Full moon effect on autistic individuals.

[Ferdinand94]

I tend to avoid introducing this subject when discussing sensory overload with others. I fear I might come out like one of those people who centers their judgement in spirituality, or that I'm doing my best to attract attention and therefore I'm babbling nonsense. However, I believe this to be true, even if it doesn't apply to every single human being on this planet, or maybe it does but not everyone's perceptive enough.

The first time I suspected the moon was the culprit of my overactive nervous system at the peak of its cycle, I dismissed the possibility when I convinced myself it was nothing more than absurd. ''Full moon? Pfff! Oh please! You must be reading too much fiction'' or so I thought.
The next four cycles proved me wrong. I never look up nor I stargaze. I wasn't keeping track of the moon, yet I couldn't help but notice that those couple days of the month when I'm especially anxious/aggressive/restless/sensitive and I step outside for some much needed fresh air before I loose it and flip the house upside down (no, I wasn't on my period), the moon was always full.

If you need a more accurate comparison, imagine you function with two AA batteries, but someone decided to plug you into an outlet.

Anyway, I needed to make sure this was a real thing, so I googled and found a few inconclusive researches on the matter, but there were also testimonies of individuals on the spectrum (NT's as well) who claimed they could feel the ''effects of the full moon'' in their bodies, and also people who witnessed atypical behavior in their loved ones, staff working in psychiatric wards, and even paramedics during their night shift. This one woman caught my attention:Full Moon and Autism: Is There a Connection? | Perfectly Quirky: Raising an Autistic Son maybe you'll find her story interesting.


Please do comment. Does it happen to you?

 

[wyverary]

Well, as you already mentioned, the science on this is rather shaky...

HOWEVER...speaking as someone who does live in the woods, away from city lights, and who pretty much has a full view of the moon in all of its variant stages...I do believe, rather strongly, that is has an effect on me. Full moon? Can't sleep and I am restless the entire time. New moon, and I do alright. This, of course, could have a lot to do with my Seasonal Affective Disorder, and my sensitivity to light.

 

[Ereth]

I have no time for pseudoscience.

 

[Ste11aeres]

Why shouldn't there be a connection?
Because full moons have been featured in silly stuff such as werewolf stories, people assume any reference to a full moon is on that same level, but maybe that's not what you mean. Maybe a full moon is part of the weather, just like sunlight is part of the weather.
People accept that sunny days vs cloudy days affect people's mood.
People accept that in cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder someone's mood is affected by the decreased sunlight in winter months. If people are affected by these types of weather events, couldn't they be affected by moon "weather"?

Also...
Phased Out: Human Sleep Patterns Linked to Full Moon - Scientific American

 

[AsheSkyler]

There are some very simple truths behind full moon affecting people. Many people have to have a dark room to sleep, and a full moon disrupts that if they have a window, so there's insomnia, poor sleep, ensuing irritability, etc., and therefore sleep best during new moons. I also back the "seasonal affective disorder" on a large and small scale since sunlight is so key in regulating the moods of some people. And of course everybody has a bio rhythm. Some are long, some are short, some happen to match perfectly with moon cycles. Mine are tied more directly to the weather. Humidity up, me grumpy. Humidity down, me happy. Humidity up and temperature at an extreme, me monster! And I don't know which is worse, 90 degrees at 80% humidity, or 20 degrees at 80% humidity! Both are so painful...
As far as I know, the full moon doesn't bother my moods beyond whatever appreciation I feel when I look up and see that it's there. Some nights I just want to look at stars (made difficult by "light pollution" from city lights), some nights I just want to admire the moon.

 

[Nitro]

I honestly think nature has a profound effect on all living creatures...I would not rule it out...my experience running a drinking club at one point kind of proved this out with the increased amount of fighting and destruction involved during full moon events...I can sense the full moon myself with my own restlessness and odd behavior during that time

 

[icesyckel]

I agree with Ereth - this seems about as valid as phrenology.

EDIT: However, if there is any compelling proof, then I am all "ears."

 

[Daniela]

well the moon cycles as its influences on the sea on the day rabbits give birth (its allways on a specific phase of the moon but i forgot wich one ...I know this stuff becouse I have rabbits XD ) and I think it did do something on women...
So yeah why not on people on the spectrum?

 

[AsheSkyler]

I've heard that a long time ago some tribal ladies passed down to their daughters that they should hide themselves away during the new moon to cleanse and then be robust during the full moon. I want to say that without 24/7 lighting like we have, women were on a more constant 28 day run, and probably started each new cycle with the full moon for that one culture. It was in interesting discussion, but being verbal, I have trouble remembering some specifics.

 

[Cali Cat]

I have noticed what seem like ill effects on the full moon. Hard to sleep, restless, lacking concentration, can't think straight, more grumpy than usual. However, I can't say it happens with every full moon, so I have no idea whether it's a bunch of baloney, or if some moon cycles are possibly stronger than others and produce a stronger influence on physical rhythms. I do know there was a total eclipse of the Blood Moon last night (or rather early this morning), and my whole day so far has been hellish. I'm not in good form at all ... totally out of it, forgetting important things, just trashed. However, that could be coincidence too. Interesting idea though.

