What Would You Do If You Only Needed Two Hours Of Sleep?
Word on the street is scientists are developing a new drug that would allow people to get by with just two to four hours of sleep a night. The drug would place a patient/user into a synthetic sleep that would supposedly be deeper and more re-energizing than the real thing. The reasoning behind the drug’s creation is due to the fact that we live in a world that, despite technological advancements that are supposed to make everything easier, requires us to do more and live a 24-hour lifestyle.
As usual, I haven’t formed a for-or-against type opinion for this idea yet. I can see pros and cons to the drugs use.
As a new parent, I now see what all the other parents are complaining about when they say they never have time to do anything. My wife and I are very rarely without some kind of to-do list, and it’s a miracle nowadays if we manage to get just the first few items on it accomplished. With this new drug, we’d be able to put our son down to bed at night and still have the energy to go about the house and do what we need to. Sounds pretty sweet.
On the other hand though, what will happen when employers start to realize that they can squeeze more time out of us because we’re awake longer. If you’re like me, you’ve noticed that for many, the 40-hour workweek is a myth. If you want to be recognized and rewarded by your employer, you’ve got to bust your butt, and put in as much extra time as you possibly can, and even then, the only recognition you get might be a “Nice Job.” I can only imagine the increase in pressure placed on employees to do more when their bosses know they’re going to be awake and competent for 20 to 22 hours.
How do you feel about the possibility of having more time to do things during the day? Is it a good thing? Is it a Pandora’s Box?
If you want to read more about the drug, you can read more information on it at the following links:
Sky News: Sleep May Become A Thing Of The Past
Mirror.co.uk - News - The Pill That Will Let You Sleep For Just 2 Hours
BBC NEWS | Newsnight | Sleeping pills of the future
February 24th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
I have always said “sleep is for wimps” and “I can sleep when I am dead”. Now a pill. Interesting concept.