Can't Sleep? Blame the Moon

The moon could be to blame for a bad night's sleep, researchers now say. These findings are the first reliable evidence that lunar rhythms can influence sleep in humans.

The moon often gets blamed for madness on Earth. In fact, the Latin name for the moon, Luna, is the root of the word "lunatic."

However, research has repeatedly shown the full moon apparently has no effect on human health. Although a few studies have found weak links with the full moon and increased aggression, unintentional poisonings and absenteeism, a 1985 analysis found no convincing evidence that full moons spur uptakes in mental hospital admissions, psychiatric disturbances, homicides or other crimes. A 2010 study similarly found a lack of excess criminal activity on full-moon nights. Read more...