How the moon's monthly cycle changes sleep and the body clock
Regulation of Circadian Rhythms and Sleep by The Lunar Month
This project compares sleep timing and internal body-clock patterns in people living in rural and urban communities across different phases of the moon.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11399648 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You may be asked to wear a sleep monitor for several weeks while researchers track your sleep and daily activity across the moon cycle. Some participants from Toba/Qom communities will have field recordings done where they live, and a subset may come to a sleep lab for overnight testing and physiological measurements like body temperature or hormone levels. The team will compare nights before and after the full moon to see which aspects of sleep or the circadian clock change. Study visits may include short questionnaires, sample collection, and scheduled lab stays.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults willing to wear sleep tracking devices, attend short study visits or overnight sleep-lab sessions, and include community members from the Toba/Qom population as well as urban volunteers.
Not a fit: People with severe, unmanaged sleep disorders or medical conditions that prevent participating in monitoring or lab visits may not gain direct benefit from joining this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help explain natural influences on sleep timing and lead to better advice or timing of treatments to improve sleep for affected people.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work, including from this team, has observed moon-phase changes in sleep timing, but the physiological mechanisms remain novel and under study.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: De la Iglesia, Horacio O — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: De la Iglesia, Horacio O
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.