The culprit makes the ISS station astronaut sleepless

The cycle around the Earth is so fast that the astronaut's biological clock can't keep up, leading to insomnia.

Astronauts when taken to the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting Earth at or more than 28,000 km / h often face a major problem, that is, they suffer from chronic insomnia, according to CNN.

Sleep problems and sleep deprivation of ISS station astronauts are likely to stem from the fact that they receive dawn and sunset every 90 minutes on the station.

Sleep on the astronauts' ISS station.(Photo: NASA).

"This speed is too fast for the body clock to adapt. The astronaut is so tired of time lag , " Erin Flynn-Evans, director of the Fatigue Response Laboratory. NASA, said.

When external signals help people fall asleep, like sunlight, are no longer valid, astronauts tend to adapt to the cycle of sleeping 24.2 hours instead of 24 hours as usual."12 minutes, though it may not seem like much, after a few weeks, you will sleep much longer than before, " Flynn-Evans explained.

Biological clock error rhythm will lead to fatigue, weakness, causing great risk in the space environment. "Only a wrong key can make a difference between life and death," Flynn-Evans said.

Research shows that, on average, astronauts tend to sleep between 6 and 6.5 hours, less than the minimum of 7 hours recommended by the American Institute of Sleep Sleep. Each astronaut is affected by insomnia at different levels.

Using wristwatch technology to measure sleep and light, electroencephalograph caps and robotic arms, Flynn-Evans's lab hopes to find a solution to help astronauts maintain sleep. healthy.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield introduced how to sleep on the ISS in 2013.

To unify the crew's circadian rhythms, NASA has installed blue LED lights on the ISS, a type of light that can help people with biological clocks to maintain alertness when working. However, Flynn-Evans thinks this blue light can make astronauts difficult to sleep soundly.

According to Flynn-Evans, another reason astronauts fall into insomnia is the excitement of participating in the mission or wanting to see Earth from the ISS station.