The Tamesis
What experts say
Although Artemis 2 reported exceptional sleep, astronauts often report sleep deprivation and excessive daytime fatigue. A study led by Dr. Laura Barger monitored astronauts during space missions and found that although astronauts slept an average of 7.35 hours, their average sleep duration was only about 5.96 hours. The same study also showed that 78% of crew members reported taking sleep-promoting drugs during spaceflight.
As they try to capture those alien ZZZs, they’ll encounter some obstacles: circadian rhythms can be disrupted (they experience up to 16 sunrises and sunsets per day!), and artificial lighting can be disorienting. The lack of gravity also affects the natural temperature regulation necessary for deep sleep.
Dr. Lara Aillon-Sohl, a psychiatrist and sleep expert at Headspace, explains: “While supporting your limbs to simulate weightlessness can certainly relieve stress on your lower back and help open your airways, as a human on Earth, you’re more concerned with your body clock than your body’s ‘height.'” Dr. Aillon-Sohl outlines that the “real magic” happens when you respect your circadian rhythm by maintaining a disciplined, consistent approach. sleep time. She also recommends preparing the body with a hot shower to prompt a rapid drop in core temperature.
Astronauts also have to get into specially designed compact sleeping bags with firm mattresses that effectively tuck themselves in and prevent them from floating. It may take some time, but after a while, they’ll figure out how to get comfortable and fall asleep quickly. “To truly optimize your rest, you have to train yourself to think of your bedroom as a cool, dark, and quiet sanctuary rather than a place to roll around,” says Dr. Aron-Saul. “Ultimately, the ‘best’ position is the one that keeps you still, but a strict sleep routine—more than just a pillow under your knees—is what guarantees a restorative night.”
In microgravity, there is no up or down: so astronauts can choose to sleep in any comfortable orientation—bat or otherwise. “We change about 80 different positions during the night, but we spend most of our time in one of three positions: sleeping on our stomach, back, or side,” explains Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a sleep specialist at Oura Ring and a sleep scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Robbins says sleeping on your side is more common than sleeping on your back or stomach, but it’s possible to change your position. “If you want to sleep on your side instead of your back, you can buy a variety of devices designed to make that happen, from pillows to wearables,” says Dr. Robbins. A cost-effective home remedy is to put a tennis ball in a fanny pack and rotate the fanny pack onto your back so that you are on one side. “When we sleep in our preferred sleeping position, we do fall asleep and stay asleep better,” adds Dr. Robbins.
