Analysis of sleep on Shuttle missions.

The results suggest that sleep disruption is a common occurrence on Shuttle missions and further studies are suggested to develop strategies for coping with this potential problem.

Abstract

Many aspects of Shuttle missions may have significant impact on the normal sleeping patterns of crewmembers. Using a standard debriefing form, 58 crewmembers from 9 Shuttle flights (6 single-shift flights, and 3 dual-shift flights) were debriefed within 3 d postflight. Specific questions on the form relating to sleep quality and quantity, fatigue, and sleep medication usage during all flight phases were analyzed. Of crewmembers on dual-shift missions 50% (11 of 22) used sleep medications at least once inflight compared to 19.4% (7 of 36) of single-shift. The biggest impact on normal sleep patterns occurred during the first and last days of a mission, with averages of 5.7 h and 5.6 h, respectively. These results suggest that sleep disruption is a common occurrence on Shuttle missions. Further studies are suggested to develop strategies for coping with this potential problem.