The light for insomnia space station

NASA hopes to use light science to reduce dependence on sleeping pills by astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA is planning to launch a new weapon against insomnia in Earth's orbit: hi-tech light bulbs replace fluorescent bulbs on the ISS.

Sleeping is also difficult for astronauts on the ISS - (Photo: NASA)

At some point, as many as half of the astronauts on the station must rely on sleeping pills to take a nap. On average, they only slept about 6 hours, although the allowed time was 8 hours and a half, caused by strange environment and stressful work schedule.

With a $ 11.2 million project, NASA hopes to provide the perfect solution for space specialists, by replacing all fluorescent bulbs on the station with LED bulbs, transformed from blue to white, to red, depending on the time of the day.

These changes can be programmed from the ground or by astronauts on the station. The new ball is expected to be launched in 2016, according to Space.com.

The green light activates the human brain, which is developed by humans based on the response to the blue sky of the Earth.

When the astronaut's eyes are blue, their bodies will eliminate melatonin, a hormone that causes drowsiness. Red light reverses this process, which increases melatonin levels, making them sleepy.

The main goal is to reestablish the normal biological cycle for astronauts to perform their mission in orbit.