Sleep Disorders: Bad sleep at full moon
Count sheep, warm milk with honey or valerian? At full moon falling asleep is often particularly difficult.
Photo: Thinkstock
When we roll in bed from one side to the other and do not keep an eye out, a look out of the window usually shows why: It's full moon again. But why does it cause sleep disorders in many people? Is the full moon just too bright? Or his gravity too strong? Everything is wrong, researchers from the University of Basel say. Instead, our ancestors from the Stone Age are at fault, according to the results of the Swiss study published in 2013 in the magazine "Current Biology".
Tips for insomnia: How to increase your sleep duration >>
In the first step, the scientists examined the sleep of 33 subjects. On a full moon night, these took about five minutes longer to fall asleep and slept 20 minutes less on average than the rest of the month. The reason for the sleep disorders lies in our genes, the researchers suspect. Because for our ancestors a light sleep at full moon was vital.
Sleep disorders anchored in genes
"Hundreds of years ago, it did not make sense to sleep during a full-moon phase when it was very bright and there was a higher risk of being attacked, " explains study leader Dr. Silvia Frey, as reported by Dailymail.co.uk. This would mean that our internal clock that regulates sleep is tuned to the Moon cycle - and still today. At full moon we automatically switch to Hab-Eight position.
Tips against sleep disorders
For all sleepyheads, which do not have their eyes on a full moon, the knowledge of the Swiss researchers is unfortunately no great comfort. On the other hand, the results of the American "ReDormin Sleep Study" are more helpful. Because she found out in April 2013 that sex in the evening can provide more sleep for six minutes. And yoga before bed even for a full 64 minutes of extra sleep! Which factors also affect our sleep duration, see the picture gallery.
The big sleep special on SHAPE Online >>
