Does the moon influence my sleep?

Many people are convinced that the moon influences their sleep. In a survey, 40% of German people said that they are sensitive to the moon, and almost 70% of all Germans are absolutely convinced that people sleep worse during a full moon than during other lunar phases.

However, there has not yet been a single controlled study that proves that people really do sleep less well during a full moon. This belief is influenced by the placebo effect. Anyone who has slept poorly three times during a full moon will quickly come to believe that there is a connection between the moon and sleep.

Because the body and the mind learn the connection following three simple rules:

1. Imitation: Believing what everyone believes
2. Self-fulfilling prophecy: "There's a full moon so I'm sure to sleep badly."
3. Conditioning: A stimulus – the moon is associated with an event. The expectation fulfils itself.

Source: Schlafen für Aufgeweckte, Dr. med. Michael Feld, 3. Auflage 2015