A new study suggests that the myth about the Moon influencing menstrual cycles and sleeping patterns may be true after all. According to a study conducted by scientists from the University of Washington, National University of Quilmes, and Yale University, it has been found that moon phases affect our duration of sleep and menstruation patterns in the female reproductive system. The study shows that sleep and menstruation patterns are influenced by lunar cycles of the moon. According to Stephen Merola, professor and chair of astronomy at the University of Washington: "Findings indicate muscle relaxation, hormone release, and other hormonal and behavioral rhythms would change in pulsatile ways as a result of changes in moon positions,"

There are also research that suggest circadian rhythms have their origins within the female reproductive system. In fact, a slew research has been going on to define women's sleep- or menstruation-wake cycle and how it varies throughout each 24 hour cycle as well as their menopausal stage. These menstrual rhythms come after women reach menopause. Menopause likely ends cycles of PMS that affect women's sleep-wake cycles. According to Merola, a shift from between 12 to 18 to 20 hours of sleep can contribute to poor health. In this study, it was found that women's daytime (time) and female etiology of PMS were similar, but PMS participants reported shifting awake earlier, further away from home, and experiencing a reduction in light exposure, with younger cohorts reporting less sleep than older women. The study was conducted by researchers at MIT and University of California, Davis, and their findings will be published in the December issue of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Read more. How Physical Activity Can Help You Sleep Better Deeper

What it is: The central nervous system causes less frightening dreams for people who are exposed to darkness for longer periods.

What it is not: The same for night owls who experience a decrease in REM sleep, a critical stage for dream recall and learning.

Effectiveness: Scientific data shows that a rise in melatonin levels occurs when exposure to darkness increases—following the equation: light → melatonin → sleep. It has also been observed that the urge to move away from darkness is reduced. However, too-long periods of darkness can disrupt melatonin levels.

A study conducted by researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University Center for Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience exposed male rats to 24 hours of darkness and white noise. The rats experienced fewer nighttime awakenings than all other non-darkness groups. Melatonin levels were also reduced in adolescents exposed to dark 90 minutes either prior to bedtime or at night less than three hours prior to bedtime but melatonin normally increases between three and seven hours prior to bedtime. Read more. Sleep Physics Lessons Speaker Notes by statement

That You're More Effective at Getting You To Sleep

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