Hypersensitivity to full moons

[taniaaust1]

I have done several things for circadian rhythm issues. The best one was taking a quiz on the Apollo site back several years ago which identified my particular pattern. It has been much easier dealing with it knowing what I deal with exactly. Unfortunately, since Apollo was sold, the site was taken down and the self-test is no longer available, as far as I know. Maybe there are other such tests out there. But I will tell you what I learned to give you an idea what I mean.

My individual circadian rhythm is truncated. My "day" ends at around 6 pm. I am ready to go to bed and sleep at that point, so I am sleepy the entire evening, fighting sleepiness, go to bed and go to sleep... then wake up at about 2 am ready to go again, because my "night" was from 6 pm to 2 am. This was a problem for years, but never could see it until it was defined this way. Now I can do extra light in the evening to lengthen my "day" to normal hours, and sleep at almost normal hours. Once I caught on to going to bed at midnight, my life did a 180 degree turnaround in many areas. If I go to bed any earlier -- I have tried to back it up in 15-minute increments -- I am awake at 2 or 3 am for several hours. A midnight bedtime -- I often sleep solid until 7 am or later. Soooo nice.

That and good sleep hygiene has helped minimize that one night a month of not sleeping... now that I live a more normal pattern, the one night is not as upsetting or intrusive.

Other things to do... rebuild the endocrine system. I have found that the herbs I take to rebuild my adrenals also support the sleep/wake cycle. Found that one out the hard way... took a break from the herbs (finances and just dotty anyway), and stopped sleeping as well. Went back on them, sleep returned. Will be rotating them differently.

I probably are needing herbs for my adrenals (my 24 hr levels are abnormally low and my body cant produce extra cortisol when stressed or if I exercise.. I dont think Im far of of having Addisons disease seeing they hardly respond at all.. doctors thou didnt give me follow up tests.. we just tried cortisol replacement which didnt help my symptoms).

My issue is getting to sleep in the first place rather then holding it off..without drugs my bodydont really want to go to sleep till between 3am to sometimes its 9.30 am before my body says "sleep". My most active feeling time is 11pm instead of I'd think most have their active time around 11am (my body starts feeling more active from about 6pm and from there just feels more and more active). So in my case I think my circardian is maybe 10 ior more hours out.. (completely reversed) on top of that I possibly have a longer cycle then a 24hr one so may have that sleep issue too on top of the other (with my body wanting to get to sleep later and later each night or I should rather say in the morning when its daylight)..

sleep hygiene has only helped me slightly (eg no computer a few hours before I try to go to sleep, completely dark room.. Ive had to board my windows up as even very very slight light coming throu was stopping me from being able to sleep, no lights in my room.. even the clock radio lights or a display light on a DVD will affect me from being able to sleep, sleeping with an electric blanket on.. also will affect my sleep (the electomagetic radiation?) so I cant do that anymore).

From what my energy levels feel like, when my body wants to eat and what happens with my sleep.. I think my natural sleeping time would be 6.30-7am to 2.30pm/3pm (so right in the very middle of the day). I dont let my body do that, so Im always like working against my bodies natural cycle.

Im really at loss what to do about it all and what I could do better. Ive tried so much. Thanks for sharing.

 

[GracieJ]

. I am certain you are nowhere near big enough for there to be a noticeable difference from one side of you to the other. .... My best suggestion is to keep a really good journal of what you do, eat, feel, etc, and see if you can tease out a pattern.

Interesting, SOC, I just learned something. You just gave me a whole new description of the figure-8 energy pattern in the human body that can be felt, and that can really mess things up for people if it is not intact. It is literally side-to-side when healthy, and I have always thought of it as being intrinsic to the body. Hmmmm.... got me thinking.... lol

Do have to agree with you on the journalling bit... it seems any issue we have with ME/CFS or alongside ME/CFS can show itself out of the tangle if we track it well enough and long enough.

 

[GracieJ]

From what my energy levels feel like, when my body wants to eat and what happens with my sleep.. I think my natural sleeping time would be 6.30-7am to 2.30pm/3pm (so right in the very middle of the day). I dont let my body do that, so Im always like working against my bodies natural cycle.

I just met up with tania in chat, but will add a couple of comments here for others reading the thread:

If I remember correctly, this is pretty typical of a 25-hour body cycle, the most common body rhythm, and devastating to FMS, CFS, as it flip-flops a daily schedule over time.

One way a 25-hour body cycle has been handled with shift workers is to rotate their shifts every three weeks, forward. Absenteeism plunged, accidents dropped, worker satisfaction rose. I wonder if this idea could be applied with ME/CFS issues??

Maybe that's what the werewolves needed. lol

 

[Marlène]

If you like to read more about circadian rhythms, this is pretty technical but ok to understand. I guess a lot of ME and CFS problems are somehow related to it.
http://132.248.16.1/pages/curso_ritmos/capitulo15/Cermakian.pdf

 

[Hip]

The gravitational effect of the moon's orbit (which causes tides) is very unlikely to have any affect on the brain.

However, the lunar cycle does not just have a gravitational effect, but also has an effect on the Earth's magnetic field (the geomagnetic field), with the full moon causing increased disturbances (variations) in the geomagnetic field.

