NASA astronaut reveals the bizarre way she sleeps in space — some people think it's 'terrifying'

Sleep is one of the most primal activities, after eating, essential for human survival. Does that change when humans leave their only inhabitable planet– Earth? Not really. Stranded NASA astronaut Sunita Williams did not ditch the ordinary when giving an insider glimpse of an astronaut’s life in space back in her final days as commander of the International Space Station. During a tour of the orbital laboratory at the ISS, a video viewed 12 million times on YouTube (@NASA), Williams addressed the long-asked question about sleeping in space. 

Williams, 59, began by describing the four modules carved into the dimensions of the station, to be able to work on a “flat plane.” These modules are essentially the sleeping stations of four of the six astronauts. The former commander of the ISS said in the 2012 video, “People always ask about sleeping in space. Do you lie down? Are you in a bed?” Hate to break it to you, but Williams confirmed it does not matter where and how you sleep. Moreover, the way astronauts rest in space was rather bizarre. “You don’t really have the sensation of lying down. You just sit in your sleeping bag,” she added. 

Quite gleefully, Williams, also a former U.S. Naval officer, jumped into one of the sleeping stations on the side walls to demonstrate how she sleeps. Though comparing the compact space of the sleeping station with a “phone booth”, she noted that it was more comfortable than it looked. Stringed latches on the sleeping bag keep it from floating out of the booth. “But you can sleep in any orientation. I have it sleeping, feeling like I’m standing up right now,” Williams quipped. Interestingly, astronauts do not need a set orientation to sleep as the brain barely responds with sensations when the direction is altered.  

Besides sleeping, the sleep station also serves a multi-purpose function. It also acts like an office complete with a computer, some toys, Williams’ books, and several other things that make it seem homely. The orbital laboratory tour was made hours before NASA’s Expedition 33 began in September 2012. On a more recent note, she had talked to students about the one thing she misses most about Earth. Engaging with students from Needham High School, her alma mater of 1983, Williams said she was trying to remember what it felt like to walk with gravity, granted, she has been floating in timeless space for about a year now. 

“I haven't walked. I haven't sat down. I haven't laid down. You don't have to. You can just close your eyes and float where you are right here," Williams said, per a report by CBS affiliate WBZ News. As of now, the senior NASA astronaut is stranded in space with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore. They launched into space aboard Boeing’s Starline for a short week-long mission in June 2024 but that has since extended to an eight-month stay in space following mechanical defects in their spacecraft. Five of the thrusters were dysfunctional and the propulsion system leaked helium, per Brittanica. Billionaire Elon Musk has promised to rescue the stranded astronauts via his SpaceX Crew-9 capsule in late March delayed from February 2025, NASA confirmed, per CNN. 

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