Why your sleep might have been affected last night
Niamh Spence
Featured Image Credit: Oleg Breslavtsev/fizkes/Getty Images
A rough night of sleep is never good, but if you found that last night was particularly bad for getting shut eye then there could be a good reason for it.
Last night saw the start of a new lunar cycle, as a new full moon was in the sky.
Whilst this might feel totally unrelated to sleep, it turns out the moon can actually play a big part in how rested we are at night.
According to the Sleep Foundation, the moon can impact our sleep in a variety of ways and particularly when it's a New Moon like last night.
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One sleep study analysis from the National Library of Medicine and Biotech Information discovered that the full moon resulted in worse sleep than normal.
The study found that the full moon was associated with worse sleep and during this lunar phase, participants took five minutes longer to fall asleep, slept for 20 minutes less, took longer to reach REM sleep, experienced a 30% reduction in deep sleep, and reported reduced sleep quality.
So all in all, a pretty poor night of sleep.
Another study also found that during the full moon sleep was more restless and full of more 'awakenings'.
It also doesn't matter where in the world you are, so there's no need to think that it's just the UK getting bad sleep as it turns out the New Moon can affect everyone.
Another study looked at data in three indigenous Argentinian communities and 464 American college students living in a major city. Regardless of where they were, everyone in the study fell asleep later and slept less in the build up to the New Moon.
Lack of sleep won't just make us reach for the caffeine the next day, but it can take its toll on our cognitive function and how alert we are as well as our appearance and our skin.
If you're looking for the best way to drop off, Dr Anatalia Moore, a GP and skin specialist, has explained the effects of lack of sleep and how you can look to improve your nighttime routine so you feel rested.
"If you’re looking to improve your sleep and see the benefits, consider what time you go to bed as well as what time you start getting ready for bed," she said.
"I ask many of my patients what time they’re climbing under the duvet and switching off as that can often help improve skin’s appearance. A good night’s sleep can work wonders as well as allowing our skin time to repair and heal, whilst looking and feeling brighter!"
She added that there are things you can do to get a better night of sleep, including the temperature of the room, winding down and how you switch off.
She explained: "Our bedtime routine doesn’t just have to be at 10pm when we’re climbing under the sheets. Start the routine earlier in the evening to have enough time to unwind and that includes having enough time for taking your makeup off, completing your nighttime skincare routine and doing all of the small things that help your brain signal to your body that it’s time to shut down and sleep."