A second important study by Barger, Flynn-Evans, Czeisler, et al.25 examined the sleep deficiency and medication use among astronauts. The objective of the study was “to characterize representative sleep patterns of astronauts on both short-duration and long-duration spaceflight missions”.25 The authors conducted an observational study that examined the ISS and space shuttle missions. To assess sleep, the authors utilized actigraphy and sleep logs, which collected data three months before the space launch, eleven days pre-launch, during the space or the ISS missions, and for seven nights post mission/flight. Also, participants recorded their drug use into daily medication and sleep logs, which was entered into the computer for ISS missions
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Currently, long-term research or data is lacking to help assess how microgravity, radiation, stress, confinement, and other components of space travel impact the health of humans that are working and living in space. To better understand long term space travel, I would suggest a study with the goal of improving the health and well-being of the population by understanding the long-term effects of space travel on human health. The hypothesis would follow: The longer that astronauts are living and working in space there will be alterations in their stress and sleep due to abnormal changes in production and function of melatonin, serotonin, and cortisol. The objective of my study would be to examine how a simulated space environment vs. an actual space environment alters the production and function of serotonin, melatonin, and cortisol and the impacts to stress and sleep among astronauts over a 2-year …show more content…
Additionally, the astronauts that will be working and living in space will be compared to a control group that is living and working in a space mission simulator on Earth. Only a small sample of men have spent over a year in space, but the proposed study is much longer and proposes to include females into the study. To conceptualize the variables in the study, multiple subjective and objective measurements for stress, anxiety, sleep, and physiological changes have been proposed. Next, the proposed study would not be able to measure all variables that would be important for better preparing for long-term space missions. The participants in the study would be working and living in space, which limits the data that can be gathered or measures that can be collected. Resources are limited on the ISS, which creates a barrier to some data that could be collected. Next, the study would be expensive and time consuming. A major complication for the study could be that astronauts may not be willing to engage in a two year long mission into space or be part of a twelve year study. Drop out would be a major concern, because there is the initial five years before launch, which may provide participants more time to drop out of the study. Next, there could be many unintended consequences during and after the mission. For example,
Currently, long-term research or data is lacking to help assess how microgravity, radiation, stress, confinement, and other components of space travel impact the health of humans that are working and living in space. To better understand long term space travel, I would suggest a study with the goal of improving the health and well-being of the population by understanding the long-term effects of space travel on human health. The hypothesis would follow: The longer that astronauts are living and working in space there will be alterations in their stress and sleep due to abnormal changes in production and function of melatonin, serotonin, and cortisol. The objective of my study would be to examine how a simulated space environment vs. an actual space environment alters the production and function of serotonin, melatonin, and cortisol and the impacts to stress and sleep among astronauts over a 2-year …show more content…
Additionally, the astronauts that will be working and living in space will be compared to a control group that is living and working in a space mission simulator on Earth. Only a small sample of men have spent over a year in space, but the proposed study is much longer and proposes to include females into the study. To conceptualize the variables in the study, multiple subjective and objective measurements for stress, anxiety, sleep, and physiological changes have been proposed. Next, the proposed study would not be able to measure all variables that would be important for better preparing for long-term space missions. The participants in the study would be working and living in space, which limits the data that can be gathered or measures that can be collected. Resources are limited on the ISS, which creates a barrier to some data that could be collected. Next, the study would be expensive and time consuming. A major complication for the study could be that astronauts may not be willing to engage in a two year long mission into space or be part of a twelve year study. Drop out would be a major concern, because there is the initial five years before launch, which may provide participants more time to drop out of the study. Next, there could be many unintended consequences during and after the mission. For example,