The belief that the moon influences human health and sickness has been a time-tested one, lasting throughout many ages.
Intermediate phases appear in the interval between the main phases and include crescent and gibbous. The description of ‘waxing’ is used for the stage when the Moon’s apparent shape is thickening, from new to a full moon, and ‘waning’ when the shape is thinning from full to new moon.
One sleep study analysis found that the full moon was associated with worse sleep. During this lunar phase, participants took five minutes longer to fall asleep.
There are concerns about the moon’s luminance as the primary mechanism for sleep disruption. Moonlight brightness is only 7% the strength of sunlight.
Daily occurrence of gout attacks has been found to peak at the new moon and full moon days of the synodic lunar cycle.
Mental Health
The belief that the lunar cycle is associated with the onset and severity of psychiatric symptoms has persisted since the Middle Ages.
Sylvia Tribel
Lunar cycles have been known to influence human behavior with an increase in traffic accidents, crimes, suicides, etc.
About 30% of women ovulated during a full moon and menstruated during the new moon. The cultural term for this is White Moon Cycle and is said to mimic the fertility of Earth, the full moon being the most fertile.
Women with 28-to-29-day menstrual cycles found that most women menstruated around the new moon day and a reduced chance of menstruation was observed around full moon days.
Perception of the lunar cycle in Hindu mythology
Performing meditative rituals during the full moon help in going inwards.