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Jim · 11-20-2006, 09:04 PM

Get ready for 24-hour living - health - 18 February 2006 - New Scientist

Lonewolf · 11-20-2006, 11:53 PM

A close friend used modafinil for about two years, taking about 4 hours sleep per night during the week and catching up to some extent on the weekends. He had greatly improved concentration and motivation at the time, but he crashed at the end of that 2 year time period. He was so sick that he thought he had cancer and his immune system was shot - he contracted one illness after another. 5 years later he has not recovered psychologically and has bouts of depression and general malaise frequently.

Scott Bird · 11-21-2006, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

5 years later he has not recovered psychologically and has bouts of depression and general malaise frequently.

That doesn't sound good. It's an interesting idea (the premise of the article), but not quite ready for prime-time.

ditto · 11-21-2006, 01:23 AM

I personally hope the average amount of time spent sleeping will remain the same. The less sleep the average person gets, the longer work hours will be.

David Hausladen · 11-21-2006, 02:47 AM

ditto: Yeah, while I love the idea of minimizing sleep, my biggest worry about it becoming mainstream is that employers would use it as a tool to increase work hours. I personally don't think anyone should be required to work more than six hours a day (or, for that matter, pressured into doing so by inhumanly low wages).

Dimitry · 11-21-2006, 01:29 PM

I have mixed feelings about that article, simply because it's just another pharmaceutical company releasing the drug. Of course it'll only show the good side of the drug for now, who knows what can happen (as one example described above showed) down the road.

I also think that tampering with our bodies through drugs or science isn't always the best way. You can probably alter you sleep schedule (as was shown very successfuly by Steve through polyphasic sleep), but that seems to be a more natural way of just simply switching to another type of sleep schedule.

At the end of the day though, it's hard to say what's optimal in the long run. Maybe only the normal 7-8 hours a day is best and anything else after years isn't that great for you.

runningbird · 04-02-2009, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

A close friend used modafinil for about two years, taking about 4 hours sleep per night during the week and catching up to some extent on the weekends. He had greatly improved concentration and motivation at the time, but he crashed at the end of that 2 year time period. He was so sick that he thought he had cancer and his immune system was shot - he contracted one illness after another. 5 years later he has not recovered psychologically and has bouts of depression and general malaise frequently.

Sorry to hear that. Was he using more than the recommended dosage, or just neglecting his sleep?

Curtis2011 · 03-31-2009, 04:23 AM

I would never trust a drug to improve something with my body that cannot be done naturally.

Perhaps if time being awake is what we are concerned with, we should focus on being more productive with the time we already have.

Some Random Loser · 03-31-2009, 07:41 AM

Who needs drugs when you can do polyphasic sleep?

darkw0rker · 03-31-2009, 09:22 PM

Even if comes a natural drug that let us stay active for 24/7, I would never take it because I do not want to miss the pleasure I get from being tired then going to sleep.

Plays With Life · 04-02-2009, 02:12 AM

Abraham of the Law of Attraction says that sleep is a period of reconnection with source. They say that if we were 100% connected to source all the time in our waking life, we wouldn't need sleep at all!

Writertype · 04-02-2009, 02:34 AM

Aside from questions about whether it's really safe to take drugs like that (which are excellent questions to ask), is it wise?

Even if the pills are harmless, would you really want to cut down sleep like that? I know I have wished for less sleep at times, but really what's so urgent that it can't wait until the morning? Do you think you might just end up packing more into your day and becoming more stressed, even if you didn't have a boss forcing you to do so?

I'm going to have to go with the "let the body work naturally" camp on this one.

Chillax · 04-02-2009, 11:50 PM

The key is MODERATION, I wouldn't use it regularly but maybe when final exams come around and I could use some extra time, I'd use it then. I'm sure the affects couldn't be too bad.

Also we're far from actually making something that can elimanate sleep completley because sleep is a NEED, just like eating.

11-20-2006, 09:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
Jim Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 111	Eliminating Sleep is Closer Than you Think Get ready for 24-hour living - health - 18 February 2006 - New Scientist

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11-20-2006, 11:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
Lonewolf Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Wollongong, Australia Posts: 115	A close friend used modafinil for about two years, taking about 4 hours sleep per night during the week and catching up to some extent on the weekends. He had greatly improved concentration and motivation at the time, but he crashed at the end of that 2 year time period. He was so sick that he thought he had cancer and his immune system was shot - he contracted one illness after another. 5 years later he has not recovered psychologically and has bouts of depression and general malaise frequently.

11-21-2006, 01:23 AM	#4 (permalink)
ditto Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 22	I personally hope the average amount of time spent sleeping will remain the same. The less sleep the average person gets, the longer work hours will be.

11-21-2006, 02:47 AM	#5 (permalink)
David Hausladen Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 201	ditto: Yeah, while I love the idea of minimizing sleep, my biggest worry about it becoming mainstream is that employers would use it as a tool to increase work hours. I personally don't think anyone should be required to work more than six hours a day (or, for that matter, pressured into doing so by inhumanly low wages).

11-21-2006, 01:29 PM	#6 (permalink)
Dimitry Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 201	I have mixed feelings about that article, simply because it's just another pharmaceutical company releasing the drug. Of course it'll only show the good side of the drug for now, who knows what can happen (as one example described above showed) down the road. I also think that tampering with our bodies through drugs or science isn't always the best way. You can probably alter you sleep schedule (as was shown very successfuly by Steve through polyphasic sleep), but that seems to be a more natural way of just simply switching to another type of sleep schedule. At the end of the day though, it's hard to say what's optimal in the long run. Maybe only the normal 7-8 hours a day is best and anything else after years isn't that great for you.

03-31-2009, 04:23 AM	#8 (permalink)
Curtis2011 Family Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 2,950	I would never trust a drug to improve something with my body that cannot be done naturally. Perhaps if time being awake is what we are concerned with, we should focus on being more productive with the time we already have.

03-31-2009, 07:41 AM	#9 (permalink)
Some Random Loser Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: IL Posts: 339	Who needs drugs when you can do polyphasic sleep?

03-31-2009, 09:22 PM	#10 (permalink)
darkw0rker Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 159	Even if comes a natural drug that let us stay active for 24/7, I would never take it because I do not want to miss the pleasure I get from being tired then going to sleep.

04-02-2009, 02:12 AM	#11 (permalink)
Plays With Life Family Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sitting by the fire at the Inn of the Last Home Posts: 5,799	Abraham of the Law of Attraction says that sleep is a period of reconnection with source. They say that if we were 100% connected to source all the time in our waking life, we wouldn't need sleep at all!

04-02-2009, 02:34 AM	#12 (permalink)
Writertype Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 196	Aside from questions about whether it's really safe to take drugs like that (which are excellent questions to ask), is it wise? Even if the pills are harmless, would you really want to cut down sleep like that? I know I have wished for less sleep at times, but really what's so urgent that it can't wait until the morning? Do you think you might just end up packing more into your day and becoming more stressed, even if you didn't have a boss forcing you to do so? I'm going to have to go with the "let the body work naturally" camp on this one.

04-02-2009, 11:50 PM	#13 (permalink)
Chillax Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 64	The key is MODERATION, I wouldn't use it regularly but maybe when final exams come around and I could use some extra time, I'd use it then. I'm sure the affects couldn't be too bad. Also we're far from actually making something that can elimanate sleep completley because sleep is a NEED, just like eating.

Personal Development for Smart PeopleTM Forums

Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums