Full Moon Insomnia: Does The Moon Affect Your Sleep?

photo of a full moon at night with clouds

Can you remember how well you slept during the last full moon? Do you somehow feel different, even when you’re not aware it’s a full moon?

If so, you’re not alone. Despite somewhat limited scientific evidence, millions of people believe that the moon holds an uncanny power over them.

In this article, I’ll be looking at why people feel the moon has such an influence over them, as well as studies that have been done into this worldwide belief.

Then you can make your own decision as to whether or not you think you’ll sleep differently when the next full moon comes around.

Not just superstitious people

Even casual exposure to the emergency services, law enforcement, teaching or social care will involve contact with firm believers in the adverse effects of a full moon.

From hospitals to police stations, the full moon is sometimes blamed for everything from poor sleep patterns to an increase in accident numbers to sudden psychotic episodes.

Some serious, professional, highly trained individuals are certain the moon affects us. In 2011, researchers published an astonishing figure in the World Journal of Surgery:

More than 40% of medical staff is convinced that lunar phases can affect human behavior

The team then looked into medical data to see if there were any notable changes on typically superstitious days, but found none:

Scientific analysis of our data does not support the belief that moon phases, zodiac signs, or Friday 13th influence surgical blood loss and emergency frequency.

So why the difference between what staff think and what research actually shows? Is it that scientific staff have unscientific superstitions, or did the researchers explored the wrong moonlit avenues?

The Transylvania effect

The Transylvania Effect is a term first coined in academic literature in the 1990s. It describes the belief that the lunar cycle can produce both psychologically and physiologically disturbances in people and populations.

The belief that the moon exerts a direct influence on the body and mind can be traced back to pre-Christian times. Pliny the Elder – a Roman author, naturalist, and philosopher – believed that because the full moon caused heavy dew it must also make the brain become “unnaturally moist”.

That was how, he claimed, the moon caused both epilepsy and lunacy. Hippocrates noted that “no physician should be entrusted with the treatment of disease who was ignorant of the science of astronomy”.

And in various languages, the word lunatic has its roots in the moon. For example, the old English word for lunatic was monseoc, which literally means ‘moon sick’.

In the 21st century, we perpetuate lunar myths in our entertainment and our media. From books to films, from memes to light-hearted end of the world news stories, we constantly repeat the tropes of the Moon’s effect on behavior.

Ancient Calendars

earliest lunar calender

The very earliest calendars were based on the cycles of the moon, with the sighting of the new moon indicating a new phase in the year.

Marks on the walls of the prehistoric painted caves at Lascaux in France are believed by Dr. Michael Rappenglueck, of the University of Munich, to be the earliest lunar calendar.

The series of dots and squares painted among the 15,000 year old drawings of bulls, horses and antelopes represent the 29 day lunar cycle.

Most pre-modern calendars were lunisolar, combining the solar year with the lunar year. The Julian calendar abandoned this in favor of a purely solar reckoning. However, the Islamic calendar opted for a purely lunar one.

It should be noted that lunar calendars have always been particularly popular among agricultural societies. This may well be the foundation for our belief that we sleep less during the full moon.

All full moons rise around the time of sunset. But the so-called “harvest moon” and “hunter’s moon”, which occur during the agriculturally busy late summer and autumn in the northern hemisphere behave in a notable way.

They move across the sky in a way that means there’s no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise for several days around the full moon.

So our belief in restless sleep on full moon nights may stem from a long-held belief that we should be out working under the full moon.

Is there scientific evidence that the full moon influences behavior?

In nature, we can prove lunar rhythms. A good example is the triggering of the spawning of the coral on the Great Barrier Reef around the full moon in December.

With regard to humans, however, there’s limited scientific evidence to match the vast amounts of anecdotal stories and superstitious beliefs.

Research offers hope that the full moon affects sleep

Some interesting evidence comes from a research study in 2013, which was carried out at the University of Basel in Switzerland.

What made it interesting is that neither the participants nor the team in the lab were told what the study was about, because it wasn’t even the aim of the study at the time. The data was actually retrospectively analyzed later, when the researchers had the idea of seeing what data from a previous study might say about the influence of the full moon.

Another useful feature of the study is that the lab was darkened at the time. So not only were the participants unaware they were in some kind of moon + sleep study, but they would not have seen a full moon shining its bright light through a window either.

So the researchers were able to retrospectively analyze the effect of the full moon on the sleep of the 33 unaware volunteers. And on the nights that there was a full moon, they discovered that:

  • The volunteers took 5 minutes longer to fall asleep.
  • They had 20 minutes less total sleep.
  • They spent 30% less time in the deep sleep phase.

