What is it like to sleep in space -?

I was just reading Sandra Magnus' Journal Back in Space Again! from the NASA site and wondered what it is like to sleep in weightless conditions.
I mean beyond the fact of being in space and ANYTHING could go wrong cousing fear and all, what is it like to actually sleep in this kind of conditions?

Many may speculate but most of us would really like the experienced talk.

In any case all are welcome !

[edit on 15/2/2009 by GEORGETHEGREEK]

not a single astronaut around?

no wonder.

in that case anyone having some knowledge on the subject?

I think it sounds really nice to sleep in zero gravity, wish I could have tried it myself!

How Astronauts Sleep in Space

Spacecraft like the International Space Station have pressurized cabins and are filled with the same kind of air we breathe on Earth, so the atmosphere onboard is made to feel as close to sea level as possible. But microgravity causes astronauts to experience the effects of weightlessness, so setting up a mattress on the floor isn't quite a part of the plan -- not only would the astronaut float away after dozing off, but the mattress would also drift off, creating the potential for midair collisions.


This means that astronauts can sleep practically anywhere in a spacecraft, as long as they tether themselves to something: the floor, the walls or the ceiling. While some astronauts, such as Canada's first astronaut Marc Garneau, prefer to sleep "free floating," which simply consists of curling up and going to sleep, most others use sleeping bags to mimic the way we sleep on Earth. A free floater would bounce around and flail his or her limbs around, so a sleeping bag keeps everything nice, cozy and normal.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/29ebe046a4c4.jpg[/atsimg]
Pilot Michael L. Coats (left) and mission specialist Steven A. Hawley (right) fall asleep listening to music on the lower deck of the shuttle Discovery.

But there are also some problems connected with sleeping in space:

The strange atmosphere of space can cause some problems for astronauts, and you can tell this by looking at the pills they take during their time spent in space -- almost half of the medication prescribed to astronauts is sleep aids and hypnotic medicines [source: Canadian Space Agency]. Most difficulties stem from the fact that living onboard a space station, despite the familiar atmosphere, can be very disorienting, even to astronauts who undergo months or even years of training.

For one, the International Space Station usually sees the sun "rise" once every 90 minutes -- that's about 16 sunsets every day. To counteract this, ISS administrators set astronauts' schedules on a 24-hour, Earth-based timetable to keep their activity as grounded as possible. The clocks onboard the ISS are set to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), about halfway between Houston, Tex., and Moscow. To keep astronauts on that schedule, Mission Control sends wake-up calls to shuttle missions. They typically play music, which is either requested by an astronaut or an astronaut's family member. Astronauts on the ISS, on the other hand, wake up with the help of an alarm.
.....
On top of excessive light, strange noises are a big part of the ISS. Because fans, air filters and other noisy equipment provide life support to the astronauts, the ISS is often filled with constant whirring noises. In fact, astronauts often compare the insides of the spacecraft to a giant vacuum. Astronauts sometimes sleep with earplugs to dampen the sound, but after a while they simply get used to it, much in the same way a person can adjust to living near a busy railroad track.

science.howstuffworks.com...

And while sleeping, the astronaut better tether himself, or else, he will wake up stuck to a air vent.

And also, the fun part is when the astronaut is deep in sleep and the thrusters of the shuttle automatically fire to maintain the shuttle's attitude, the astronaut is pushed back onto the wall, and it is funny seeing them on youtube video's.

And dont think that the astronauts, have a luxurious anti-gravity bed to sleep on. Most of the times, they are made to sleep in the so called "sleeping cabins", which is a cramped space with a closing door, but they are useful when there are two shifts of astronauts working, as it provides isolation and protection from the light. And in the ISS, I think, there are cabins in Zarya and the Destiny module.

Edit: There is a major mistake in the howstuffworks link.

But thousands of miles above the Earth, where astronauts live and work in zero gravity aboard the International Space Station (ISS), going to sleep in space presents a much different situation.

The ISS is only 220 miles above earth and the hubble some 300 miles above earth. The shuttle is not at all capable of flying to that height.


[edit on March 28th, 2009 by peacejet]

I heard that when they close their eyes they see lights.
This exemplifies the electrical mature of space.

Heard perhaps in a movie on youtube from one of the astronauts.

That seems the freakiest of many sleep effects in space.

|Thanks ziggystar60 ! Your info was quite thorough although i meant how the actual persons feel, much like
TeslaandLyne's post. Well thats some info i would like to dig into.
Thanks ! Both of you well all three actually since peacejet made some contribution too!

I will do some digging and get back if noone catches up with me.

Anyone with info please reply

Hi, perhaps this is more like what you are looking for?

Zero Gravity Zzzs: Joys of Sleeping in Outer Space

Over the course of five flights, Marsha Ivins has spent 42 nights in space. Her colleague, Dan Barry, has spent 30 nights on three different space missions. The two retired astronauts shared some intimate details about sleeping in outer space.

'You Just Float'

First of all, you don't have to worry about your lower arm, the one that is usually tucked beneath your torso. Because at zero gravity, there is no "under."

"Sleeping in space is fantastic!" says Barry. "You just float… and it's perfect."

On the other hand, says Ivins, while you don't lie on anything, nothing will lie on you. "I'm one of those 'likes to sleep under lots and lots of covers' people," she says. But in space, not even the heaviest blanket will lay on you — so you don't get that feeling of weight-on-top.

More here:
www.npr.org...