Bad sleep? Don’t blame the moon! A population based study
Open accessAbstract
Introduction The aim of this study was to evaluate if there is a significant effect of lunar phases on subjective and objective sleep variables in the general population.Methods A total of 2125 individuals (51.2% women, age 58.8 ± 11.2 years) participating in a population-based cohort study underwent a complete polysomnography (PSG) at home. Subjective sleep quality was evaluated by a self-rating scale. Sleep electroencephalography (EEG) spectral analysis was performed in 759 participants without significant sleep disorders. Salivary cortisol levels were assessed at awakening, 30 min after awakening, at 11 am, and at 8 pm. Lunar phases were grouped into full moon (FM), waxing/waning moon (WM), and new moon (NM).Results Overall, there was no significant difference between lunar phases with regard to subjective sleep quality. We found only a nonsignificant (p = 0.08) trend toward a better sleep quality during the NM phase. Objective sleep duration was not different between phases (FM: 398 ± 3 min, WM: 402 ± 3 min, NM: 403 ± 3 min; p = 0.31). No difference was found with regard to other PSG-derived parameters, EEG spectral analysis, or in diurnal cortisol levels. When considering only subjects with apnea/hypopnea index of <15/h and periodic leg movements index of <15/h, we found a trend toward shorter total sleep time during FM (FM: 402 ± 4, WM: 407 ± 4, NM: 415 ± 4 min; p = 0.06) and shorter-stage N2 duration (FM: 178 ± 3, WM: 182 ± 3, NM: 188 ± 3 min; p = 0.05).Conclusion Our large population-based study provides no evidence of a significant effect of lunar phases on human sleep.
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The difference in sleep duration was only statistically significant in the present study because of greater power (33,710 time-points vs 2125 for Haba-Rubio et al.).
“However, this difference was only statistically significant in the present study because of the greater power (33,710 time-points in the current study vs. 2125 for Haba-Rubio et al.).”
From Are children like werewolves? Full moon and its association with sleep and activity behaviors in an international sample of children (2016) · cites this paper as [6]
The 5-min shorter sleep duration at full moon compared to new moon is consistent with Haba-Rubio et al. (6).
“This 5-min shorter sleep duration during full moon compared to new moon is consistent with the finding by Haba-Rubio et al. (6).”
From Are children like werewolves? Full moon and its association with sleep and activity behaviors in an international sample of children (2016) · cites this paper as [6]
A recent population-based study of adults from Switzerland (n = 2125) provided no evidence of a significant influence of lunar phases on human sleep (6).
“By contrast, a recent population-based study of adults from Switzerland (n = 2125) provided no evidence of a significant influence of lunar phases on human sleep (6).”
From Are children like werewolves? Full moon and its association with sleep and activity behaviors in an international sample of children (2016) · cites this paper as [6]
The classifications of lunar phases are identical to those used in recently published papers (4-7).
“These classifications of lunar phases are identical to those used in recently published papers (4–7).”
From Are children like werewolves? Full moon and its association with sleep and activity behaviors in an international sample of children (2016) · cites this paper as [6]
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“Furthermore, some large studies (Cordi et al., 2014; Haba-Rubio et al., 2015) find no lunar effects on sleep at all; others find no main effects, but only a few sex-specific interactions with either subjective or objective sleep parameters (Della Monica et al., 2015).”
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“There are a few articles that suggest the light of the full moon can cause changes in sleep patterns that could induce mania in susceptible patients (Raison et al., 1999; Wehr, 1992) but these findings have been challenged in more recent studies (Haba-Rubio et al., 2015).”
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“…cycles on human sleep quality and physical activity (Röösli et al. 2006; Cajochen et al. 2013; Cordi et al. 2014; Turányi et al. 2014; Della Monica et al. 2015; Haba-Rubio et al. 2015; Sjödin et al. 2015; Chaput et al. 2016; Smith et al. 2017; Samson et al. 2018; Casiraghi et al. 2021) (Table 1).”
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“[24] found no significant influence of the lunar phase on human sleep.”
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“In contrast, several studies (14, 15) have shown no sleep effect at all, occurring at the full moon phase.”
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Exploring the Lunar Cycle's Influence on Sleep Patterns
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Effects of seasonal factors on brain function: Systematic review and future perspectives
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“119 The reduction in delta activity refers to a decrease in deep sleep and an increase in light sleep, which might be caused by the increased luminosity during full moon days or perhaps through the additive gravitational effect of both the Sun and Moon experienced on Earth.”
Kundu, P. S., Ray, S., Pal, A. K., Halder, A., & Santosh, S. (2025) · Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_369_24
The influence of the lunar cycle on psychiatric emergency consultations: myth or reality?
Laprérie, C., Pham‐Scottez, A., Todorov, L., Gourévitch, R., & Akkaoui, M. A. (2026) · International Journal of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12245-026-01179-0
“This, in turn, suggests a potential link with the human body, which contains high proportion of water [10–12].”
Who Blames the Moon for Poor Sleep? An Exploratory Online Survey
Cajochen, C. (2026) · Clocks & Sleep · doi:10.3390/clockssleep8020036
- Authors
- Haba-Rubio, J., Marques-Vidal, P., Tobback, N., Andries, D., Preisig, M., Kuehner, C., Vollenweider, P., Waeber, G., Luca, G., Tafti, M., & Heinzer, R.
- Affiliations
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CH)
- Heidelberg University (DE)
- University of Lausanne (CH)
- Venue
- Sleep Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-11
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1321-1326
- ISSN
- 1389-9457 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2152489975
- Semantic Scholar
- c14380109bc2cb8836d0829a35711fdacdfa0072
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 4
- FWCI
- 2.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ (am, 353 d)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-017 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-037 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-012 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-029 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-004 (stm-asf)
- Locations
- Sleep Medicine (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- IRIS (submittedVersion)
- SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine of Lausanne
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)
- Swiss National Science Foundation (3200B0–105993, 3200B0–118308, 33CSCO–122661, 33CS30–139468, 33CS30–148401)
- Leenaards Foundation
- GSK
- Ligue Pulmonaire Vaudoise
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Keywords
- lunar phases, full moon, sleep quality, sleep duration, salivary cortisol, EEG spectral analysis, sleep stages, apnea-hypopnea index, periodic limb movements, home polysomnography, circadian rhythm
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Electroencephalography, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Middle Aged, Saliva, Sleep, Cohort Studies, Moon, Polysomnography
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