The study author, Prof Christian Cajochen, proposed that since the participants probably weren’t aware of the full moon, perhaps we are naturally attuned to the lunar cycle, saying:

The lunar cycle seems to influence human sleep, even when one does not see the Moon and is not aware of the actual moon phase.

Whilst intriguing, the research hasn’t been without criticism. Perhaps most importantly, 33 people is a small sample and subsequent research with more participants has not replicated the results.

Research shows no lunar effect

In 2014, a team of researchers took note of the Basel research and also re-analyzed the data from three large samples in different studies. The results didn’t back up the original research though:

…in a re-analysis of sleep electroencephalography (EEG) data in three large samples, we were unable to replicate their findings.

In 2015, Swiss researchers recorded the sleep of 2125 individuals using polysomnogram at home. Once again, they found no change in people’s sleep based on the moon:

Our large population-based study provides no evidence of a significant effect of lunar phases on human sleep.

And in 2016, a large international study looked at the sleep of 5812 children aged 9 to 11, in 12 countries.

Although they did find that overall sleep time was 1% less on average during full moon, they question how significant that really is, concluding:

In conclusion, sleep duration was 1% shorter at full moon compared to new moon, while activity behaviors were not significantly associated with the lunar cycle in this global sample of children. Whether this seemingly minimal difference is clinically meaningful is questionable.

Research in 2021 offers more hope for believers in the full moon’s effect

In 2021, a team of researchers published the results of a fascinating study they undertook with communities in Argentina and the United States.

The team used wrist actimetry (wrist-worn sleep tracking) to measure the sleep of communities of indigenous Toba/Qom people in Argentina. Some had access to electric light, but others didn’t. They also compared their sleep patterns with people in a highly urbanized setting in the US.

As with many previous studies, they found that access to electric light was correlated with less overall sleep and delayed onset of sleep. Interestingly, they found a modulation of sleep throughout the moon cycle – both in individual communities and the whole population. They found that the peak of sleep onset time and lowest overall sleep occurred in the three to five days before the full moon.

The fact that they found this effect in college students in Seattle will likely confirm many people’s suspicion that the moon must have an effect because they only later realize there had been a full moon. This is a comment many readers have made below, and one that’s hard to ignore if it happens to you personally.

The researchers suggest that perhaps the moon’s gravity has a role to play. Despite admitting that they couldn’t establish causality in their study, I imagine this is an area for future research to explore. Though as they point out, controlling the moon’s gravitational pull so they can compare people with and without that effect would be somewhat impossible!

Conclusion

As you can see, the research jury is still out on just how much of an impact the lunar cycle has on our sleep. While some studies appear to provide tantalizing evidence that the full moon could be partly responsible for the occasional night of less sleep, others failed to find a significant effect.

The latest study in 2021 is fascinating as it explores both the practical and cultural reasons an indigenous population with no access to electric light would choose to be awake for longer on the nights there’s more natural light.

Why would a group of students in the US also experience a change in their sleep though? Is it the moon’s gravity gently tugging at their desire to fall asleep? Is it ancestral knowledge and behavior engrained in our culture, many moons after we first moved into our high-tech homes? Do they just love a good full-moon party in Seattle?

Your thoughts

Do you feel that the moon influences how well you sleep? Does the full moon appear to affect your or someone you know’s behavior? Let me know in the comments below.

308 Comments

  1. Tonight, it’s a full moon, its 4 am. I figured I’ll look it up on because I feel so weird, uncomfortable and jittery.
    I never believed that stuff, I’m more of a scientific gal. And a hardcore skeptic.
    I’m 20, and I only started noticing this pattern about 5 months ago. And this has nothing to do with my period.

    Every time it’s a full moon, or a day or two before, it’s the same, I suddenly feel so energetic when I’m preparing to fall asleep, and if I miraculously do fall asleep, I wake up in the middle of the night, and sometimes with 2 or 3 hours, I would wake up fresh as if I had a good night’sleep. This never happens to me normally. I tend to feel more anxious and sensitive than normal and when I cool down a bit I don’t comprehend what comes over me.

    I suffer from mental illness myself and I study psychology, and I’m convinced there must be a reason, it obviously happens to a lot of us. Also, I read a comment mentioning that they feel their skin is “crawling” or itchy, I’ve been scratching myself all over and I want it to be over. I don’t know how to describe it.

    It’s funny that I only really started noticing, because a guy I was seeing back then told me, he hated the full moon because it gave him insomnia and I remember I laughed at him. It’s not so funny anymore. I’m going to try to fall asleep, tomorrow I’m going to be exhausted.

