The following release was prepared by Baylor College of Medicine.
HOUSTON – Getting adequate rest while traveling in space is no easy task, but scientists know that sleep-deprived astronauts are more likely to get sick.
A strong immune system is key to interplanetary space travel, said Dr. William T. Shearer, a professor of pediatric immunology at Baylor College of Medicine. A lack of sleep leads to a weakened immune system, which increases the chance of infections or the reactivation of latent viruses.
"It’s likely that the immune system is going to be compromised in long space voyages, so we need to work on countermeasures," said Shearer, who also serves as leader of the Immunology, Infection and Hematology Team for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute.
The consortium consists of 12 research institutions seeking solutions to health concerns associated with long-duration space flight. Baylor is the lead institution. A NSBRI team led by Shearer recently reported on a study on sleep deprivation and its effect on the immune system. A common problem with astronauts on space missions is inadequate sleep. "When you’re on top of a rocket full of fuel, it’s pretty hard to stay calm. It’s hard to sleep. There’s also the issue of either the constant light or the constant darkness of space," he said.
The study showed that people who go without sleep for three or four days have increased levels of a hormone that regulates the body’s ability to sleep. It also found that tiny levels of caffeine could significantly reverse that hormone’s elevation. The experiment was the first of many studies planned on sleep deprivation, Shearer said.
"Our goal is to find a problem then determine how to fix it. For the NSBRI, the major challenge is to develop solutions to problems that astronauts are going to experience," he said.
The projects also help find answers for health issues on Earth. For example, Shearer said the sleep study shows the negative impact on those who constantly suffer from a lack of sleep.
"People talk about working overtime for a long period of time and they say, "I’m tired, I’ve always got a cold, my sinuses are bothering me.’ There’s an immune system component here that becomes important," he said.
"The clear indication of these studies is that sleep is a very important component of human life and, if not looked after, it will have harmful consequences. And that’s just in dealing with the immune system, without even considering the psychological effects," Shearer said.
Other areas of NSBRI research include bone loss, cardiovascular alterations, human performance, muscle alteration, neurovestibular adaptation, radiation effects, nutrition, physical fitness and psychosocial factors.
"If we’re going to have interplanetary travel, and I assume we will, we need to do it in a wise way and take all the precautions that are important," Shearer said.