Sleep in space

An astronaut asleep in the microgravity of Earth orbit-continual free-fall around the earth, inside the pressurized module Harmony node of the International Space Station in 2007

Sleeping in space requires that travelers sleep in a crew cabin, a small room about the size of a shower stall. They lie in a sleeping bag which is strapped to the wall. Astronauts have reported having nightmares, dreams, and snoring while sleeping in space.

Sleeping and crew accommodations need to be well ventilated; otherwise, astronauts can wake up oxygen-deprived and gasping for air, because a bubble of their own exhaled carbon dioxide had formed around their heads. Brain cells are extremely sensitive to a lack of oxygen and brain cells can start dying less than 5 minutes after their oxygen supply disappears; the result is that brain hypoxia can rapidly cause severe brain damage or even death. A decrease of oxygen to the brain can can cause dementia and brain damage, as well as a host of other symptoms.

In the early 21st century, crew on the ISS were said to average about six hours of sleep per day.

See also

• Mir#Sleeping in space

Sources

• http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/living-sleeping.asp
• http://science.howstuffworks.com/sleep-in-space.htm
• http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/02/what-its-like-for-astronauts-to-sleep-in-space/273146/
• http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/experiment/exper.aspx?exp_index=848
• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/science/hls/neuro/sc-hls-sleep.htm

External links

• NASA - Sleeping in Space
• The Atlantic - What It's Like for Astronauts to Sleep in Space - February 2013