  2. I am 40 years old and have had random nights of sleeplessness for as long as I can remember. It took me quite some time to figure out that it’s related to the full moon. At first I thought that was nonsense. However, I never sleep well for 2-3 days leading up to full moons and it doesn’t matter if I know about the full moon or not. I have electric shutters that completely block out all light, so the brightness doesn’t keep me up. Sleeping pills don’t help either during these times. I tried that last night, but it didn’t help at all since there is the “Worm Moon” tonight. I don’t function well on little sleep and am restless day and night on the days leading up to a full moon. I’m not sure if it has to do with the water in our bodies, but I do drink a good 3 litres of water a day. All I know is that when I can’t sleep and I’m restless it is most likely a full moon.

    • Also, I react very sensitive to smell, light and sound – in that order. I’ve been researching this in order to get it under control. It’s something called “sensory dysregulation function” or “Sensory processing disorder”. This could be linked to our connection with the moon. It’s most likely linked to my herniated disc and pinched sciatic nerve. But until science actually does research on this phenomenon, it’s all just a guessing game.

  3. I have never slept well during a full moon for as long as I can remember. I remember lying awake at night staring outside even as a young child. Tonight or should I say this morning it’s 1:30 am and I’m still awake…and it’s a full moon…which is why is was googling “why can’t I sleep when it’s a full moon?!?!” So the studies are irrelevant to my mind and body at this point. I just want to sleep!

  4. I have had trouble sleeping tonight and have electric block out shades on my bedroom windows. They make my bedroom pitch black.
    After a want to fall asleep, due to the fact that I have to work tomorrow and after trying meditation which I was too restless to complete, I took two Phenergan tablets to induce sleep. At 12.30 am I decided to Google the present Moon cycle and what do you know? It is a full Moon!
    I can never sleep on a full Moon.
    It is the oddest thing, but I have always put it down to the gravitational pull of the fluid in the human body.
    Looks like a restless, sleepless night ahead.
    Possibly some very early morning cleaning.

  5. I too have suffered from full moon insomnia ever since I can remember. I am a nurse and worked night shift for about a year and was warned about this phenomenon. I was having intermittent sleepless nights and never connected it to a full moon. I certainly saw behavior from my patients that made me rethink my sleeplessness. Normal, completely lucid people of all ages experienced it. Also would be pulled to the maternity unit and they said more babies were born during a full moon. Since that time (30 years ago) I have tracked my sleepless nights to the 2-3 days prior to the full moon. I have also had vivid dreams/nightmares during the full moon (usually full moon night or day after) that wake with me screaming. My husband and 4 children can attest to these issues. I really feel for anyone that endures sleeplessness. I have tried sleeping pills with no luck during that time. I would love to hear if anyone has had any luck with any method to help me sleep. I don’t believe most people realize how hard it is to function with inadequate sleep for days. I am up on those nights just prior to the full moon so would love to here from you.

  6. I am 77 yrs. old For many years have been unable to sleep a “normal” sleep starting 2-3 days before the full moon date… I felt very sensitive, energetic, and “knowing”. I have finally adjusted my life to this phenomena over the yrs. Fortunately, I have some knowledge of Astrology, and when I was in nursing I was working night shift on a psychiatric unit, and started to write down the sun signs {when they were born} of many admissions. Interestingly, Scorpio, Cancer, Pisces were admitted more around that time. They are “water” signs. The tides??? hhmmm! Interesting…

    • I have for as long as I can remember had my sleep negatively affected by moon phases. Two nights ago (Feb. 3rd) I awoke at 10:30 pm and stayed awake for the rest of the evening. I don’t keep track of lunar cycles. I don’t have to as my body does this automatically. The usual scenario for me is I fall asleep for two or three hours then awake and toss and turn for a couple of hours then I say to myself I bet it is either a full moon or a soon to be full moon. I go outside, look up and sure enough there it is. I would say I’m almost always (99%) right. If I do sleep at all during this time my dreams are vivid and since it’s not a deep sleep, I remember them. They’re mostly not pleasant. Oddly enough I’m not tired the next day or days. I have my usual amount of energy. Also it doesn’t matter if I take a sleep aid; they don’t work during this time. People (most) make tired (no pun intended) werewolf comments.

    • I’ve had this problem since I was about 25. Now I am 50 and I am awake most of the night, sometimes all night at the full moon. I found that it is worse at times when I am worried or anxious about something in my life. Other nights I dream a lot but at full moon I can’t even fall asleep. I am exhausted…

  7. Several nights ago, although very tired, I was wide awake for 4 hours past the time when I usually fall asleep. I never have insomnia EXCEPT, I’ve noticed, when there’s a full moon. I didn’t know there was a full moon the other night, until I saw an article in the newspaper today. I’m definitely one of those people affected.

