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. 2021 Mar 21;18(6):3245.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18063245.

The Relationship between the Lunar Phase, Menstrual Cycle Onset and Subjective Sleep Quality among Women of Reproductive Age

Yoko Komada  1 , Makoto Sato  2 , Yuko Ikeda  3 , Azusa Kami  2 , Chika Masuda  2 , Shigenobu Shibata  3
Affiliations

The Relationship between the Lunar Phase, Menstrual Cycle Onset and Subjective Sleep Quality among Women of Reproductive Age

Yoko Komada et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association among lunar cycle, menstrual cycle onset, and subjective sleep quality. Menstrual cycle onset data from the six most recent menstrual cycles were obtained for 529 women (aged 25-39 years) using the smartphone app Luna Luna. We also collected questionnaire survey data on sleep quality from each participant. Overall, there was no association between the onset of menstrual cycle and lunar phase. Interestingly, the proportion of good sleepers with menstrual cycle beginning during the light period was significantly higher than that during the dark period, while the proportion of poor sleepers with menstrual cycle beginning during the dark period was significantly higher than that during the light period. When participants were categorized by the combination of lunar phases (light, dark, neutral periods) in the two most recent menstrual cycle onsets, the "both dark period" group and the "other (light and dark) period" group showed the lowest proportion of good sleepers. Menstrual cycle onset in the dark period was associated with a deterioration in subsequent subjective sleep quality, which was more apparent with consecutive onsets in the dark period or at a rapidly changing lunar phase.

Keywords: human; lunar rhythms; menstrual cycle; menstruation; moon; reproductive health; sleep quality.

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Conflict of interest statement

M.S., A.K., and C.M. are employees of MTI Ltd. The other authors report no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study design flowchart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The proportions of participants with menstruation onset in the light, dark, and neutral periods in their six most recent menstrual cycles (n = 529). There was no significant difference in the proportions of participants with menstrual cycle onset in the light and dark periods during each of the six menstrual cycles.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The proportions of good sleepers and poor sleepers with menstruation onset in the light/dark/neutral periods during their six most recent menstrual cycles. The proportion of subjective poor sleepers was significantly higher in participants with menstrual cycle onset in the dark period than in those with onset in the light period, in the second most recent menstrual cycle. The same tendency was observed in the most recent menstrual cycle.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The relationship between subjective sleep quality and the combination of lunar phase (light, dark, neutral periods) in the two most recent menstruation onsets. Participants were categorized by the combination of lunar phases at the most recent and the second most recent onset of menstrual cycle (A,B), and the proportions of good and poor sleepers were calculated (C). The proportion of good sleepers was highest in the “both light period” group, followed by the “light and neutral period” group and the “both neutral period” group. The “both dark period” group and the “other (light and dark period)” group showed the lowest proportions of good sleepers.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The relationship between the combination of lunar phase (light, dark, neutral periods) in the two most recent menstruation onsets and subjective sleep quality among participants with mean menstrual cycle = 29.5 ± 1 days (A) and those with mean menstrual cycle greater than or less than 29.5 ± 1 days (B). There was no statistically significant relationship between lunar phase and sleep quality among participants with a menstrual cycle of 29.5 ± 1 days (A). In contrast, there was a significant relationship between lunar phase and sleep quality, with a gradual change in lunar phase at the onset of menstrual cycle due to longer or shorter mean menstrual cycle length (B).
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