Sleeping like an astronaut, in theory, sounds quite dreamy: floating weightlessly, the sun rising and setting often and fantastically over the vast Earth outside of your spacecraft windows, true silence. But what’s the reality? For the Artemis II crew aboard Orion, it means sleeping upside down in specially designed sleeping bags amid their equipment.
“Christina has been sleeping heads down in the middle of the vehicle, kind of like a bat suspended from our docking tunnel,” Commander Reid Wiseman told CNN. “Victor has a nice little nook wedged in there. Jeremy has been stretched out on seat one, and I’ve been sleeping under the displays, just in case anything goes wrong. Every time I was dozing off last night, I had that image that I was tripping off a curb and I was waking myself up. So my body is getting re-acclimated.”
A tradition that goes all the way back to the original Apollo program sees the crew woken up by mission control playing a song from a playlist the astronauts themselves compiled. One alarm tune of choice? Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.” (It cut off just before the chorus, which the crew were a little disgruntled by.)
The astronauts—who splashed back down on Earth today—actually enjoyed their non-traditional sleeping arrangements. “Well, we do love sleeping up here,” Christina Koch said. “Most of us have been sleeping really well. For me, sleeping in space is one of the most comfortable ways to sleep, and it’s very deep, full sleep.” So, is there anything we can learn about getting a better night’s sleep from the space crew?
Sleeping like an astronaut—the benefits
Sleeping in a state of microgravity decompresses the spine, relieving pressure on the back and joints, all while promoting blood circulation, resulting in deeper and more restful sleep. If you struggle with back pain in bed and are looking to get better sleep, you might then want to turn your head skyward and consider “zero gravity sleeping.”
That doesn’t mean hanging upside down like a bat or investing in any fancy equipment, though. You can adopt a zero gravity sleeping position just by elevating your head and knees above your heart to simulate weightlessness as the spine sits in a more neutral alignment and muscles relax. Elevating your legs also means less pressure on your heart, and your airways more naturally open up to reduce breathing difficulties and snoring. Basically, the pressure of your body’s own weight on itself is relieved. You might also alleviate digestive issues like acid reflux, as acid—thanks to gravity—stays down in your stomach, aiding a more comfortable sleep. You’re also less likely to toss and turn, with no uneven pressure points as you lie flat.
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What the experts say
Despite the out-of-this-world sleep reported by Artemis II, sleep deprivation and excessive daytime fatigue are commonly reported by astronauts. A study led by Dr. Laura Barger, who monitored astronauts during spaceflight missions, found that astronauts averaged only about 5.96 hours, despite attempting to sleep for, on average, 7.35 hours. The same study revealed that 78% of crew members reported taking sleep-promoting medications during spaceflight.
There’s a few obstacles that they’re up against when trying to catch those extraterrestrial ZZZs: circadian rhythm can be disrupted (they experienced up to 16 sunrises and sunsets daily!), and artificial lighting can be disorientating. The absence of gravity also impacts the natural temperature regulations, which are necessary for deep sleep.
Dr. Lara Aillon-Sohl, a psychiatrist and sleep expert at Headspace explains: “While propping your limbs up to simulate weightlessness can certainly take the pressure off your lower back and help open up those airways, as a mere human on planet Earth, your biology cares far more about your internal clock than your physical ‘altitude.’” The “real magic,” Dr. Aillon-Sohl outlines, happens when you honor your circadian rhythm by maintaining disciplined, consistent sleep hours. She also recommends prepping your body with a hot shower to trigger a rapid drop in core temperature.
Astronauts also have to get into compact, specially designed sleeping bags with rigid mattresses, effectively tucking themselves in to stop floating around. It can take a bit of time, but after a while, they’ll work out how they personally can get cozy and fall asleep fast. “To truly optimize your rest, you must train your behaviors to view the bedroom as a cool, dark, and quiet sanctuary rather than a place for scrolling,” says Dr. Aillon-Sohl. “Ultimately, the ‘optimal’ position is whichever keeps you still, but it’s a rigorous sleep routine–not just a pillow under your knees—that guarantees a restorative night.”
In a state of microgravity, there’s no up or down: therefore, astronauts can choose to sleep in any direction that’s comfortable—like a bat or otherwise. “We all move approximately 80 times in and out of different positions during our sleep at night, but we spend the majority of our nights in one of three positions: stomach, back, or side,” explains Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a sleep expert to Oura Ring and sleep scientist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Side sleepers, Dr. Robbins, says, are more common than back or stomach sleeper positions—but it is possible to change your position. “If you would like to stay on your side instead of on your back, there are a number of devices, ranging from pillows to wearables, that you can buy that are designed to achieve this,” Dr. Robbins says. One cost effective at home remedy is putting a tennis ball in a fanny pack and spinning the fanny pack around to your back to keep you on your side. “We do fall asleep and better maintain sleep when we are sleeping in our preferred sleeper position,” Dr. Robbins adds.
Dr. Shelby Harris, director and founder of NY Sleep and Psychology and author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, prioritizes consistent sleep-wake timing: basically, keeping the hours you’re in bed or awake more or less the same. “It doesn’t have to be exactly the same time, but within 30 minutes, 60 min max on a weekend—and that’s pushing it a bit,” says Dr. Harris. “It’s really helpful to keep your body’s circadian rhythm in check. It will help your body know when to fall asleep routinely, and to wake up, and if you’re getting light exposure at the same time every morning when you wake up, it strengthens the circadian signal even more. People get very fixated on sleep quality and quantity, but consistency of sleep-wake timing helps improve sleep quality and quantity.”
Up in space, astronauts keep to tight mission schedules—sleep is regimented and taken in shifts. Sleep trackings can be beneficial, says Dr. Robbins, for those interested in optimizing their routine: “Tracking allows you to monitor how changes you make—going to bed a little earlier, purchasing a new mattress, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon—impact your sleep. Also, simply by receiving feedback on your sleep, one can be motivated to make changes to keep sleep on track.”
“Millions of us across the globe have resigned ourselves to the idea that we must slog through life exhausted, when the truth is, often small changes to our sleep routines can offer dramatic, positive impacts on our cognitive function, our emotional health and well-being, and our longevity,” affirms Dr. Robbins.
So what can we learn from the sleepers in the sky? It’s about being attuned to what sleeping position feels most comfortable for you, keeping up good sleep hygiene, and staying faithful to your circadian rhythm. A good night’s rest—above or below the stars.
