Changes to human sleep architecture during long-duration spaceflight.

Both rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement sleep are important for cognitive function and well-being, yet few studies have examined whether human sleep architecture is affected by long-duration spaceflight. We recorded 256 nights of sleep from five crew members before (n = 112 nights), during (n = 83 nights) and after (n = 61 nights) ~6-month missions aboard the Mir space station, using the Nightcap sleep monitor. We compared sleep outcomes (including total sleep time, efficiency, latency, rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement) during spaceflight with those on Earth.

The effect of a dynamic lighting schedule on neurobehavioral performance during a 45-day simulated space mission.

Study Objectives: We previously reported that during a 45-day simulated space mission, a dynamic lighting schedule (DLS) improved circadian phase alignment and performance assessed once on selected days. This study aimed to evaluate how DLS affected performance on a 5-minute psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) administered multiple times per day on selected days.

Methods: Sixteen crewmembers (37.

Erratum: Reconfigurations in brain networks upon awakening from slow wave sleep: Interventions and implications in neural communication.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00272.].

Effects of caffeine and blue-enriched light on spare visual attention during simulated space teleoperation.

Safe and successful operation of the International Space Station robotic arm is a complex task requiring difficult bimanual hand coordination and spatial reasoning skills, adherence to operating procedures and rules, and systems knowledge. These task attributes are all potentially affected by chronic sleep loss and circadian misalignment. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial examining the impact of regularly timed low-dose caffeine (0.

Effectiveness of caffeine and blue-enriched light on cognitive performance and electroencephalography correlates of alertness in a spaceflight robotics simulation.

Human cognitive impairment associated with sleep loss, circadian misalignment and work overload is a major concern in any high stress occupation but has potentially catastrophic consequences during spaceflight human robotic interactions. Two safe, wake-promoting countermeasures, caffeine and blue-enriched white light have been studied on Earth and are available on the International Space Station. We therefore conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial examining the impact of regularly timed low-dose caffeine (0.

Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and safety: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement.

Unlabelled: The period of the year from spring to fall, when clocks in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time, is called daylight saving time, and its beginning and ending dates and times are set by federal law. The human biological clock is regulated by the timing of light and darkness, which then dictates sleep and wake rhythms. In daily life, the timing of exposure to light is generally linked to the social clock.

An at-home evaluation of a light intervention to mitigate sleep inertia symptoms.

Objectives: Under laboratory settings, light exposure upon waking at night improves sleep inertia symptoms. We investigated whether a field-deployable light source would mitigate sleep inertia in a real-world setting.

Methods: Thirty-six participants (18 female; 26.

Reconfigurations in brain networks upon awakening from slow wave sleep: Interventions and implications in neural communication.

Sleep inertia is the brief period of impaired alertness and performance experienced immediately after waking. Little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. A better understanding of the neural processes during sleep inertia may offer insight into the awakening process.

Sex differences in perceptions of sleep inertia following nighttime awakenings.

Study Objectives: The influence of biological sex on sleep inertia symptoms is currently unknown. We investigated the role of sex differences in the subjective experience and objective cognitive manifestation of sleep inertia following nighttime awakenings.

Methods: Thirty-two healthy adults (16 female, 25.

Differential saccade-pursuit coordination under sleep loss and low-dose alcohol.

Introduction: Ocular tracking of a moving object requires tight coordination between smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements. Normally, pursuit drives gaze velocity to closely match target velocity, with residual position offsets corrected by catch-up saccades. However, how/if common stressors affect this coordination is largely unknown.

Fatigue, Schedules, Sleep, and Sleepiness in U.S. Commercial Pilots During COVID-19.

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the aviation industry. While reduced flying capacity may intuitively translate to reduced fatigue risk by way of fewer flights and duty hours, the actual impact of the pandemic on pilot fatigue is unknown. We surveyed U.

Rise and shine: The use of polychromatic short-wavelength-enriched light to mitigate sleep inertia at night following awakening from slow-wave sleep.

Sleep inertia is the brief period of performance impairment and reduced alertness experienced after waking, especially from slow-wave sleep. We assessed the efficacy of polychromatic short-wavelength-enriched light to improve vigilant attention, alertness and mood immediately after waking from slow-wave sleep at night. Twelve participants (six female, 23.

An Evaluation of Sleepiness, Performance, and Workload Among Operators During a Real-Time Reactive Telerobotic Lunar Mission Simulation.

Objective: We assessed operator performance during a real-time reactive telerobotic lunar mission simulation to understand how daytime versus nighttime operations might affect sleepiness, performance, and workload.

Background: Control center operations present factors that can influence sleepiness, neurobehavioral performance, and workload. Each spaceflight mission poses unique challenges that make it difficult to predict how long operators can safely and accurately conduct operations.

Early starts and late finishes both reduce alertness and performance among short-haul airline pilots.

