Study Finds That Astronauts Are Severely Sleep Deprived

sciencehabit (1205606) writes "Researchers tracked the sleep patterns of 85 crew members aboard the International Space Station and space shuttle and found that despite an official flight schedule mandating 8.5 hours of sleep per night, they rarely got more than five. In fact, getting a full night's rest was so difficult that three-quarters of shuttle mission crew members used sleep medication, and sometimes entire teams were sedated on the same night. Given that sleep deprivation contributes to up to 80% of aviation accidents, it's important to better understand why sleep is so difficult in space, the authors say."

Re:how dark can it be on the ISS?

[Pliny]

With the exception of the cosmic rays shooting through their eyes....

Re:Would YOU be able to sleep in space??

[sillybilly]

Yeah lack space creates lack of privacy and allows for no masturbation, or quick and easy disposal of the expelled material, so it's not done for months, or for the entire length of the mission, unless maybe for females, that can use covert techniques like pedaling an old sewing machine and holding their thighs tight in just the right way, and then it can get addictive. But for both It's easy to go for months and months without orgasms if you have to, such as a serious business space station situation - though you might get wet dreams if you're near 14-21 as a male, though not when much older, say over 35, spontaneously if you don't masturbate for like 2-3 months, and they are a big mess to wake up to, even though you feel like you never wanted to leave the dream it was so freaking awesome, like why can't I have more dreams like that, til you wake up and realize maybe that would not be a good idea. Lack of space, and congestion, above all, is the biggest stress factor in outer space, because of the very small size of the space modules. It's expensive to get a spacious auditorium that echoes, or mansion up there, at least from Earth, though it may be a lot cheaper from Moon based materials. When I was asked in first grade what I wanna become when I grow up, I said astronaut. But I changed my mind since then, and I'd be happy living like Immanuel Kant, who never left his home town or traveled anywhere, but he still lived a happy life, and entertained guests from all over the world, so it's like he took mental trips with them. That's what media today is, I can watch a jungle video, or a Moon landing video, without people saying "you had to be there to understand." And get bitten by the mosquitoes? I beg to differ. I can watch the face of a person orgasming and I don't have to be that person to know how that person feels. You don't always have to be there, it's sometimes enough to just watch, from a distance. If they tried to make me be an astronaut, I'd be constantly bitchin about lack of space, lack of roominess, and they'd keep telling me to suck it up, space is too expensive in space, there is not enough of it, and at 200 lbs I'd be already more expensive to take into orbit than a 90 lb 5' 0" ft person, who can push the buttons and follow instructions just as well or even better, coming directly from Houston.