  8. Pinky,

    For the past few days I have been having a hard time falling asleep then staying asleep. Last night was the worst. I fell asleep at around 1030 pm and woke up at around 0100 am and could not fall back asleep. When I did fall asleep, three hours later, it was like I was not even asleep. My mind was active, I could not stop thinking. I woke up feeling like I did not sleep at all. This afternoon talking to a coworker, who is also having trouble sleeping, is when I realized that it was the full moon. My daughter brought it to my attention a while back, but I always forget that the full moon affects my sleep. I did not believe that was a thing, but now I am convinced it is. The full mood does affect some people’s sleep. It affects mine and I cant wait to get some sleep! ;-(

     

    • I have suffered from insomnia for years, however, it is definitely worse during a full moon. Another strange thing that I have noticed, since I was in my late 30s, is the amount of water that I retain during a full moon. Does anyone else have this problem?

  9. I am downstairs this evening as I just cannot drop off to sleep. I looked outside and could see the moon. I have noticed this often happens around the full moon time and it’s not because I know it’s a full moon outside.
    It’s interesting to read other’s sleep problems.
    So I’ve taken two codeine and I will try to go back now after half and hour downstairs with my other half snoring loudly upstairs.
    No it’s definitely not his snoring keeping me asleep….. I’m 65 and well used to that! :)
    Angela

    • I have been up since Monday morning December 9th 10am CST. I have not had a wink of sleep since, and have no feelings of fatigue. I am a 40 yrs female. I have always felt “tired” due to several medical factors, yet still fit and active. (I could hopefully pass as a young Roseanne Barr…Or Delta Buhrk) But at this moment I have more energy than on any good day. I’m so baffled! There must be some other, greater cosmos at work here. With that being said, I will just go with the flow and enjoy the energy. Ride on my sistas!

  10. December 9, 10, 2019 Lunar Insomnia; it has always affected my sleep. I’ve learned to live with the insomnia; I was not aware so many others suffer from this blessing.
    When you’re affected by Lunar insomnia; consider it a blessing.
    It makes you one with the universe.
    MEG

  11. Well! It’s hunters moon tonight…it’s 3:04 am and I should be sound asleep… I’m Wide awake! The last few nights I’ve been restless and had nightmares and I was genuinely unaware it was approaching full moon until earlier on this evening (yesterday now) a family member said oh it’s a full moon, no wonder you can’t sleep…I have never been aware of the moon cycle affecting me but apparently it has done since I was a tiny baby… so does the twice-yearly hourly time change for winter/summer but I did know that…I’m currently checking to see if my hands or feet are sprouting extra hair!!!

  12. I can join the rest of you. I am in my early 70s and have started to suffer from severe insomnia on full moon nights. I also feel my body temperature increase and even my body feels creepy crawly and agitated. Nothing helps and even my years of meditation have no effect.
    Just have to ride it out.
    Sally 13 October 2019 London England

  13. Took me awhile to realize I would have trouble sleeping on seemingly random nights but started noticing it was always happening near the time of a full moon! To all the other commenters: I feel your pain at least we aren’t alone in this.

    • I’ve always said that my husband behaves oddly around the time of a full moon. I start to notice the difference from about a week before hand. Tonight for instance ( 1 full week before the full moon ) my husband has been up since 4:00am. This is a regular occurrence when the moon is almost full.

    • Hi, it’s quite a relief to read that other people experience this phenomenon too! Family and friends have laughed at me for years. I’m 67 and can’t quite remember when it first started. For me, the week leading up to the full moon tends to be worse, until a few days into a new cycle.

      I would love to know why it only happens to certain people, and thoughts on it? At first, I used to get upset mainly because I like my sleep, but now just accept it as being the moon. Certainly in later years my life has had a strong influence from spiritual aspects.

      If anyone would like to share their experiences I’d love to hear from you. Take care and thanks, Susan.

      • Hi Susan!
        Thanks for sharing! I’m 41 and have just started having trouble sleeping around the full moon. Most times I’m not even aware there’s a full moon, then when I realise (or my husband realizes) I didn’t sleep well we’ll look up the moon phase. This past week my dreams have been very vivid, and last night I was unable to sleep well and tonight). My husband called me later in the morning yesterday and says, I heard it’s a full moon, no wonder you couldn’t sleep. It’s strange that I’ve never encountered this problem before now. I wish there was more of an explanation for it. I’m a nurse practitioner and today will be challenging without a good night sleep. I’ve at least learned to go and sleep in the spare room so I’m not keeping my husband awake. Hope you’re getting some sleep tonight! Thanks for sharing your experience!

