Did you struggle to fall asleep on Sunday and Monday?
Perhaps you felt aggravated or were moody and couldn’t shrug off?
This could have been due to the supermoon that shined high above Squamish on Monday night.
Although it was a bit difficult to see between the clouds, the moon was 30 per cent brighter and 14 per cent larger than the average full moon. It was the closest the moon has come to the Earth in 69 years.
Any full moon, let alone a supermoon, is said to trigger emotions and extreme behaviour – known as the lunar effect.
“My kids didn’t sleep. They were up all night playing and arguing,” wrote one tired mom on Facebook.
“The smallest thing is setting my two-year-old off. This isn’t like her. It must be the supermoon,” said another mom, searching for an explanation for her toddler’s behaviour.
A midwife from the Lower Mainland wrote, “A full moon means I will be busy tonight! I expect lots of calls from my moms.”
She often delivers more babies on nights when a full moon lights up the sky.
And, according to legend, pets act wild and more people are admitted to the hospital when a full moon is out.
Some people say the movement of the moon affects us in a similar way that the gravitational pull controls the tides. As the water in our body shifts, it tips the balance in our minds.
So, according to this century-old theory, a full moon in the lunar cycle is related to lunacy and is the reason your kids or pets might not be able to sleep and why you may be feeling especially irritable or restless.
The lunar effect, however, has been refuted by several studies that found no correlation between lunar phases and births, deaths or violence. No significant changes in behaviour happen, according to these scientists. But still, many people are convinced there is a link and see the startling evidence in their families.
You won’t be able to see another supermoon until November 2034 when it passes overhead again but, in the meantime, watch for the next full moon on Dec. 13.
- Michaela Garstin
