George Brainard on Astronaut's Sleep

S124-E-007975 (9 June, 2008) - Astronaut Mike Fossum, STS-124 mission specialist, in his sleeping bag, which is attached to the lockers on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Discovery while it is docked with the International Space Station.

George Brainard, a neuroscientist working with the National Space Biological Research Institute (NSBRI), is researching circadian rhythms and space flight. Brainard describes his work with lighting systems, which may help to improve the quality of astronauts' sleep and improve their daily performance in space. Light, enriched in the blue end of the spectrum, appears to help maintain circadian rhythms and regular sleep cycles in space. This research could aid people on Earth who experience circadian rhythm irregularities, such as those caused by seasonal affective disorder. Circadian rhythms are approximate 24-hour behavioral, physiological or molecular cycles in living organisms regulated by an internal biological clock.

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Lessons

Grades K-8
- On-line Memory Games from Neuroscience for Kids
  - These games can be used as sleep/performance student experiments.
Grades 5-12
- Sleep and Daily Rhythms, Activities Guide for Teachers
  - Activities developed for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute by the Center for Education Outreach at Baylor College of Medicine.
- NOVA Science NOW activity on Sleep
  - Students investigate the affects of sleep on memory and learning.
- Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
  - A collection of sleep and circadian rhythms activities from NASA's Brain in Space Activity Guide.

Additional Activities/Extensions

- Sleep and Human Performance Presentation
  - Dr. David F. Dinges (NSBRI researcher) speaks about sleep, how sleep affects human performance, and sleep research. This is one of many presentations on the BioEd Online website.
- Sleep and Human Performance Slide Set
  - The slides used to illustrate Dr. David F. Dinges's presentation on sleep and human performance are available for download from the BioEd Online website. Load all or a few of the slides to your online slide tray and then download the selected slides to your computer. They will open automatically as a PowerPoint presentation, and also can be viewed as a Keynote presentation.
- Sleep Research Project on the International Space Station
  - Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure During Spaceflight investigations will examine the effects of spaceflight and ambient light exposure on the sleep-wake cycles of crewmembers during long-duration stays on the International Space Station. This site provides a detailed description of sleep research, the equipment used and the procedures followed.
- Blue light-blocking glasses appear to reduce symptoms of ADHD.
  - This article discusses the potential effects of blue light on circadian rhythms.
- Blue Light Special – Treating Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders
  - NeuroPsychiatry Reviews article on treating circadian rhythm irregularities, such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
  - Wikipedia article on seasonal affective disorder.
NASA Articles of Space Flight and Sleep

National Science Standards

K-4 Standards
- Science as Inquiry - Abilities to do scientific inquiry
  - Ask a question about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
  - Plan and conduct a simple investigation.
  - Communicate investigations and explanations.
- Life Science - The characteristics of organisms
  - Organisms have basic needs.
  - The behavior of individual organisms is influenced by internal cues and by external cues.
- Life Science - Organisms and their environments
  - An organism's patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism's environment.
5-8 Standards
- Science as Inquiry - Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
  - Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
  - Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
- Life Science - Regulation and behavior
  - All organisms must be able to maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment.
9-12 Standards
- Science as Inquiry - Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
  - Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations.
  - Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
- Life Science - The behavior of organisms
  - Organisms have behavioral responses to internal changes and to external stimuli.


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