Astronaut Sleep Deprivation Study

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Study Compiles Data on Problem of Sleep Deprivation in Astronauts

After a long, hard day, who doesn't long for the comfort of a soft mattress and the embrace of a good night's sleep? Still, for many people, a full-night's rest is a rather elusive thing. Factors ranging from stress to competing priorities often prevent us from going to bed early enough to get the proper amount of sleep we need. This reality also is true for astronauts living and working in space, and some of them have trouble sleeping in space.

Rest is a fundamental necessity for most species, and humans are no different. As NASA prepares to send humans farther into space than ever before, we need to understand fully the impacts of long-duration spaceflight on our astronauts, including the health, performance and behavioral challenges they will face along the journey. Understanding the effects of spaceflight on sleep is critical to ensuring crew members are appropriately rested, alert and focused on their missions as they explore asteroids and eventually Mars. Gaining this insight is just one of the myriad reasons humans have been living and working in space for more than 13 years aboard the International Space Station.

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