With the power to cause oceanic chaos and mythological changes of men into wolves, it’s no wonder the moon also has the ability to disturb sleep. With a full moon’s glow glaring down last night, my entire household found it tough to rest. When I finally did coax our kiddos to sleep, my own rest was hard to restore. The dreams I had seemed to be more vivid and comfort harder to conceive.

Hubby always complains during the fullest phase of the moon that his sleep pattern is off (and he can normally sleep through anything).

Does the full moon keep you from sleeping well?

As we worked in the barns today, one of our farm hands complained of not sleeping well the last two nights and couldn’t figure out why. I told him it was probably the full moon and he laughed at me. Hubby and I both tried to explain that the full moon frequently poses problems for us when it comes to getting sleep.

Dealing with the typical millennial response, I did what any logical person would do. I Googled it.

I found a terrific article by George Citroner on http://www.healthline.com about the full moon’s ability to affect sleep. The article, “Can a Full Moon Affect Your Sleep?”, talked about a study done on the sleep patterns of three groups of people: those will no electricity, those with limited electricity, and a group from an urban setting with full electricity. The article supported what I already believed to be true. The days leading up to a full moon are those we are most likely to get the least sleep in all types of communities.

Sleep plays a large role in mood and behavior so it’s no wonder werewolves are believed to come out on the full moon. By the time the full moon gets here, a lot of us are probably looking pretty scruffy and acting really growly. It’s all part of the full moon fall out.

If the full moon has got you down this week, rejoice! The phase is changing. Just as the moon’s phases change, so does our ability to put positivity on full display. Sometimes maintaining a bright outlook can be challenging. We have to remember that no condition lasts forever and at least the changing of the moon is predictable. (There aren’t too many factors we can rely on for predictability.) The fall out from the impending full moon doesn’t have to be something we dread. Knowing that change is coming is a smart way to face the sleep-stealing experiences and influences in our lives both expected and unexpected. Having flexibility in our responses to trying times will ease the werewolf in all of us and allow our positive purpose to shine longer and brighter.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. On a positive note, sleep cycles should lengthen with the upcoming moon phases. Yay sleep!

Works Cited

Citroner, George. “Can a Full Moon Affect Your Sleep?” Healthline, Heathline Media, 27 Jan. 2021, http://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-a-full-moon-may-affect-your-sleep.