LUNAR CYCLE ︎︎︎ MENSTRUAL CYCLE
We found a relationship between the menstrual cycle and lunar cycle and a link between the menstrual cycle to women’s subjective sleep quality.
Inspirations
How the macro environment and human sleep mutually affects one another?
︎“I really couldn’t get to sleep the other night, I think it had something to do with the super blood moon being out.” (Focus group participant)
Literature Reviews
︎ Healthy young women, with biphasic body temperature rhythms of ovulatory menstrual cycles, have more stage 2 sleep(middle NREM), higher spindle frequency activity and less rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep when progesterone predominates in the luteal phase. (Driver, H.S. and Baker, F.C., 1998.)
︎A synchronous relationship between the menstrual cycle and lunar rhythm was confirmed by (Law, 1986)
︎Investigative data
︎Laboratory findings
︎Clinical experience
︎ Healthy young women, with biphasic body temperature rhythms of ovulatory menstrual cycles, have more stage 2 sleep(middle NREM), higher spindle frequency activity and less rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep when progesterone predominates in the luteal phase. (Driver, H.S. and Baker, F.C., 1998.)
︎A synchronous relationship between the menstrual cycle and lunar rhythm was confirmed by (Law, 1986)
︎Investigative data
︎Laboratory findings
︎Clinical experience
MENSTRUAL CYCLE ︎︎︎ SOCIETY
Literature Reviews
︎Both women and men rated menstruating women as less “energized” and “sexy,” but more “irritable,”“sad,” and “angry.” In addition, men rated her as less “clean and fresh,”“nurturing,” and “reasonable,” and more “spacey” and “annoying.” Significant relationships were found between negative impressions of the menstruating woman and the Hostile Sexism Scale (Glick & Fiske, 1996).
︎Couples to practice informal avoidance during a woman's menstrual period or for men to be privately disgusted. (Young, Bacdayan, 1965)
︎“Participants responded to the reminder of menstruation with increased objectification of women in general” - (Roberts et al., 2002)
︎Both women and men rated menstruating women as less “energized” and “sexy,” but more “irritable,”“sad,” and “angry.” In addition, men rated her as less “clean and fresh,”“nurturing,” and “reasonable,” and more “spacey” and “annoying.” Significant relationships were found between negative impressions of the menstruating woman and the Hostile Sexism Scale (Glick & Fiske, 1996).
︎Couples to practice informal avoidance during a woman's menstrual period or for men to be privately disgusted. (Young, Bacdayan, 1965)
︎“Participants responded to the reminder of menstruation with increased objectification of women in general” - (Roberts et al., 2002)
INTERVIEWS
We conducted some interviews with a few younger-aged women, and they all mentioned their sleep could be affected by menstruation in certain degrees. For example, a painkiller and comfortable clothing are significant factors in helping sleep during menstruation. In addition to the interview, we also invited participants to help us to do their menstrual sleep dairies.
“We are all in the same bloody boat.”
We also found participants didn’t find the idea of sharing their menstruation experience with other women helpful. However, they found sharing with their male friends or others more impactful to understand how drastically menstruation affects not just sleeping but also many avenues of life.
