Exploring the uncertain relationship between lunar phases and human sleep duration and quality: A narrative literature review
Year: 2020
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The moon’s influence on human behavior has been the subject of speculation for a large portion of history. A whole host of physiological and psychological disorders were collectively explained away by lunacy or madness until the advent of modern science and medicine. Even with advances in medical technology the question on whether or not the moon influences humans is still uncertain. The purpose of this narrative review is to explore the relevant literature on this topic and to set the stage for future research. While a handful of studies have found that human sleep quality fluctuates with the lunar phase (Cajochen et al., 2013, Smith et al., 2014, Chaput et al., 2016) the effect sizes were small and the studies had small sample sizes. Other studies that attempted to rebut these findings were comprised of significantly larger, international sample sizes (Smith et al., 2017, Cordi et al, 2014, Haba-Rubio et al., 2015). Despite the improved statistical power of these studies many of them were done post hoc and each one had different experimental procedures and therefore controlled for different sets of confounding variables. Thus I will conclude that in order to find any correlation between lunar phases and human sleep or even disprove an old-timey myth, we will need a longitudinal study with large sample sizes in a variety of sleep environments in order to test if a correlation exists or if the minor differences were due to confounding variables or variance due to a new sleep environment.
Author: Nicholas Skrobul
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3021651710