 

[AsheSkyler]

I missed a lunar eclipse!? I could cry...

 

[Ste11aeres]

On evenings when I am having a difficult time, if there is a full moon, I like to go outside and look at it. It's beauty gives me peace and a gentle joy.

 

[Harrison]

I love the Moon, having spent most of my life away from cities, and working at night, she has been a wonderful companion.

Does the Moon affect me?

Yes, in the same way art or music affects me, or the grace of a beautiful soul, the Moon affects me because it exists as part of the 'romance' of life.

 

[Ereth]

I've heard that a long time ago some tribal ladies passed down to their daughters that they should hide themselves away during the new moon to cleanse and then be robust during the full moon. I want to say that without 24/7 lighting like we have, women were on a more constant 28 day run, and probably started each new cycle with the full moon for that one culture. It was in interesting discussion, but being verbal, I have trouble remembering some specifics.

Do you remember which tribe? This reminds me of how in the Bible, it's stated that women are "unclean" during their cycles and after childbirth for a period of time. Other cultures believed the same.

And in many faiths/traditions, it's thought that menstrual blood weakens a man's sexual power, so having sex with a woman during her cycle is forbidden.

(I realize my first reply to this topic sounded a bit hostile and ethnocentric. I apologize for that, and should have elaborated. Scientifically, I am skeptical, but from a cultural standpoint, I'm interested in learning how other people thought/think and why. I guess I was a bit grumpy yesterday.)

 

[Ferdinand94]

(I realize my first reply to this topic sounded a bit hostile and ethnocentric. I apologize for that, and should have elaborated. Scientifically, I am skeptical, but from a cultural standpoint, I'm interested in learning how other people thought/think and why. I guess I was a bit grumpy yesterday.)

It's perfectly fine. Hope you're feeling better today.

 

[Jimbo]

My Mom who is also an aspie has always gotten pretty crazy when the moon was full. It seems to affect her temperament quite a bit. I have never really paid much attention to myself, but will try to observe my own moods now during the moons cycles. Like was mentioned above. If the moons gravity is strong enough to change the oceans tides, I guess it could shift something in the brain.

 

[Sander]

Depends for me, sometimes I am restless and hyper sometimes it doesn't affect me.
I actually have quite an interesting theory about it. As the moon affects the sea, why wouldn't it affect all other fluids too? So blood would be affected too. Meaning that when you have a high tide at full moon, there would be more blood in your brain too. This making that you behave and react different than normal because of the higher amount of blood in your brain.

That's just my theory about it, it might as well make no sense, as I am not some highly educated professor.

 

[AsheSkyler]

Do you remember which tribe? This reminds me of how in the Bible, it's stated that women are "unclean" during their cycles and after childbirth for a period of time. Other cultures believed the same.

And in many faiths/traditions, it's thought that menstrual blood weakens a man's sexual power, so having sex with a woman during her cycle is forbidden.

(I realize my first reply to this topic sounded a bit hostile and ethnocentric. I apologize for that, and should have elaborated. Scientifically, I am skeptical, but from a cultural standpoint, I'm interested in learning how other people thought/think and why. I guess I was a bit grumpy yesterday.)

It didn't sound racist or anything to me in the least. I love studying cultures, so it's no different to me than if you asked if somebody was wearing shorts or pants. =)

I really wish I could remember what tribe! They were Native American, that's all I can remember. And I want to say the attitude from that conversation was less about women being dangerous so much as a nod/wink from mother to daughter on the best way to snag a mate and be at peace with herself. Kind of a yin-yang or nature type of balance.

 

[JohnH]

I have never noticed any particular effects from the phase of the moon. In my current life I am generally oblivious to it. In a former occupation I was outside a lot at night so I'd notice, but again, no direct effect on me nor did I notice it causing a general change in human behavior. I was a cop working uniformed patrol, and frequently worked the late night shifts. There were the jokes about "full moon" when there were unusual calls, but we also had spates of weird calls unrelated to the moon (random occurrences sometimes clump together, it's the nature of randomness).

And those times someone would mention it, usually meant you could see the full moon. Which meant the weather was clear, and with a full moon it's brighter outside at night. The combo would tend to mean a few more people out and about late at night, and that spells a bit higher than normal police calls.

I had also worked in an ER that was the only hospital that would accept emergency psychiatric commitments at nights and weekends in a major city. Also, no real statistical correlation to committals vs. full moon.

There have been many studies on whether phases of the moon affect human behavior, and the statistical analysis generally shows no correlation. Some good info here:
lunar effects (full moon) The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com

 

[Ste11aeres]

Some people think humans simply evolved to behave differently during a full moon; I read somewhere a speculation that nocturnal hunting animals are more active during a full moon, and as a result, our ancestors evolved to be more alert and active during such times.