  14. I’m in my 70’s and have had moon insomnia all my life. Have gone as many as 72 hours with maybe 2-3 hours total sleep.
    It does not just sleep that is affected. As an R.N. working in a nursing home, this would be the time the old folks would take a hike. You would find them strolling down the street. In the hospital setting, babies were born, old and very ill passed away and others would be aggressive and climbing over the guard rails. We always made sure we had more staff on full moons, cause everyone just went nuts for a few days–including us.

  15. I noticed this as a child. Instead of trying to sleep I utilise the heightened arousal. Trying to sleep is too tiring for me. I’m better off doing something relaxing and mildly engaging, leaving myself an hour and half or three to sleep.
    When I was a kid or when I have no work, I’d go out in the garden just before the sun rises for another boost. Wait for the sun to go down, sleep forever, awaken renewed.
    Be warned you may not recognise yourself as you do now if you wish to try this. If you do and you don’t, don’t worry you’re an elastic band, they mostly snap back.

  16. I am awake all night the 2 days surrounding a full moon.
    It’s 6 am and just now starting to get a little tired.
    Will ruin my day tomorrow.

  17. I don’t monitor the phases of the moon, however, it seems that during the week leading up to a full moon I sleep very poorly. The immediate night before the full moon I actually sleep quite well. Weird!

  18. I don’t sleep well in general but for the past 3 months I’ve noticed that on the night of the fuĺl moon it takes me hours longer to fall asleep and I tend to get hours less sleep. Then the following night I don’t seem to sleep at all.

  19. I had to search for a site this morning after an awful nights tossing and turning, then when I did get some shuteye, I had the most vivid dreams. My room is pitch black because I have outdoor roller shutters and I put in super earplugs which block out everything. I currently have mice/rats in my roof space so wear them due to that, but even those critters were more loud than usual. I’m in Perth in Western Australia, glad I’m not alone in this not sleeping. I’ve also realized that my past few nights sleep haven’t been great either.

  20. I struggle with insomnia on a regular basis but have learned to live with it. There ARE certain nights that I ‘sleep’ absolutely horribly and when I look up in the sky, its a full moon 99% of the time. I don’t make a practice of tracking the lunar cycle but my body sure does!! Thank you for sharing this information. I don’t feel so crazy!!

      • I am a breast cancer survivor and I am always a poor sleeper, especially 2-3 nights leading to new moon and full moon. Four of my friends also complained the same and two of the four are also BC survivors. Although I only have a small database, I doubt if long term poor sleeping erodes our immunity hence can lead to critical health conditions? I hope scientists take us lunatic more serious and look more closely into the connection btw lunar cycle and sleep disorder and breast cancer.

    • I have struggled with moderate insomnia for many years, due to some hormonal balances, so I’ve always been more sensitive to any kind of stimulus that disturbs sleep. But I would have frequent bouts of more intense and persistent insomnia that I couldn’t seem to control or prevent. In desperation I began tracking the more severe episodes, hoping to find a connection or pattern. Diet? Schedule? Visual stimulus? It was only sometime much later, during another bout of sleeplessness that I even noticed it happened to be a full moon. I felt ridiculous, but I looked back through the rest of my data and there was a direct correlation! I was in disbelief, and felt too weird and embarrassed to talk about this with anyone else for several more years. But I continued to track sleeplessness in conjunction with a full moon. For me, who wasn’t looking to be convinced, I am completely convinced that, for me at least, there is some kind of effect! Though I don’t understand how to explain this scientifically yet.

  21. This is not the first time am noticing such a reaction. Am just curious what was really going on. I hardly sleep when the full moon is up. Firstly thought is was Fever but can’t be having fever whenever the full moon stands. I think the moon does have a great connection with our body. Perhaps maybe we that feel this way are from the werewolf family. LOL. Just saying.

    • I definitely don’t sleep well the nights leading up to the full moon. I noticed this a few years ago and even if I try to ignore the lunar cycle, I end up knowing when the full moon is coming because of my restless sleep.

  22. Here I am unable to sleep at all, constantly tossing and turning. My body feels like it’s tired and wants to rest but I haven’t been able to attain a second of REM sleep or dream at all. I am 4 months and one week pregnant and perhaps it has more sensitive than ever and I cannot get not even a half hour of rest.

    • I never check on the calendar to see if it is full moon. However, I notice every month that I cannot sleep, and when I check the calendar I see that the full moon will be out shortly. I find that I sleep less about 3-5 days before the full moon. It certainly affects me.

  23. well I am wide awake in south Australia with the full moon bright. 4:40 am have not slept, cannot sleep, maybe it could be my menopausal hot sweats or the moon or both I don’t know omg.

