Simulating microgravity with 60 days of 6 degree head-down tilt bed rest compromises sleep

Abstract Astronauts in space often experience sleep loss. In the AGBRESA (Artificial Gravity Bed Rest) study, we examined 24 participants (mean age ± SD, 33 ± 9 years) during two months of 6o head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest, which is a well-established spaceflight analogue. Polysomnography was recorde...

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Main Authors: Luise Strauch, Melanie von der Wiesche, Alexandra Noppe, Edwin Mulder, Iris Rieger, Daniel Aeschbach, Eva-Maria Elmenhorst
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:npj Microgravity
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00448-7
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author Luise Strauch
Melanie von der Wiesche
Alexandra Noppe
Edwin Mulder
Iris Rieger
Daniel Aeschbach
Eva-Maria Elmenhorst
author_facet Luise Strauch
Melanie von der Wiesche
Alexandra Noppe
Edwin Mulder
Iris Rieger
Daniel Aeschbach
Eva-Maria Elmenhorst
author_sort Luise Strauch
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Astronauts in space often experience sleep loss. In the AGBRESA (Artificial Gravity Bed Rest) study, we examined 24 participants (mean age ± SD, 33 ± 9 years) during two months of 6o head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest, which is a well-established spaceflight analogue. Polysomnography was recorded during baseline (BDC-9), HDT (nights 1, 8, 30 and 58) and recovery (R, nights 1 and 12). Mixed ANOVAs with post-hoc step-down Bonferroni adjustment indicated that compared to BDC-9, arousals were increased, while sleep duration, N3, and sleep efficiency were all decreased during HDT. Significant quadratic associations between sleep duration and quality with time into HDT did not indicate adaptive improvements during the course of HDT. While sleep duration recovered quickly after the end of bed rest, participants still displayed protracted sleep fragmentation. We conclude that physiological changes caused by exposure to microgravity may contribute to persistent sleep deficits experienced during real space missions.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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series npj Microgravity
spelling doaj-art-44b86b98159b47c495cd4e93b1347e2a2025-08-20T02:31:03ZengNature Portfolionpj Microgravity2373-80652024-12-0110111010.1038/s41526-024-00448-7Simulating microgravity with 60 days of 6 degree head-down tilt bed rest compromises sleepLuise Strauch0Melanie von der Wiesche1Alexandra Noppe2Edwin Mulder3Iris Rieger4Daniel Aeschbach5Eva-Maria Elmenhorst6Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Department of Sleep and Human Factors Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR)Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Study Team, German Aerospace Center (DLR)Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Study Team, German Aerospace Center (DLR)Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Research Relations and Development, German Aerospace Center (DLR)Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Department of Sleep and Human Factors Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR)Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Department of Sleep and Human Factors Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR)Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Department of Sleep and Human Factors Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR)Abstract Astronauts in space often experience sleep loss. In the AGBRESA (Artificial Gravity Bed Rest) study, we examined 24 participants (mean age ± SD, 33 ± 9 years) during two months of 6o head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest, which is a well-established spaceflight analogue. Polysomnography was recorded during baseline (BDC-9), HDT (nights 1, 8, 30 and 58) and recovery (R, nights 1 and 12). Mixed ANOVAs with post-hoc step-down Bonferroni adjustment indicated that compared to BDC-9, arousals were increased, while sleep duration, N3, and sleep efficiency were all decreased during HDT. Significant quadratic associations between sleep duration and quality with time into HDT did not indicate adaptive improvements during the course of HDT. While sleep duration recovered quickly after the end of bed rest, participants still displayed protracted sleep fragmentation. We conclude that physiological changes caused by exposure to microgravity may contribute to persistent sleep deficits experienced during real space missions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00448-7
spellingShingle Luise Strauch
Melanie von der Wiesche
Alexandra Noppe
Edwin Mulder
Iris Rieger
Daniel Aeschbach
Eva-Maria Elmenhorst
Simulating microgravity with 60 days of 6 degree head-down tilt bed rest compromises sleep
npj Microgravity
title Simulating microgravity with 60 days of 6 degree head-down tilt bed rest compromises sleep
title_full Simulating microgravity with 60 days of 6 degree head-down tilt bed rest compromises sleep
title_fullStr Simulating microgravity with 60 days of 6 degree head-down tilt bed rest compromises sleep
title_full_unstemmed Simulating microgravity with 60 days of 6 degree head-down tilt bed rest compromises sleep
title_short Simulating microgravity with 60 days of 6 degree head-down tilt bed rest compromises sleep
title_sort simulating microgravity with 60 days of 6 degree head down tilt bed rest compromises sleep
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00448-7
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