Jun 24 1996
From The Space Library
Astronauts aboard Shuttle Columbia conducted an overnight experiment on the effects of space travel on the body's biological clock. Four astronauts slept with special caps equipped with electrodes to monitor their brain and muscle activity. Astronauts in space have no exposure to the once-daily rising and setting Sun, which helps trigger a regular sleep pattern on Earth. In space the Sun rises and sets more than a dozen times each "day." NASA administrators planned the experiment because they recognized the value of restful sleep for astronauts working in space and were concerned that sleep loss would become a greater disadvantage the longer an astronaut stayed in space. With the ISS on the horizon, NASA researchers considered the possible effects on astronauts of record-setting stays in space a significant issue. "Sleep disruption is something that has to be taken seriously," said Timothy H. Monk, the lead researcher on the project.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