  24. I live in the Sierra mountains. I should’ve been sleeping well but I woke myself up multiple times with tossing and turning. Finally, around 4 am I got out of bed and saw how bright it was outside with the “super” moon illuminating all the snow. I put on my coat and walked outside to get a better glimpse of its position, and stood out there staring at it momentarily. It occurred to me that when the full moon rises earlier in the evening and passes across the sky above head, my sleep is not so disturbed. However, when it rises later and I don’t catch a glimpse of it before going to bed, it seems as though it will disturb my sleep to some extent in a range of ways. For example, it could be as subtle as a headlift and awareness of a bright moon outside then falling back asleep easily. Or, occasionally it will be the more agitating response of constantly tossing and turning as though I have childhood “growing pains” in my limbs until I must get out of bed and go outside to see exactly where the moon is in the sky.
    It’s now 5:30am, and I’m sure the moon has finally moved further along its path and away from me. My body doesn’t feel as agitated…I may even fall back asleep, finally

    • So it’s March 19th 2019 @ 1:34 am when I found this site and started my reply with a tear in eye I know I’m not the only one out there. I’m 43 and from Southern Ontario Canada. I went to bed at 10:30 after a long day on the road traveling. But knowing what this evening was going to entail for me. Not by the Almanac but by accidentaly looking up in the sky when I stepped out of my car. Into the sky to see that translucent moon setting up its chess pieces ounce again for me. I know what the rest of the evening is going to entail. It begins with tossing and turning and the crazy abnormal thoughts and feels like a one-sided Punch & Judy show in my head. This is when I opened my laptop pored a Vodka and started my search and found this site. All my friends think I’m crazy when I mention the moon. I read the first post and here is my story about that bright person that don’t sleep until sunset.

      • You are not crazy! Ha ha. I live in Winnipeg for the last 5 years, and yes, I feel strong lunar influence, agitation, insomnia. The funny thing is I KNOW it’s the moon, because during the day I can feel perfectly well, and as the night falls around the full moon, I feel agitated, snappy, and then unable to sleep for about 2-3 days, even when I wake up super early and am tired. Moon affects everything, it affects the plants, the sea, the animals– why wouldn’t it affect us? We are all synced with a monthly cycle. There are many things for which there is no scientific evidence, but that means nothing to me. We have intuition, people, that is tuned in directly with the cosmos, while the scientific instruments can only detect measurable things, and are hence extremely limited. It’s just like when people go to the doctor with all these symptoms, and the doc tells them nothing is wrong with them, because their tests read “normal”. Yet, human feel when we are in imbalance, and luckily some of us decide to do something about it despite all the scientific evidence against it:)

        • I have had this problem for years.
          If I’m having problems sleeping or feel agitated I never allow myself to look out to see if it’s a full moon afraid it will mentally make going
          asleep worse. When I would tell people about it they would roll their eyes at me or just say that is crazy. Now in the last couple of years, it is affecting my daughter in the very same way. I text her it’s morning and ask her she slept last night and she said the moon had kept her awake till early in the morning for
          the last 3 nights, just glad to know I’m not the only one tossing and turning on those nights. I don’t just think the full moon affects me. I know it does, most time I never know it’s a full moon till I see it the next morning.

      • Due to medications I take known to cause insomnia, I keep a record of their effect on my sleep as I’m also prescribed Ambien for nightly use. Without a doubt, my records show that 1 or 2 days before a full moon, I have difficulty falling asleep. Last night I basically couldn’t fall asleep until 7:30 am. You’re right, other people think we’re crazy, but I’m glad I found this site to know I’m not the only one. Except, I live in Ohio, not Canada.

        • I am the same way. It’s always the day before, day of and day after and my family knows it makes me severely irritated for no reason. They’re like oh crap a full moon is coming and I also take ambien to sleep but during these 3 nights ita of little use.

          • So many people having trouble with this! We have got an almost 2 year old shocking sleeper but over the last moon phases I have actually come to realize that it gets way worse about 3 days out from the full moon. He will wake even more, be super restless and hard to get back to sleep. I am continuously tired as it is but starting to dread the full moon. I have always known my sleep has less quality as such when the moon is full, but our little one is taking this to a whole new level. Anybody have any suggestions what could help? Crystals I have read but got no experience with, we do use essential oils but nothing helps with the moon and we all end up so drained and tired! I do love the mystery of the moon but not this not sleeping!

