I’m a sleep guru – here’s how TONIGHT’S strawberry moon will disrupt your sleep

ONE of the biggest lunar events of the year will see the skies lit up by the strawberry super moon tonight.

This moon can appear around seven per cent bigger than the usual moon and 15 per cent brighter.

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But one expert has warned that a change in the moon could disrupt your sleep cycle.

Theresa Schnorbach, sleep expert at Emma Sleep said through each of its phases, the moon reflects more light meaning that, at its fullest, getting the right amount of quality sleep can be tricky.

Research by the company found that 23 per cent of people recognise that the quality of their snooze is linked to to the lunar cycle.

For many, this means disrupted slumber in the days leading up to the event.

Around one in five people said that a change in the moon has resulted in poorer sleep quality.

Theresa explained: “Our circadian rhythm – or ‘body clock’ – is a central circuit that is sensitive to light.

“Called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, it controls the production of the hormones that support us when we sleep and when we wake.

“One of these is melatonin which is also known as the sleep-inducing hormone and is essential in helping us to fall asleep easily at night.”

The sleep guru added that the levels of bright light reflected by the moon are at their highest during the full stage of it’s cycle.

“It is this light that impedes melatonin production. These brighter levels of light also increase levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which keeps us awake during the day,” she added.

Theresa said that there are three key ways you can reduce the impact of the strawberry moon on your sleep.

1. Red light

Emma Sleep’s research found around a fifth of people said that they were negatively impacted by the light of the full moon.

Theresa said that blackout blinds or curtains are a simple way to block this light but you can also support sleep with red light bulbs.

A study in 2012 showed the effectiveness of the red light therapy exposure in increasing melatonin levels and boosting the quality of sleep.

2. Blue light

While switching to red light bulbs might help – you might want to avoid tech before bed due to the blue light, Theresa said.

The artificial blue light from screens such as TVs, laptops and phones etc. will stimulate your brain much light the light of the full moon and keep you awake, she explained.

“Many devices now allow you to set ‘night-shift mode’ and I would recommend setting this for at least a good few hours before your bedtime to minimise the blue light emitted from the screen,” she added.

3. Keep it cool

In order to wind down for bed and get a good night’s sleep, our bodies also need to do a bit of cooling off.

Theresa said that this full moon – also known as the strawberry moon – is likely to be a warm one and the last one before the nights start getting shorter again.

“With warm, summer evenings you might be tempted to push your dinner to later, however, this will mean your body is still trying to digest food which can impede sleep.

“To keep cool, you can also try splashing cold water or placing wet cloths on pulse points – spots where your blood flows closest to the surface of the skin so this means your wrists, the sides of your neck or between your legs,” she advised.