Hormones during full Moons

 

So-called "science-based skeptics" have long mocked the idea that human sleeping patterns are in any way affected by lunar cycles -- it all sounds just a little too wacky for their status quo level of cognitive ability. But a new study published in the journal Current Biology supports what the more progressive vein of scientific inquiry has been learning for years, mainly that the human body responds to the changing geophysical rhythms of lunar cycles as a result of its own internal circalunar clock.

To come to this conclusion, researchers from the University of Basel (UB) in Switzerland studied the sleeping patterns of 33 volunteers who were divided into two separate age groups. All the participants slept in a specially designed sleeping laboratory, and while they slept, scientists analyzed their brain patterns, eye movements, and hormone secretion levels during varying stages of the regular lunar cycle.

In the end, the research team observed that, overall, the participants experienced a lower quality of sleep during full moon cycles, even when the moon was not necessarily visible to them. On average, it also took the participants about five minutes longer to fall asleep during a full moon, not to mention the fact that these same participants slept about 20 minutes less on a given night around times when the moon was at its fullest phase compared to other times.

"The lunar cycle seems to influence human sleep, even when one does not 'see' the moon and is not aware of the actual moon phase," says Christian Cajochen from UB's Psychiatric Hospital, who helped lead the study. "This is the first reliable evidence that a lunar rhythm can modulate sleep structure in humans when measured under the highly controlled conditions of a circadian laboratory study protocol without time cues."

The human body even produces fewer sleep hormones during full moons, according to data

Specifically, the amount of so-called delta wave activity during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep -- delta wave activity is an indicator of deep and restful sleep -- was decreased by about 30 percent during full moon cycles. Both subjective and objective sleep quality was found to suffer during full moon cycles, which could help explain why some people experience seemingly random bouts of poor sleep.

"The only explanation we could come up with is that maybe there is a lunar clock in the brain, as found in other species like fish and other marine animals," adds Cajochen, as quoted by The New York Times (NYT), about the discovery. "But we don't have direct evidence for that."

However, included as part of the study is a graph that shows clear variances in sleep quality depending on the current lunar phase. REM sleep latency, deep slow wave sleep, sleep EEG-Delta activity, and even melatonin production all change during full moons, which suggests that humans do, indeed, possess a unique and inherent lunar sensitivity that modern science is only just now beginning to understand.
Full Moons, Crazy Behavior, and Parasites

The next full moon is coming and many parents have started noticing the "crazy behaviors" that seem to coincide with the full moons.  We have all heard and many have witnessed these changes in behaviors, but why do they occur?

One of the first things that I consider when a parent tells me that their child experiences these cyclical changes in behavior is parasites.  I am sure that like most of the parents I see in my office, you are making a face and thinking "gross, there is no way that my kid has parasites!" 

What are parasites?

Parasites come in many forms, but are defined as any living thing that uses another living thing to survive.  Some parasites are very small and others are much larger, such as worms and flukes.  However, all parasites will cause some harm to the host, usually by consuming nutrients from the food that is eaten.  This may even eventually lead to malabsorption and/or malnutrition.   


How do you get parasites?

Parasites are on the foods we eat, the soil we walk on, and even in the air we breath and are often from cross contamination via the fecal-oral route.  Coming into contact with parasites are largely unavoidable due to the fact that you may find them on things such as fruits and vegetables, meat, toys, grocery carts, sandboxes, pets, and even other people.  Basically anything that can be touched can transfer parasites.  Many children on the spectrum like to chew, lick, and mouth objects, making it even more likely for them to become infected.  Another factor that puts children on the spectrum at an increased risk for parasites is that many suffer from compromised immune systems that leaves them vulnerable and unable to fight the parasites.

What are symptoms of parasites?

Parasites often produce bizarre behavior and unfortunately, these symptoms are often overlooked and attributed to the child's diagnosis of autism rather than the true cause.  Some of the more common symptoms include:

• fecal smearing 
• fecal retention (purposely withholding bowel movements)
• rectal itching or digging
• unexplained bizarre behavior
• teeth grinding
• nail biting
• chewing on hands and fingers
• aggression
• playing with spit
• licking objects
• mouthing objects
• pica (eating dirt or other non-food items)
• falling out of bed at night
• difficulty sleeping
• bed wetting
• urination/deification outside of toilet if toilet trained
• prolonged straining to eliminate stool
• chronic diarrhea that is unresponsive to treatments
• obsessive and/or compulsive behaviors
• hand-flapping
• low body weight despite large appetite
• any behaviors that worsen around the full-moon

Should you test for parasites?

Testing for parasites is not typically useful because tests do not detect all possible parasites and false negatives are very common.  If your child seems to be fitting the symptoms, it may be useful to perform a parasite cleanse.

How do you treat parasites?

Parasites are most active and laying their eggs during the full moon, so it is important to begin a parasite cleanse several days prior to the full moon. This will ensure that you are killing not only the adult parasites, but also the eggs and larvae.  There are many herbal preparations available for treating parasites, but be sure that the treatment includes herbs such as:

• Black walnut
• Wormwood (artemesia)
• Cloves
• Thyme
• Pumpkin seeds
• Coconut oil

There may be a die-off reaction seen during the first week of treatment.  Die-off is a natural result of any type of cleansing and may vary in both presentation and severity.  Some of the more common die-off symptoms include:  headaches, body aches, fatigue, gas and bloating, and minor diarrhea.  These symptoms are typically mild and only last a few days.

It is also important to note that it is common for all family members and pets in a house to need a parasite cleanse to ensure that reinfection does not occur.  Also, most products suggest to wait 30 days before repeating the cleanse, so be sure to read the specific directions for the product that you decide to use.   

Hopefully, now you see that there may be an actual physical reason for your child acting "crazy" during the full moon!

You decide what for you and what you believe. Do a little research and check out some older posts.

There are also parasites in all of us. Some more than others. The moon effect them also.
You can view that graph here:
http://www.theatlantic.com

You can also view a free abstract of the study here:
http://www.cell.com

Sources for this article include:

http://www.sciencedaily.com

http://www.theatlantic.com

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041500_lunar_cycles_sleep_patterns_human_mind.html#ixzz2bCxjvcUL