    • For as long as I can remember, or around the age of 4. I’ve had sleepless spells that would last about 3-7 days. Followed by a 24-48 hr. “Hibernation” of SOLID DEEP SLEEP. I remember once when I was 6 I slept 24+ hrs, while we stayed a weekend with my maternal grandmother. I woke up around 9 p.m. and overheard my grandmother telling my Mom that it “Just wasn’t NORMAL” for ANYONE to sleep for that amount of time. My Mom simply told her that it was “just the way I was”. As a pre-teen, I would experience 1-3 nights straight with NO SLEEP at ALL. I would either stay awake in my room and read books all night, or my FAVORITE thing to do was sneak out my window and prowl around OUTSIDE ALL NIGHT(I HAVE NEVER BEEN AFRAID OF THE DARK). As a teen, my room was detached from the House (a totally different building) giving me even more night prowling freedom. That’s when I first noticed that it ALWAYS occurred around a full moon. In the 3-7 nights leading up to a full moon I AM ALWAYS restless/sleepless. On the night of, and the first night after I NEVER sleep more than 1-3hrs(and always at, or just before sunrise) if I even sleep at all. In my early to mid twenties, I found that if I would go outside with my shirt off and “MOON-BATH” for 30+minutes (between midnight and 4:00 a.m.) It would soothe my “RESTLESSNESS”. I could then fall asleep, or at least lay still and rest comfortably on the nights I don’t SLEEP ALL. A few years back I mentioned this technique to my Praternal GrandMother (she had 50 +years experience in the medical field), and she told me my GrandFather would do the same exact thing with the exact same results. I never have to look at a lunar calendar to tell the moon’s phase. When “super” or “super blood” moons occur it multiplies my hyperactivity tenfold. I’ve done my own extensive research on the subject. There is no “scientific proof” supporting my condition that I call “Lunar Insomnia”, or that “moon-bathing” can have an affect on the Human body. BUT speaking from my own personal experience I feel that there IS. I’m soo glad I found this article. Not so much for what it had to say, but reading other people’s comments is reassuring. It lets me KNOW that I’m not ALONE……Well, it’s just about time to go outside and catch some “moon rays”…. Keep on keeping on Ya’ll

    • Hello, I finally slept last night. I’m 60 and have noticed from an early age I have suffered from monthly insomnia. My mom said I’d play in my crib all night. This has affected me my whole life and has caused me some bad experiences. I work, so when I’m suffering during this time, I feel high anxiety and my work shows a lack of sleep and a lot of mistakes. I’m glad you’re asking us for our experiences. Please find us help. I’m a certified hypnotherapist, trying to calm myself during these “moon” times. It doesn’t calm me, Ambien doesn’t work either until it passes. Please keep studying for the rest of us to find peaceful sleep. And a solution. Thank you.

  25. The moon, without a doubt, affects my sleep… Last night, for instance… I may have managed a couple of hours sleep. Tonight I will get even less sleep. It’s the same way every month for me.

    I have one friend who is a police officer and another friend who is an ER nurse. They BOTH have confirmed that the moon cycles affect human behavior. More crazy behavior during a full moon and more people in the ER with injuries due to fighting, stabbing and GSWs.

  26. It sure keeps me from sleep, has for years. Sometimes I’m short tempered and other times I feel more like I’m missing something from the past.

  27. I have always been affected by the full moon. I usually don’t even know till I toss and turn for hours. It never fails. Since a child I was amazed to see the full moon. I’m 59 now and never changed. The thing is I don’t know it’s a full moon till I can’t fall asleep then boom there it is. My heap pounds, it’s beautiful, I feel drawn to it. It kinda made me feel weirdly comforted to know I’m not alone.

    • I agree with you. If I have a restless night, I always look to see if it is around the full moon and most of the time it is. I don’t get much sleep and if I do it is extremely light sleep. Tonight is a prime example!

      • Totally agree. Tonight is a prime example. Felt restless and agitated for no reason; did everything I know to settle down, then thought “I bet it’s full moon! “. Got my laptop out as it is cloudy and yes, right on the button. FULL MOON. My body knows it’s full moon even if my conscious mind isn’t. This phenomena is real.

  28. This has only been with me the last four years that I’m really aware of. But I’m not a great sleeper and get up to urinate about five times and. never get a great nights sleep.

  29. I have sleep issues the day before the full moon and the day after the full moon. So hopefully tonight I will finally get a full nights rest. Three nights of insomnia and I’m about ready to drop. Every cycle this happens and I’ve had a hysterectomy years ago so this no longer my own cycles tied to the moon.

  30. I am awake and theres a full moon tonight, I usually sleep well. I’ve used to work in a nightclub and on a full moon there would be chaos compared to other nights. More fights and crazy behavior!

