Sleep Deprivation: The Great American Myth

Hey, hawkman. Never taken a sleeping pill, just an occasional aspirin. I do agree about the "sleep deprivation" theory in a way. When I read about Thomas Edison having slept only about four hours a night, I begin to think about the sleep cycle; however, one cannot stay awake for too long without sleep. Some disc jockey tried it in order to make the Guinness book of world records, and after the third day began to hallucinate. That, of course, is not what you are referring to, but to the world of the "pill that will make everything perfect."

Well, all I know for sure from experience is that I function a lot better (more productive and concentrated, more cheerful and emotionally stable, more communicative) when I've slept 8 hours than when I've slept 5 or 6. And that sucks, because I dont take sleeping pills, and I often sleep too little.

Also, regarding the suspected correlation between "people who sleep less than average mak[ing] more money and [being] more successful," my guess is that cause and effect are rather the other way round. Yes, Edison wasnt the only genius who needed very little sleep. The same can be read again and again about important politicians, businessmen. But are they so productive, brilliant and successful because they sleep little? Or is it rather the other way around.. that people who come with outstanding talents and ambition tend to also simply come with extra reserves of energy, that yes, mean they also need less sleep? That part doesnt seem to have been thought though properly..

I use sleeping pills once a week. The night before my first dayshift to regulate me back into a normal pattern. But I'm a shift worker.
I certainly don't use the things daily. They're highly addictive, and wouldn't continue to work in any case.

Actually, it's once every eight days, since we operate on a two day, two night, four off cycle.

I've stayed awake for up to 5 days I think, seriously. No hallucinations whatsoever, after a while you don't even feel tired anymore, it's like you're functioning on autopilot. (kind of cool actually, a reckless...)

Ever hear of Sleep Apnea? People with this problem, of whom there are many, may, for instance, start to suffocate as soon as they move from a light to a deep sleep, and quickly move back to a light sleep. The result is that they spend about zero time in deep sleep. It's pretty real. People even die from it.

Oh, yes, Brandon. I know about sleep apnea. Some people even have to have a permanent opening implanted in the trachea. It's a terrible thing.

I like my sleep. A good 8 hrs or so is ideal.

There seems to me to be some sort of trend, like a badge of honor in this soceity "Look at me, I only slept 4 hrs, and I ran the kids around, and I went to work, and I'm a hero!"

People need to chill. Sleep is good, the slow life is good. I gotta move somewhere's hot n' slow. :wink:

Hey, flushd. You canucks are like bears hibernating. <smile>

Well, if you can't believe Coleridge:

" Ah, sleep it is a gentle thing, beloved from pole to pole."

I like that. Hibernating sounds good.

I didn't realize that sleep apnea could become so severe that death and permenant openings through the trachea were necessary. That is frightening.
I'm gonna do some more research on it now...how do they die?

My now ex-partner has sleep apnea and used a breathing machine during nights, after me nagging him to go to a sleep clinic - he would be talking to me and mid-sentence doze off, wake up, doze off while driving! It was frightening. The machine made a huge difference: like a new man with new energy and brain power :wink:

But who cares about the brain power anyways right? That's not what men are for.

hehee. A well rested man-body is a good thing. :wink:
I see you got your blue rose back. Very nice, though I liked your pic.

On Point on WBUR-NPR had an hour talking about american sleeping habits today: WBUR

Yeah, I missed it there. A shock of color for my a2k friends. :wink: