I've been playing this game for around 6 hours and really enjoy it however why does it take less than 8 in game hours to starve to death? why can i be too sleepy or too hungry to do basic maintenance but not to operate the telescope and much more complex machines? this game is great but these mechanics suck.

Maybe try keeping the meters above 20%. If mechanics this simple and easy stump you then maybe video games aren't the hobby for you.