How does the moon affect human health?

Weather of Arabia - After decades of doubt about the existence of any relationship between the moon and human health, researchers, through studies they described as “amazing,” have found evidence confirming a hidden effect of the moon on individuals’ health.

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Ancient beliefs about the full moon

According to the German "Deutsche Welle" website, many people in ancient times believed that the full moon affects the human body, as there were beliefs that it had an impact on human behavior, pushing them toward aggression and nervousness. The term “Lunatic” goes back to the Latin root “Lunar,” which means moon, and refers to these beliefs. However, researchers have long rejected these ideas due to conflicting findings.

• The hidden effect of the lunar cycle

Recently, multiple research has confirmed, as reported on the National Geographic website, that the lunar cycle “has a hidden effect” on some people, especially in areas such as sleep, the menstrual cycle in women, and mood swings in those suffering from bipolar disorder.

• Study of sleep patterns among Argentine tribes and University of Washington students

In a recent study published in the US National Library of Medicine, researchers tracked the sleep patterns of two very different groups. The first group consists of 100 Tuba/folk people in rural Argentina, many of whom do not use electricity, while the second group consists of hundreds of students at the University of Washington in Seattle.

• What the researchers did not expect

The researchers found that Tuba/Qoum people slept an average of 40 minutes later on the nights before a full moon, and that their sleep duration was shorter overall. The surprise was that the same pattern was repeated among university students in Seattle, whose artificial city light blocks the moonlight and they often do not know the dates of the full moon. Sleep researcher at the University of Washington, Horacio de la Iglesia, believes that this effect may be due to the strength of the moon’s gravitational pull during its full phases. , which affects sleep patterns.

• Mood swings and bipolar depression

In another study conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health in Maryland, a group of patients with bipolar depression were followed for 37 years, with results showing that mood swings between mania and depression coincide with the moon's orbit around the Earth.

• The moon and the menstrual cycle in females

In another 15-year study, scientists found that some women's menstrual cycles coincide with lunar cycles. As women got older and more exposed to artificial light at night, this correspondence became less clear, according to a study published in Science.

• Track patients over time

NIMH psychiatrist Thomas Ware believes that previous studies have only looked at this topic across different time segments, rather than tracking patients over a long period of time to discover subtle cyclical patterns. Ware points out that this type of research could lead to a deeper understanding of human health. “In many cases, I think we can use this knowledge to prevent some disease symptoms that depend heavily on how much sleep a person gets,” he said.

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