Sleep-Monitoring Technology Progress and Its Application in Space

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Sleep is an indispensable physiological phenomenon. The complexity of sleep and the time it occupies in human life determine that its quality is positively correlated with human health. Since polysomnography was used in spaceflight in 1967, the sleep problem during astronaut flight has been studied in depth for more than 50 yr, and many solutions have been proposed, but astronauts have always had sleep problems during orbital flight. Insufficient sleep and changes in the rhythm of human sleep-wake activity will lead to disturbance of the human body’s internal rhythm indicators, which will lead to psychological and emotional fluctuations and reduced cognitive ability, decision-making ability, teamwork, and work performance. NASA has identified operational errors due to sleep deprivation and altered circadian rhythms as an important risk factor in the key biomedical roadmap for long-term flight, so the importance of sleep monitoring in spaceflight is self-evident. On-orbit sleep-monitoring methods include both subjective and objective aspects. We review objective sleep-monitoring technology based on its application, main monitoring physiological indicators, intrusive advantages, and limitations. This paper reviews the subjective and objective sleep evaluation methods for on-orbit applications, summarizes the progress, advantages, and disadvantages of current ground sleep-monitoring technologies and equipment, and looks forward to the application prospects of new sleep-monitoring technologies in spaceflight.Zhang C, Chen Y, Fan Z, Xin B, Wu B, Lv K. Sleep-monitoring technology progress and its application in space. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(1):37–44.