Woman reveals how astronauts sleep in ISS under zero gravity
- Sunita L. Williams has explained how astronauts sleep in space
- Despite the strong circadian rhythm of Earth, they still have regular bedtimes
- She gives us a guided tour of her sleep station
Published on Feb 05, 2024 at 10:49 AM (UTC-5)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Feb 07, 2024 at 4:31 AM (UTC-5)
Edited by
Adam Gray
While spacewalks and research spring to mind – we often forget the day-to-day of astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
One American astronaut, Sunita L. Williams, has explained how astronauts sleep in space – and it might surprise you.
Despite the lack of natural daylight and strong circadian rhythm of the Earth, in space an astronaut goes to bed at a certain time and wakes eight hours later for the working ‘day’.
Space has no “up” or “down”, but it does have microgravity – meaning they sleep in any orientation rather than lying down.
Even sleeping upside down won’t make a difference, per Williams.
That’s part of the reason why astronauts come back from space as ‘different people’.
However, astronauts do have to attach themselves to something so they don’t float around and bump into equipment.
Space station crews usually sleep in sleeping bags located in sleep stations big enough for one person – although they do have a laptop, books, and some other home comforts in there, too.
Aboard ISS there are four sleep stations organized in a circle so the crew can sleep fairly close while maintaining privacy.
Some of the images used in this article are created using AI.
With a dual English and French degree and NCTJ diploma, Amelia began her career doing award-winning writing and editing for titles and brands spanning Women's Health, the Telegraph, Boots, and Vitality. Amelia joined the SB Media family in September of 2023, bringing her expertise in SEO and reader takeaway. As Lead Editor, her superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a shareable story.
