Sheer lunarcy
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HOWL about this! The full moon can play havoc with our lives…just like fabled werewolves.
Yesterday we reported that boffins are investigating why a full moon appears to lower blokes’ testosterone levels – disrupting sleep patterns and increasing stress levels.
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And while we may not suddenly sprout fur and fangs thanks to the lunar cycles like the legendary half-man half-wolf creatures, there are lots of other spooky ways it does influence life on earth as JAMES MOORE reveals…
KIP WEIRD: Did you know that on the days running up to a full moon people go to bed on average half an hour later and sleep 50 minutes less, according to research published in the journal Sleep Advances.
We also have more bizarre dreams, according to a study of 1,000 folk by psychologist Richard Wiseman. He found that around a full moon people are more likely to dream about odd stuff like being “Batman or Superman” or “flying on a dragon”.
BITE UNUSUAL: Research by Leeds University identified that the number of requests for GP consultations went up 3.6% at a full moon.
A US survey of medical staff found they were convinced hospital activity seems to increase too, with one radiologist reckoning: “Our bodies are 70% water and because the moon moves the oceans, it moves the water in your body – people flip out.”
Indeed, a study of Australian hospitals found that the number of emergency patients with violent disturbances surged at full moons, with some attacking the staff “like animals, biting, spitting and scratching.”
LUNAR-TIC BEHAVIOUR: A study of 1,200 prisoners in Yorkshire found that lags became strangely more violent during the days on either side of a full moon. Police around the world also re
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HOWLING: Sleep and behaviour can be affected by the moon port more trouble. In 2007 cops in Brighton decided to start bringing in extra officers on full moons after research showed there was a rise in incidents. Inspector Andy Parr said: “There is definitely a trend here.”
OUT OF THIS WORLD: The quirky links don’t end there. Figures show that road deaths spike by 5% at full moon as drivers get distracted. Oddly, according to Georgia State University researchers, we eat 8% bigger meals, but drink 26% less booze.
While the moon seems to have little role in women’s menstrual cycles, a Japanese study found a rise in births when the moon was closest to
Earth, exerting more gravitational pull. And we may feel sexier. Romance site Smartdate said more people sign up at full moon. ANIMAL ANTICS: It’s not just humans. An American study found that pets were more likely to be admitted with injuries on full moons. Figures were 28% higher for dogs and 23% for cats. And a 2001 study, reported in the British Medical Journal, showed A&E units in the UK saw twice as many cases of animal bites during full moons than on other nights. Meanwhile, a study of 500 lion attacks on humans in Tanzania showed they are far more likely on the nights just after a full moon – between dusk and 10pm.