UL experiment to focus on space sleeping

University of Limerick researchers have developed an experiment designed to tackle one of the major difficulties of long distance space travel.

Dr Derek O'Keeffe of the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering and his UL colleague, Dr Marc Ó Gríofa, are hoping to provide data about the sleeping patterns of astronauts.

Shuttle and space station crews are currently given sleeping pills to help their sleep, but little data is available on how this enforced sleep compares to normal sleep on earth.

The experiment will be conducted on board the International Space Station where an astronaut will wear a special vest designed to monitor his sleep patterns over a period of 150 days.

The experiment will be delivered to the the International Space Station by the space shuttle Discoverywhich blasts off on Saturday.

The experiment, called CASPER (Cardiac Adapted Sleep Parameter Electrocardiogram) will spend 150 days in space and return to earth with the Russian spacecraft Soyuz.

"The quality of sleep, or more particularly the poor quality of it, is a major issue for NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) and one of the big stumbling blocks of long distance space travel," explains Dr O'Keeffe.

"There is no gravity to keep you in the bed and even worse, your system has to cope with 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets in a 24-hour day," Dr O'Keeffe.

"Disturbed sleep isn't refreshing and leaves flight crews feeling sleep-deprived and less able to concentrate."

Dr Ó Gríofa likens the effects of space travel to jet-lag, saying that those undertaking long-distance flight and relocation in a different time zone will be familiar with the sleep disturbance experienced by astronauts.