  31. Hello
    I sleep well under full moon actually even better. But I have noticed that when moon is 21-22 days old and does not matter what moon sign I find myself awake or restless all night long.
    I have been keeping track on that for 2 years already.
    I sleep only 4-6 hours every night and falling asleep takes usually max 3-5 minutes. No interruptions before alarm wakes. So I am tired no question about that. Have anybody experienced this or can explain better?

  32. I have a sleep monitoring app that pays attention to my breathing and how my body moves in bed. I’ve been tracking my sleep patterns every night for well over one year. I found myself reading this article due to the alarming upset in my sleep patterns due to the lunar cycle. I haven’t noticed it personally – I don’t pay particular attention although i love a gorgeous moon! So it was shocking to see this tracked data over such a long period of time.

  33. I am generally a good sleeper but have noticed this more and more recently. I have tossed and turned for hours and now wide awake, looked out the window and yep it’s a full moon ? I feel edgy and unsettled and unnaturally warm. Thank god it’s a Friday and I don’t have to get up tomorrow !

    • I feel just saying I usually don’t even know that it’s a full moon. But I try to sleep in it for 3 AM then the next day someone says did you see the full moon.

  34. And so here I am. Not sleeping. Again. No surprises as to why. It’s a normal occurrence for me around a full moon and fed up tossing and turning I found my way here. At least I’m not alone lol

  35. What a relief it is to read the comments above. For as long as I can remember I have dreaded the full moon each month. At this time I am awake all night and at the most will sleep for an hour at 5:00 or 6:00 A.M. During those long nights I feel anxious and upset and wonder what on earth is wrong with me! Sleeping pills are of no help nor is exercising to the point that on any other night I would feel tired and fall asleep easily. I sometimes function fairly well the next day but there are also times when I am a complete wreck.

    • Same here, it starts a couple of days before full moon and my sleep because very interrupted but still find some sleep, I don’t even think about the full moon , then out of the blue I simply fail to fall asleep and this get quite bad tossing and turning until I check the moon calender . 99.9% when check I find it’s either full moon night or a night or two before full moon . Last night 20th December was such a night and full moon is on the 22 December. No amount of exercise helps . A night following full moon my sleep gradually returns. It’s such a nuisance I have come to accommodate in my life

  36. I often notice in hindsight that my sleep always suffers around full moons. But I also happen to be about a week away from my monthly cycle when the full moon is out, so I ultimately believe my insomnia to be linked to premenstrual symptoms rather than a phenomenon in nature.

    I just didn’t know until recently that insomnia was a possible premenstrual symptom, so the most plausible explanation had been the full moon influencing me.

  37. Coming up to a full moon I get agitated but more aware less tired ever since I can remember I don’t need to look at the lunar cycle I just know and when it’s a full moon I don’t sleep until it’s over

  38. I’ve had general insomnia for many years. I learned to accept it and say to myself “When I’m tired enough I’ll sleep.” However, my fatigue effected my ability to function at my best and I worried about the long term effect on my health. I searched high and low for a healthy remedy that worked for me. After many years, finally found something healthy that works consistently for me, except during the full moon. 2 nights ago I was dead tired and expected to fall asleep fast. 3 hours later at 2 AM, still wide awake, and frustrated, I pulled back my dark curtains to check outside, discovering it was a full moon. I thought “Of course!” Gave up and got up. My natural remedy has worked for me consistently for a year now, except, also consistently, during a full moon.

    • May I ask what is something healthy that works consistently for your insomnia because I have the same problem for the past 6 months.

    • Yes Doris, please share your natural remedy! I think we’d all love to have a decent nights’ sleep. Thanks so much!

  39. Well I am definitely suffering from this phenomenon, but I’m a physicist so I’ll leave the astrology nonsense at the door. I think that there is something to be said for the brain recognizing the specific photon frequencies from the sun, I believe this activates the brain like a header signal in electronics. So for most people I would say the reflected rays from the moon are just waking you up like the sun and certain people are definitely more sensitive to that.

    Something else that occurred to me, and is the reason I am posting, is that I have had a case of parasites living in my liver, pancreas, and GI track. Modern medicine eventually found and solved the problem however these parasites where regulated by the phases of the moon and would lay eggs during the full moon so I, in turn, would be sick all night on full moons. I wonder if there are more common bacteria / parasitic organisms in the human body that could be excreting toxins on full moons which in turn effect neuro-chemical responses and whatnot.

  40. I never usually have a problem sleeping but here I am reading this at 3am (UK Time) on a night when there’s a full moon. I slept for just over an hour and woke up thinking it was around 6am but it was 11:30pm.
    I’m still wide awake 3.5 hours later and as I said, I never usually have trouble sleeping!

    I’m convinced that the moon has an effect on us based on the amount of water in our bodies, although I have nothing to prove it.

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