Sleep a Luxury?

I’ll admit, I put a lot on my plate. More than I should, at times, but there’s a lot that I want to do. Yesterday I read how scientists are developing new drugs that will allow people to survive on only two hours of sleep a day. These ‘lifestyle’ drugs will supposedly deliver sleep that is deeper and more refreshing than the real thing in a fraction of the time.

The idea of a pharmacological solution to the ‘problem’ of sleep isn’t so far-fetched. We already have drugs like Modafinil which allow people to wake up refreshed after just four hours of sleep. It’s regularly dispensed to soldiers and pilots, and though it’s intended use is to curb the symptoms of narcolepsy, business travelers have been known to use it to counteract jet lag.  

Does this sound good to you? How about the story of a Vietnamese farmer who hasn’t slept in 33 years. I’m skeptical of the authenticity of the report, but it does raise an interesting question. We love to joke about wanting a longer day. "There just aren’t enough hours in the day…" But if we could radically reduce the amount of sleep we required, with no adverse physical impact, would our lives be richer?

If you could live on just two hours of sleep, what would you do with the ‘extra’ hours?

technorati tags: sleep, circadian

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