Imagine floating in a world where the usual rules of gravity don't apply.
Many of the basic, routine things you take for granted - like making a cup of coffee or brushing your teeth - would be a bit of an undertaking, to say the least.
But sleeping, all while feeling that floating sensation, has to be the most challenging thing to contend with. How on Earth would you get your 40 winks while gently levitating?
Well, this is the reality for astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), who have to experience weightlessness every day, and yes - even when they sleep.
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A YouTube video by Tech Vision, entitled "Life Inside The International Space Station", has offered a fascinating yet somewhat eerie glimpse into the odd world of astronaut slumber. And it’s quite an eye-opener.
After what can only be described as a less-than-flavorful evening meal - thanks to the quirks of low gravity affecting both taste and the blood flow to the sinuses - astronauts begin their unusual night-time routine.
Sure, astronauts can spend this time phoning home or gazing at Earth from the station's cupola, but it's their sleep arrangements that have truly freaked people out.
As night falls on the ISS, astronauts retreat to their sleeping bags. But these aren't your typical camping gear - they are essentially straightjackets that come with special armholes allowing for limited arm movement, so you can at least read a book or type while contained.
And if that wasn’t disturbing enough - there’s also the problem of airflow (or the lack thereof). In space, warm air doesn’t rise. This means astronauts must carefully position themselves near the station's vents to avoid waking up gasping for air, trapped in a bubble of their own exhaled carbon dioxide. In less-ventilated areas, this can lead to severe headaches. Sounds dreamy, huh?
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Oh, and even if the astronauts get used to these weird sleeping arrangements, there’s a plethora of other distractions to contend with, too. One of those is the constant humming noise of the station, likened to a continuously running vacuum cleaner. It goes without saying that earplugs are a necessity for those crazy enough to choose these galactic living quarters as their place of work.
The cosmic revelations have left viewers pondering whether such discomforts, including the bland food and peculiar sleeping conditions, are worth the honor of being an interplanetary pioneer.
One viewer commented: “If I was an astronaut and slept in space, I probably wouldn’t sleep well. Not knowing I'm actually on my side would make me crazy."
Another added: “I was not put off until the ‘waking up gasping for air, surrounded in a bubble of your own carbon dioxide if you sleep in the wrong place' bit. HELL NO!”
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While a third said: "Dude… I couldn’t live this way. No thanks. Hats off to them for doing it."
While their sleep looks quite distressing, to say the least - it's not all bad. Ever wondered what astronauts do on special occasions like Thanksgiving? As you can probably imagine, their dinner looks slightly different to what we normally have on Earth.