Is Mercury Retrograde Keeping You Awake at Night? Experts Reveal All…
Mercury is currently in retrograde until the 20th March. During this time, people believe it can affect technology, relationships and even our sleep!
Mercury retrograde: one of the most discussed celestial events and often blamed as the cause of technological mishaps and disrupted sleep patterns. Handy excuse or real phenomenon? Ahead of World Sleep Day on 13 March – and with a current Mercury retrograde in progress until 20 March – it’s time to settle the debate: are these disruptions truly written in the stars, or are they fuelled by our own cosmic anxiety?
To separate myth from reality, luxury Lake District hotel, Armathwaite Hall Hotel and Spa, sat down with astrologer Ryan Hunt to explore what Mercury retrograde actually entails. Board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and sleep expert Dr. Lori Bohn is also here, with practical strategies to protect your peace and reclaim your rest, no matter what the planets are doing.
What is Mercury retrograde?
“Mercury retrograde occurs when Mercury appears to move backward through the zodiac. All planets go retrograde at some point, but Mercury and Venus, the inner planets, do so more frequently,” says Ryan Hunt.
“To understand it, you have to know that two motions are happening in the sky at the same time: the daily east-to-west movement created by Earth’s rotation and the slower west-to-east journey of the planets through the zodiac. These motions coexist, giving the illusion of backward motion.”
Does Mercury retrograde actually affect sleep?
“In astrology, the primary influence on sleep is the Moon, not Mercury,” Hunt says. “When the Moon is full, people tend to sleep less and more restlessly. When the Moon is dark, they sleep more deeply.
“Mercury retrograde,” he explains, “doesn’t directly impact sleep on its own. But it does interact with sleep when it coincides with lunar activity. You see the most noticeable effects when Mercury retrograde coincides closely with the Moon’s phase.
“Mercury retrograde often aligns with darker moon phases, which lean toward rest. So counterintuitively, these periods can sometimes be associated with better sleep, provided the Moon isn’t simultaneously full or near-full.
“However, World Sleep Day falls during a waxing gibbous. The combination of this with Mercury retrograde would point toward more disrupted sleep for many around that date,” adds Hunt.
Expert tips for better sleep during Mercury retrograde
Dr. Bohn explains that anticipation often disrupts rest. “When people anticipate chaos during Mercury retrograde, stress levels rise and cortisol can remain elevated,” she says. “That heightened cognitive and physiological arousal is what interferes with sleep quality.” Essentially, the anxiety surrounding the event creates the very restlessness people fear.
To counter this, Dr. Bohn recommends these expert-backed strategies:
- Regulate Your Rhythm: “Going to bed and waking up at the same time helps regulate the circadian rhythm.” She suggests “a 60–90-minute wind-down: dim lights, switch off notifications and avoid stressful scrolling.”
- Physical Relaxation: “Activities like a warm shower or slow breathing activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation.”
- Contain Your Worries: “Write down worries two hours before bed and note a small next step for each. This signals to the brain that problems are contained, reducing nighttime rumination.”
- Optimise Your Environment: “Limit caffeine after 1pm and keep your bedroom cool (ideally 16–19°C). Reserve the bed strictly for sleep and intimacy, to strengthen that mental association with rest.”
Beyond consistent bedtimes and screen limits, taking intentional time to decompress is key. Whether it’s a nature walk, practising self-care rituals or a restorative change of scenery, taking time to relax helps reinforce the ‘off’ switch required for quality sleep.
The key takeaway? Mercury retrograde may not be the force disrupting your sleep but the stress surrounding it could be. Paying attention to how you wind down, during this astrological period and beyond, could make all the difference.
Written by Millie Bradbury
