A summer solstice full moon occurs only on occasion — in certain time zones — and it happened on Monday night for the first time since 1948. Also dubbed the strawberry moon, this infrequent lunar activity can have a number of effects on your body.
What is the strawberry moon? It’s when, during the June solstice, the sun reaches its northernmost position in the sky leading to the longest day of the year, coinciding with a full moon later that evening.
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June's full moon is given the name strawberry moon because it appears at the peak of strawberry season. Algonquin nations used it as a signal to start harvesting the fruit.
But the presence of the solstice full moon has been known to have other effects, too.
According to a 2013 study published in the journal Current Biology, researchers found that on nights where there was a full moon, people had lower levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. In addition to sleeping 20 fewer minutes overall, brain activity related to deep sleep also declined by 30 percent.
There may also be a link to the lunar cycle and a woman's menstrual cycle. In a 2011 study in the journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, it was found that some women's periods may be synced to the full moon. Of the 826 women who participated in the study, 30 percent had their period during the full moon.
The full moon may even have an effect on surgical outcomes. According to a study conducted in 2013 at Rhode Island Hospital, people who had emergency heart surgery during a full moon were less likely to die. They also spent, on average, four fewer days in the hospital than patients who had the same surgery during the two other moon phases.