How can light & the moon affect your cycle?

Traditionally speaking, women would be ‘in sync’ with the lunar cycle due to the change in light. Before the invention of lights, when there was a full moon, there would obviously be more light at night, and then when there was a new moon is would be virtually pitch black at night. Now whilst I believe (and have read somewhere but now can’t find it again) that the moon has magical powers and affects us in more ways than one, I’m presenting you with the science today of how light affects our cycles and how the moon affects us (limited research has been done because it is so complex). Melatonin is the hormone that we make as bedtime gets closer and as our body works as a whole, when one thing is off, it can throw everything off. Melatonin is a vital part of your endocrine (hormonal) system and affects ovulation and thus estrogen and progesterone. When you are exposed to light at night, this can stop your pineal gland from making melatonin. This will throw off your body’s rhythmic activities from sleep, to appetite and even the onset of puberty. Without darkness, this hormone cannot be produced (unless of course you pop some drugs – pls don’t). Your hypothalamus is also affected my melatonin and this regulates your blood pressure, emotions, temperature and your whole endocrine system. It stimulates the thyroid, adrenals and ovaries to secrete their given hormones but without melatonin, this process can be disrupted. It has even been stated that the ovaries and testicles are thought to contain melatonin receptors. E.M Dewan found that women can regulate their cycles by sleeping in complete darkness on days 1-13 of their cycle, sleeping with a 100 watt bulb on all night (under a lampshade in their bedroom) for days 14-17 and then returning to sleeping in complete darkness until your period starts again. Light cycling can also help in the following ways:

• Having ovulatory cycles if you have an anovulatory cycle
• Getting healthy cervical fluid<
• Short cycles becoming longer (27-31)
• FSH levels becoming healthy
• Spotting is reduced
• Increase progesterone
• Sustained pregnancy if you have a history of miscarriage.

When it comes to the moon – clearly there is a link between melatonin production and the phases of the cycle, but with our modern life, can the moon still play a role in our cycle? Short answer: hells yes!! Animal studies have shown that the lunar cycle can affect hormonal changes in insects and in fish, the lunar cycle influences reproduction and involves the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In birds, the daily variations in melatonin production and corticosterone go away during the days of a full moon. It is said that the release of neurohormones may be triggered by the electromagnetic radiation and/or gravitational pull of the moon. HOW AMAZING IS THAT?! We are influenced by electromagnetic waves and gravitational force. The moon is the nearest celestial object to the earth and it affects all living beings more than any other planet. It is clear that the moon has an effect on the tides of the ocean, and as the moon affects the water, it also affects the liquids inside the human body such as blood and secretions of glands as we are composed of 70% water. Additionally, the heart pulse of females is significantly affected when it is measured during the days of the full moon due to the electromagnetic waves that are emitted from the full moon. It’s a little frustrating that I haven’t been able to find any science (as yet) about how exactly the moon affects each cell in our body, but what I have found so far continues to show me how fricken amazing the female body is and our cycle. It’s another reason why I want to keep helping women to fall in love with being a woman because this shit is amazing!! So, if you are struggling with anything period related or just want to learn more, please email me and we can book you in for a 1:1 appointment with me so you can change your life forever! Marieb, Elaine N., Human Anatomy and Physiology, 4th Edition, Addison Wesley Longman, 1998. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17601857 https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/109528 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2243890 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16407788 http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jsr/article/viewFile/4839/4134 http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jsr/article/viewFile/4839/4134