Flight crews are frequently required to work irregular schedules and, as a result, can experience sleep deficiency and fatigue. This study was conducted to determine whether perceived fatigue levels and objective performance varied by time of day, time awake, and prior night's sleep duration. Ninety-five pilots (86 male, 9 female) aged 33 years (±8) volunteered for the study.

Altered sleep spindles and slow waves during space shuttle missions.

Sleep deficiencies and associated performance decrements are common among astronauts during spaceflight missions. Previously, sleep in space was analyzed with a focus on global measures while the intricate structure of sleep oscillations remains largely unexplored. This study extends previous findings by analyzing how spaceflight affects characteristics of sleep spindles and slow waves, two sleep oscillations associated with sleep quality and quantity, in four astronauts before, during and after two Space Shuttle missions.

Guiding principles for determining work shift duration and addressing the effects of work shift duration on performance, safety, and health: guidance from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

Risks associated with fatigue that accumulates during work shifts have historically been managed through working time arrangements that specify fixed maximum durations of work shifts and minimum durations of time off. By themselves, such arrangements are not sufficient to curb risks to performance, safety, and health caused by misalignment between work schedules and the biological regulation of waking alertness and sleep. Science-based approaches for determining shift duration and mitigating associated risks, while addressing operational needs, require: (1) a recognition of the factors contributing to fatigue and fatigue-related risks; (2) an understanding of evidence-based countermeasures that may reduce fatigue and/or fatigue-related risks; and (3) an informed approach to selecting workplace-specific strategies for managing work hours.

Supervision of a self-driving vehicle unmasks latent sleepiness relative to manually controlled driving.

Human error has been implicated as a causal factor in a large proportion of road accidents. Automated driving systems purport to mitigate this risk, but self-driving systems that allow a driver to entirely disengage from the driving task also require the driver to monitor the environment and take control when necessary. Given that sleep loss impairs monitoring performance and there is a high prevalence of sleep deficiency in modern society, we hypothesized that supervising a self-driving vehicle would unmask latent sleepiness compared to manually controlled driving among individuals following their typical sleep schedules.

Bellagio II Report: Terrestrial Applications of Space Medicine Research.

For over 50 yr, investigators have studied the physiological adaptations of the human system during short- and long-duration spaceflight exposures. Much of the knowledge gained in developing health countermeasures for astronauts onboard the International Space Station demonstrate terrestrial applications. To date, a systematic process for translating these space applications to terrestrial human health has yet to be defined.

Guiding principles for determining work shift duration and addressing the effects of work shift duration on performance, safety, and health: guidance from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

Risks associated with fatigue that accumulates during work shifts have historically been managed through working time arrangements that specify fixed maximum durations of work shifts and minimum durations of time off. By themselves, such arrangements are not sufficient to curb risks to performance, safety, and health caused by misalignment between work schedules and the biological regulation of waking alertness and sleep. Science-based approaches for determining shift duration and mitigating associated risks, while addressing operational needs, require: (1) a recognition of the factors contributing to fatigue and fatigue-related risks; (2) an understanding of evidence-based countermeasures that may reduce fatigue and/or fatigue-related risks; and (3) an informed approach to selecting workplace-specific strategies for managing work hours.

Flight Crew Alertness and Sleep Relative to Timing of In-Flight Rest Periods in Long-Haul Flights.

In-flight breaks are used during augmented long-haul flight operations, allowing pilots a sleep opportunity. The U.S.

Child and teen sleep and pandemic-era school.

Yuen K, Strang AR, Flynn-Evans EE, et al. Child and teen sleep and pandemic-era school. 2021;17(4):613–615.

Dose-dependent sensorimotor impairment in human ocular tracking after acute low-dose alcohol administration.

Key Points: Oculomotor behaviours are commonly used to evaluate sensorimotor disruption due to ethanol (EtOH). The current study demonstrates the dose-dependent impairment in oculomotor and ocular behaviours across a range of ultra-low BACs (<0.035%).

Changes in performance and bio-mathematical model performance predictions during 45 days of sleep restriction in a simulated space mission.

Lunar habitation and exploration of space beyond low-Earth orbit will require small crews to live in isolation and confinement while maintaining a high level of performance with limited support from mission control. Astronauts only achieve approximately 6 h of sleep per night, but few studies have linked sleep deficiency in space to performance impairment. We studied crewmembers over 45 days during a simulated space mission that included 5 h of sleep opportunity on weekdays and 8 h of sleep on weekends to characterize changes in performance on the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and subjective fatigue ratings.

Daylight saving time: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement.

The last several years have seen intense debate about the issue of transitioning between standard and daylight saving time. In the United States, the annual advance to daylight saving time in spring, and fall back to standard time in autumn, is required by law (although some exceptions are allowed under the statute). An abundance of accumulated evidence indicates that the acute transition from standard time to daylight saving time incurs significant public health and safety risks, including increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events, mood disorders, and motor vehicle crashes.