Does everyone in the world get affected by the full moon or only certain people?

Q: Does everyone in the world get affected by the full moon or only certain people?

Krishna: Even when the moon appears to affect humans, it may not be the moon itself that is the culprit, at least now. Confirmation bias, which is the tendency to focus on information that supports what a person already knows and believes, may help explain why people claim to observe changes in health and behaviour during a full moon.

During the pre-electricity era, people used to take rest when there was no light and did less or nil work during the night. Prior to artificial lighting, the full moon was a major source of nighttime light.

A 2021 study states that for much of human history, people were more active at night during the full moon, and might have synchronized their activities and energy levels to the phases of the moon.

But there is some evidence that moonlight itself may keep people awake for longer.

The study investigated the effects of the lunar cycle on people living in rural environments without electricity, in Indigenous communities, and in urban settings. By using sleep monitors, the researchers found that sleep began later and did not last as long on the nights leading up to the full moon.

This phenomenon likely occurs because the full moon is the brightest moon phase, reflecting more light from the sun to Earth. Although this light is weaker than direct sunlight, exposure may still cause people to feel more awake at night.

During a full moon, as people found some light in the pre-electricity era, they might have explored the world and nature and its beauty in the moonlight at night.

People might have felt happy to see nature's beauty in the moonlight and as their feel good hormones increased, they might have had elated moods. That way moonlight affected human beings then.

People anecdotally report that the full moon affects their mood, but the existing research does not support this claim.

An older 1985 meta-analysis found no connection between phases of the moon and mental health admissions to hospitals, for example. It also found that phases of the moon explained fewer than 1% of the differences in mental health admission rates.

More recently, a 2019 study of 17,966 people who sought mental health care in an inpatient setting found no connection between admissions, discharges, and the phases of the moon.

It is possible that the moon might affect mood in more subtle ways, but these are more difficult to measure, and are vulnerable to confirmation bias since people who believe that the moon affects mood are more likely to monitor and observe mood changes.

Some people think that the moon affects the menstrual cycle. Research on this point has reached mixed or weak conclusions.

A 2021 analysis reports that, in a previous study of more than 300 females, there was a correlation between the full moon and the beginning of the menstrual period. However, this correlation only existed when researchers selected for a cycle length of 29.5 days.

To assess the connection between the moon and periods, the authors of the analysis reviewed the cycles of 22 people who kept records of their periods for up to 32 years.

They found that menstrual cycles 're intermittently synchronized with either the luminescence or gravitational pull of the moon. The synchronization was strongest when the moon was closest to the Earth. However, the study did not prove that the moon is the direct cause of this.

A 2016 study looked at prior research on crime and the phases of the moon and then separated indoor from outdoor crime. The phases of the moon did not affect indoor crime.

However, outdoor crime rates increased with the light of the moon and were higher during the full moon. Again, more light during the full moon might explain the difference.

So moonlight can affect the mood of adventure/beauty seekers. It might affect criminals more.

Moonlight might affect the mood of artists and poets more and make them more creative.

It might affect people in love - as lovers think bright moonlight sets a good background for their mood - it is a sort of confirmation bias.