Full moon without influence on sleep

Sleep disorders are not caused by the full moon

06/19/2014

Many people feel that they sleep significantly worse at full moon. But „In contrast to previous studies, scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich have now found no connection between human sleep and the phases of the moon“, so the current press release of the institute.

„For centuries people have believed that their health or behavior is influenced by the moon“, reports the Max Planck Institute. In popular belief, the conviction that sleep disorders occur more frequently on full moon nights has persisted to this day. The scientists of the Max Planck Institute have therefore examined the sleep data of 1,265 subjects from 2,097 nights on connections between the phases of the moon and sleep. However, according to Martin Dresler, neuroscientists at the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior in Nijmegen (Netherlands), said the researchers., „show no statistically proven relationship between human sleep and the moon phases.“

Previous studies showed shorter sleep duration at full moon
Numerous studies have already investigated possible relationships between sleep behavior and the influence of the moon in the past. „However, sleep effects have rarely been studied with objective methods, such as sleep EEG, and the results have varied widely“, explain the researchers of the Max Planck Institute. For example, in some studies, the phases of the moon have had a particular effect on the sleep of women, while others have shown a special influence on the sleep of men. In two analyzes, each with 30 to 50 participants from the years 2013 and 2014, a shortened sleep duration on full moon nights was consistently found. However, they have led to controversial results in other measurements. For example, one study found a delayed onset of REM sleep during the new moon and the other a delayed REM sleep on full moon nights.

Studies with positive findings over-represented
To avoid incidental findings, such as are possible in such studies with a small number of participants, the scientists at the Max Planck Institute have now used a much larger sample to examine the influence of the moon on sleep. The evaluation of the large number of data did not confirm the earlier results from other studies, emphasized Martin Dresler. During the research, the researchers have also found further study results, which also found no influence of the moon on sleep. The analyzes of over 20,000 sleeping nights had not been published, which „Studies with positive findings have been overrepresented in the scientific literature“ were, reports the Max Planck Institute.

Questionable publication practice
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute conclude that the high number of unpublished study results could be an example of a distorted publication practice. This as well „drawer problem“ As a consequence of the many studies that have been carried out, quite a few are left in the drawer of researchers because only positive or significant results tend to be published. Consequently, negative or indecisive study results often do not reach the public. This is „a much-discussed problem in science, medicine and pharmacy“, reports the Max Planck Institute. (Fp)