I use a moon phase tracker on my phone app, and it's been really useful in solving the riddle of why my boys are acting up even more than usual.
Let's be honest, children, no matter what age, are challenging. The challenges change through their childhood, but the full moon exacerbates these, and it can be stressful, noisy, and incredibly hard work.
Arguments, shouting, short tempers, door slamming, stomping up the stairs, selective hearing, demands, winding each other up, even just breathing in the vicinity of one another, are all the joys of raising siblings, and these go into full throttle when the moon is shining her glorious full sphere down on us.
Something I'm keeping a track of is the full moon and J's 'episodes' of total unconsciousness, which last for up to 45 minutes at a time (they have increased in their duration the last couple of times). I'm interested to see if there is any link between the two. I've read that some people find their epileptic seizures increase at this time, so it's something to keep in mind, and hopefully I may see a clearer reason or pattern to what is happening to him. If you want to know more about these 'episodes', I've written about them here - A Scary Night - and will endeavour to write a full post over the next few weeks, to explain in depth what has been happening to my Boy for the last year. At the moment they are not being classed as epilepsy, as he doesn't 'fit', but they are affecting him quite badly, and he is under the care of a specialist (the person who has said he doesn't feel these 'episodes' are true epilepsy).
As the words 'lunacy' and 'lunatic' are derived from Luna, the ancient Roman Goddess of the Moon, it seems the full moon and her effects have been noted for a very, very long time. Perhaps ancient Roman parents also had to endure little Maximus and Octavius stamping their feet, arguing over who gets to hold the broken stick, moaning about their supper, and complaining that Argentia has more chicken on her plate than they do.
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| Luna, Roman Goddess of the Moon |
Whilst the scientific jury disagrees with a lot of the beliefs surrounding the moon and her effects on humans and animals, there are a lot of people who disagree. There have been many studies carried out, and some conclude there are no significantly higher accident rates during this time ( emergency room intake statistics ), whereas other Doctors who work in psychiatric units have noted an increase in erratic behaviours amongst their in-patients at this time.
There have been sleep studies, where volunteers were not told the reason for their participation, and could not see, nor where made aware of a full moon, and their sleep pattern and sleep cycles were assessed before, during and after. One study (Current Biology) noted the participants (during the full moon) took longer to fall asleep, had 30% less NREM (non rapid eye movement - deep sleep), and overall had 20 minutes less sleep.
It is an interesting topic of discussion, and one that will not be conclusively decided for a long time. I am in the 'believers' camp, as I see what it does to my children, and other people around me - even my mood is altered, but that could be put down to having to play referee to warring children, and ensuring that each one has a turn holding the broken metal handle from the garden broom ( yes they really can argue about such absurd things!)
It is interesting talking to other parents about this, as some see a pattern, and some don't.
Whatever the truth is, the moon is a fascinating natural satellite for Earth, and humans have been intrigued by her beauty and mystique ever since we first looked up to the night sky.