Disturbances to the geomagnetic field around the Earth are known to correlate to psychological changes in people. For example, one study (by Michael A.Persinger and Michael Nolan in 1984) showed an increased number mining accidents occur when the geomagnetic field was more disturbed, indicating that geomagnetic field disturbances alter mental function for the worse.

This study (by Stolov and Cameron in 1964) shows that geomagnetic activity is altered around the week before and after a full moon.

So is is feasible that the full moon does affect you, via this mechanism of geomagnetic field disturbances that can affect the brain.

 

[JC87]

Hello,

I hope this is the right place to post this. I have noticed a very bizarre connection between the moon phases and my health, CFS symptoms and anxiety. I am wondering whether others have experienced the same and whether there is a plausible medical reason why we are particularly sensitive to this? Also have you found anything that lessen the effect it has on the body?

I would never have dreamt of making any connection with the moon and human health until getting sick with ME/CFS and experiencing just how dramatically I am affected by things you would have never even thought of having any affect on humans.

I'm sure there is a lot of superstitious and mysterious theories about the moon but I'm not that kind of person and have no desire to get caught up in that kind of stuff. However it seems that gravity or something is having some sought of profound effect on my body which is very unpleasant. I don't really understand it... all I can say is the effect is very real and my family are being to notice the changes in my symptoms too.

I have been sick with ME/CFS for many years and try to keep a journal. Throughout this time I noticed that my health was always at its worse during full moon but I didn't take any notice of this at the time. I thought it must just be a coincidence. However looking back at my journal shows an amazing connection between my CFS symptoms (and anxiety) during full moon but the bizarre puzzle dosen't stop there. I have now discovered looking further into my notes that not only was I worst at full moon but I was increasingly worse day by day as the moon increased towards full moon and symptoms eased off as the moon decreased towards new moon. I found that generally my best day each month was either on or immediately before new moon and the day after new moon I begin having an increase in symptoms and anxiety towards a peak at full moon. It isn't just a subtle effect either... it is so profound that I can know exactly when full or new moon was simply by my symptoms. I just wish there could be a solid explanation as to why this is happening and what I can do to lessen my sensitivity to it.

BTW I am male and have thyroid issues. I wonder whether the moon has some sort of effect on the thyroid hormones and whether this is why I'm experiencing such a dramatic effect?

I'm interested to hear if anyone else has experienced similar thing.

 

[Plum]

Well, all I can say is that as a woman our menstrual cycle is governed by the moon. I therefore don't see why other things in the body wouldn't be affected as well.

If the tides are affected by the moon I would assume that the fluids and systems in our own body are affected by it too.

 

[Sushi]

JC87

I used to work in a hospital and often was on-call all night. The staff had observed that there were more medical emergencies on the day/night of the full moon. Maybe it was urban legend (I never heard any statistics), but it my experience this was also true.

Sushi

 

[Marianarchy]

@JC87

I read that symptoms of Lyme are worse during the full moon. Have you been tested for Lyme Disease?

 

[GracieJ]

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/hypersensitivity-to-full-moons.19697/

Here is another thread on the same topic. Enjoy!!

 

[sianrecovery]

Hi JAC87
me too, you are not alone. One reason I have heard suggested, for infections like protomyxzoa or some parasites is that they are more active at the time of the full moon. I have no idea if this is true.

 

[baccarat]

There are two possible explanations I can think of.
One, mentioned earlier, is parasites. The other one is supernatural and is linked to satanic rituals which tend to be celebrated around the fool moon, halloween and other specific times and which can have an effect on people who are under a curse, suffer from infestation or oppression by evil spirits etc.

 

[sianrecovery]

It was the doctor treating me for a protozoan infection that mentioned the full moon effect.

 

[sianrecovery]

good catch Hip - interesting. Full moon is a big one for me, everything intensifies. As I've just written elsewhere, a doc suggested to me that was partly do with parasites - already mentioned here - but there is definitely a 'for better' side for me as well - I feel more alive on a full moon.

Growl....

 

[Cindi]

It is said that body holds water during full moon times and fasting is good. If you can not fast,you might try veggie juicing.

 

[golden]

It is said that body holds water during full moon times and fasting is good. If you can not fast,you might try veggie juicing.

I will try this, thanks for the tip.

I am pleased to see so many other people have full moon sensitivities.


There is definately a raw type of energy to a full moon that will energise when well and grounded, can make me wired if ungrounded and will just drain me and put me asleep / crash...

I do love full moons though. Beautiful.

 

[golden]

Oh blinkin' 'eck I forgot to finish that sentence...

It puts me to sleep when relapsing

I havent quite got the pattern yet.

There are so many cycles its ridiculous...

At least 5 different sleep patterns I can think of...

The Full Moon Cycle

The 24 or even 25 hours a day cycle

The hormonal cycle

Changes in Season

Weather changes day to day

The three month cycle

And then on top of that we are supposed to monitor reactions to supplements and treatments too - when nothing else is keeping still!!!

I feel like I am on a Multi-Merry-Go-Round