I've noticed that 'electron fluxes' affect the quality of my sleep.
You are certainly not alone. Elizzza, I correspond with people world wide, and they give me the same feedback once they become aware of space weather. Sleep disturbances are ofter their main complaints. Everybody's brain signature is different of course, and some may not be affected. That's why a process of elimination is beneficial. People with seizure disorders have a lower sensitivity threshold. Those who don't have a lower threshold can still be affected, but often happens without their awareness.
Sunspots are huge solar eruptions. Ultra-violet radiation, electromagnetic waves, and electrically charged particles are ejected out into the solar system, and if it is geoeffective (earth directed), can reach the earth within a day or two. When the earth is targeted, (especially worse on a global scale), it causes a disturbance in the geomagnetic fields in the form of magnetic storms, aura borealis, fluctuations in atmospheric pressure and electricity. It also increases the number of thunderstorms, cyclones, earthquakes & volcanoes.
According to SWPC & NOAA, Geomagnetic storms are a natural hazard, like hurricanes and tsunamis, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration & Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts for the public's benefit. Severe geomagnetic storms cause communications problems, abruptly increase drag on spacecraft, and can cause electric utility blackouts over a wide area.
"Hard” X-rays highly energetic ones with very short wavelengths, cause enhanced electrical conductivity in the upper atmosphere and related changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. Reports received at NOAA’s Boulder laboratories indicated that, at certain times during the storms, large percentages of homing pigeons failed to return home; those that did make it back
were often frightened and disoriented.
Some studies:
Admissions of patients with epileptic seizures (E) and dizziness (D) related to geomagnetic and solar activity levels: differences in female and male patients.
Admissions of 762 patients for epileptic seizures and 1553 for dizziness were studied for the connection with the level of monthly and yearly solar activity in the 11-year solar cycle and with four levels of daily geomagnetic activity levels (400 epileptic patients and 802 patients suffering with dizziness). The most significant differences of the studied groups were in the male/female ratio in different conditions of solar and geomagnetic activity. Changes in the group of epileptic patients were accompanied by similar, but adverse changes in the group suffering from dizziness. Different conditions of responses of females and males to environmental changes can explain the demonstrated results.
PMID:
1809861
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Sudden cardiac death and geomagnetic activity: links to age, gender and agony time.
The daily number of SCD was significantly different for most of the compared groups at lowest and higher GMA levels. For all SCD, both at age <65 and at >65, the frequency was significantly higher on days of IIo-IVo GMA than on days of Io GMA (p=0.00067-0.03). A strong trend for more SCD on days of Io GMA was seen in males aged <65 who died within 1 h (p=0.06); females aged <65 who died within >1 h to 24 h (p=0.06), and females >65 who died within 1 h (p=0.0267). Females below the age of 65 who died in less than 1 h showed a trend toward higher SCD frequency at IIo-IVo GMA that did not achieve significance (p=0.057).
CONCLUSIONS:
The distribution of SCD, with short (< or =1h) and longer (1-24 h) time of death, on days of lowest (Io) GMA differs from that on days of unsettled, active, or stormy (IIo-IVo) GMA. Despite the general trend to higher SCD frequency at IIo-IVo GMA, certain rapidly dying groups (< 65 y males, > 65 y females) showed a strong trend toward higher numbers of SCD at the lowest GMA.
PMID:
12099401
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Elevations of complex partial epileptic-like experiences during increased geomagnetic activity for women reporting "premenstrual syndrome".
Department of Psychology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
Responses to the frequency of complex partial epileptic-like experiences were recorded every second day by 12 women for at least two months per individual. Five (41%) of the women displayed significant increases (effect sizes between 6% and 17%) in the numbers of these experiences when the daily geomagnetic activity exceeded 40 nT. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that a spectrum of experiences and behaviors, associated with limbic lability, can be enhanced by environmental stimuli correlated with perturbations of the geomagnetic field.
PMID:
9530740
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Geomagnetic activity and enhanced mortality in rats with acute (epileptic) limbic lability.
Presumably unrelated behaviors (e.g. psychiatric admissions, seizures, heart failures) have been correlated with increased global geomagnetic activity. We have suggested that all of these behaviors share a common source of variance. They are evoked by transient, dopamine-mediated paroxysmal electrical patterns that are generated within the amygdala and the hippocampus of the temporal lobes. Both the probability and the propagation of these discharges to distal brain regions are facilitated when nocturnal melatonin levels are suppressed by increased geomagnetic activity. In support of this hypothesis, the present study demonstrated a significant correlation of Pearson r = 0.60 between mortality during the critical 4-day period that followed induction of limbic seizures in rats and the ambient geomagnetic activity during the 3 to 4 days that preceded death; the risk increased when the 24 h geomagnetic indices exceeded 20 nT for more than 1 to 2 days.
PMID:
1428225
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLIN
Convulsive threshold in humans and rats and magnetic field changes: observations during total solar eclipse.
Convulsive thresholds were measured in 26 psychiatric patients who were receiving electroconvulsive treatment, and in 8 rats subjects to electroconvulsive shocks, during the recent the recent total solar eclipse day (February 16th, 1980) and on control days. Our results showed that there was a significant reduction in the convulsive thresholds of both humans and rats at the time of solar eclipse, probably occurring due to the observed geomagnetic field variation of 19 Gammas.
PMID:
7231811
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Correlation between convulsive seizure and geomagnetic activity.
The annual percentage of patients with convulsive seizure in the Neurological Department of the Bangur Institute of Neurology, Calcutta, is found to be significantly correlated with the annual values of sunspot numbers and geomagnetic activity indices for the period 1955--1971. For a particular geomagnetic activity index the correlation coefficient is significant at a 99% confidence level. The study shows that a proper choice of elements in the series is important in studies undertaken to establish the biological effects of solar activity.
PMID:
7254715
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Sources:
swpc.noaa.gov/ace/
vaildaily.com/article/20070714/LETTER/70713019
pubmed.gov