclear.
Gravity is last on our list. Most experts say it has less of an effect on us than we used to think. The human body is mostly water, so many theorized that the moon has a similar effect on our bodies as it does the tides.
Whatever the reasoning may be, the monthly full moon will always carry with it theories and superstitions. Whether you don't say the "q-word" (quiet) in a hospital, you witness people driving crazier, or you just can't get a good night's rest, the mystery of the effects of a full moon may be something we never truly understand.
Shoen, S. (2022, March 11). How lunar phases can have an effect on your sleep. Sleep Foundation. Retrieved April 12, 2022, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/do-moon-phases-affect-sleep