These Astronauts Explain Why You Should Get Enough Sleep It will affect your work and relationships if you don't.

By Nina Zipkin

Shutterstock

As NASA works toward one day sending astronauts to deep space, the agency is studying how the long journeys to planets such as Mars could potentially affect our health and well-being.

To that end, the space agency recently completed a 45-day experiment, the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) mission. In it, astronauts didn't actually leave Earth, but simulated what it would be like if they did. It required a four-person crew to deal with a number of detriments to their general alertness.

Related: Not Getting Enough Sleep? Blame Your Job.

The astronauts could only sleep five hours every night for five days a week. Then they would get a two-day recovery period where they could sleep eight hours each night.

"The sleep deprivation was really difficult. It really hindered our normalcy," explained HERA crew member James Titus. "We are used to working and living our lives at a higher level. During this mission, the sleep reduction, the no-nap rule and limited caffeine -- went hand in hand to really slow us down."

Related: 20 Unforgettable Moments in Space Exploration

That's how you know they are truly dedicated -- no coffee in the name of science.

According to a statement from NASA, the crew found that in particular, lack of sleep impacted team cohesion, performance and interpersonal relationships.

So if you think that you can't take the time to sleep a full night, take it from some people who really know what it's like to deal with high stress situations. Get some rest -- your brain and your colleagues will thank you.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Business News

Zillow Predicts These 10 Places Will Have the Hottest Housing Markets in 2025

Zillow predicted that the hottest housing market of 2025 will be Buffalo, New York. Here's why.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Masculine Energy Is Good': Mark Zuckerberg Tells Joe Rogan He Thinks Companies Need More Aggression

On the most recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said corporate culture has become "neutered."

Business News

'More Soul-Crushing Than Ever': Popular Hiring Platform Finds Around 20% of Its Postings Were 'Ghost Jobs'

Is that job listing too good to be true? There's a one-in-five chance that it might be.

Growing a Business

5 Risk-Taking Lessons From Founders Who Bet Big and Won

Discover the bold moves and strategic risks that catapulted these entrepreneurs to success. Learn how their fearless decisions can inspire your own path to growth.