Wonder drug or slavery pill?

Scientists are developing a pill which enables you to fit the equiverlant of 8 hours sleep into just 2 hours.
This is achieved without the comedown associated with amphetamiens.

At first glance this seems to be a wonder drug,just think how much you could achieve on just 2 hours instead of the usual 8.

Now picture people in the sweatshops of China etc if their employers introduced this they could hike up working hours increasing productivity immensly,Indeed this could be the case here in UK and USA.

Is this pill a wonder drug or just another way for the governments to get more productivity out of the masses?

Opinions please?

Edit to remove broken link


[edit on 16/2/2006 by kuhl]

Well initally it could be useful, but I agree it could easily be abused in a situation like you presented.

Is it by a prescription or over-the-counter? What are the side-effects? The link you posted just redirects me to here and I couldn't find the article.

Also it could help out those who make low-wage jobs by allowing them to actually work two jobs easier without sleep deprivation of any sort.

The link you provided is the AOL UK home page.

Could you please be more specific.

That's a dangerous thought indeed. And I agree with Neil Stanley at the end of this article. I don't know if it's the same as yours because yours only opened to the aol.co.uk homepage.


Here you go guys.

[edit on 16-2-2006 by TheBandit795]

Originally posted by sanctum
The link you provided is the AOL UK home page.

Could you please be more specific.

The link works ok for me but that could be because I'm on aol.
From the homepage goto health/ new pills to replace sleep.

The article posted by bandit795 is about the same subject

Thanks bandit.

[edit on 16/2/2006 by kuhl]

You're welcome Kuhl...

People don't see the value of sleep at all. You can have lucid dreams in your sleep which can actually be more productive than your waking life if you know how to handle them.

Furthermore I see stress levels, and the number of heart disease cases, strokes etc... going through the roof wherever this pill will be implemented. I know of enough employers who would try to implement the use of this pill and abuse with it. Mostly in underdeveloped countries though, where there are no laws or workers unions protecting the employees.

And why do the "experts" assume that the entire world will want to leave sleep completely in the past? I LIKE sleeping as do many of my friends.

I can definately see benefits especially when cramming for exams or if you're on a role while doing a project etc. The fact is ANY technology can be abused and to think restriction will stop anyone from getting access to this technology are fooling themselves. CEO's regularly pop Ritalins an hour or two before an important negotiation because it focuses your attention to a superhuman level with few side-affects in Adults. (Children are another matter alltogether though.....)

Frankely I don't see a society of sleepless Humans ever coming to be as alot of us are "addicted" to sleep and dreaming.

This could help Narcoleptics though.

[edit on 16-2-2006 by sardion2000]

This would be amazing for soldiers on the battle field. I remember what it felt like to get two hours sleep over 6 days... The pain from exhaustion is the worst i have ever felt.. I would of necked these pills like smarties....

I do agree though that it needs to be researched fully before its handed out to the masses, but man i bet some of the old U-2 / SR-71 pilots would of killed for these pills in the 60's and 70's

That I'm aware, this doesn't replace sleep, only mitigates some symptoms of deprivation. This is not to say that it has not been, or will not be, forced upon people.

Im sure it will have some serious side effects.

Originally posted by tomcat ha
Im sure it will have some serious side effects.

Thats the point there is no side effects and it compresses the effect of 8 hours sleep into 2.

This seems a little to good to be true. If this becomes available in pharmacies then the entire world will be changed.

Imagine what our days would look like? Actually more like days and nights...

I read somewhere that an average human sleeps for 22 years during his or her lifetime.

This is just an improvement of a previous formulation of a similiar drug that allowed you to function on 4 hours of sleep with no ill effects. I do wonder what the medium and long term effects are though

I would rather sleep for 8 hrs . Or more depending on the weather .

dont want or need a pill that can do it in 2 hrs .

oh wow... I could get so much more done!

That is an extra 6 hours a day or night to have fun

imagine what you could do with an extra six hours?...wow, I reckon I would finally clean my car; definitely get the 11th hour assy in on time; party with friends!!!!! aw gee.. I don't have enough time in the day so would love only 2 hours sleep a night...I have an average of 4 hrs sleep a night and feel like death every morning! Have even tried the float tank...that is fantastic: 30 mins equivalent to 4 hours sleep... he he maybe I just have to buy a float tank and sleep in that for an hour every night...

I want that drug... and I want it now!!

Think about not just soldiers, but astronauts. On Apollo 13 they were exhausted when they got back, because there was no time for them to sleep much. If they had something like this pill, it would have done wonders for them. I can see a lot of benefits for NASA, and the military in this pill.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
Think about not just soldiers, but astronauts. On Apollo 13 they were exhausted when they got back, because there was no time for them to sleep much. If they had something like this pill, it would have done wonders for them. I can see a lot of benefits for NASA, and the military in this pill.

I want to maximise every min of my day

I think the benefits far out weight negatives....hopefully the drugs come with a guarrantee of not feeling like death!!

If they can do that... I put my hand up right now

Originally posted by kuhl
Thats the point there is no side effects and it compresses the effect of 8 hours sleep into 2.

I seriously doubt there is no long term effects from continual usage.

I wouldn't want to take this pill (not on a daily basis at least). I am in agreement with TheBandit795 in that dreaming is very under appreciated. Develop mastery of lucid dreaming then decide whether you want only 2 hours of sleep.

It's funny I actually take supplements to prolong and enrich my sleep/dreams.

[edit on 072828p://18u47 by Lucid Lunacy]

well as far as i know it fullfills the brains need for sleep in 2 hours, but your body wont have the time to rest though?

i'd imagine ie. ones heart needs to take it easy for few hours a day. and humans have slept 7 or more hours a day for thousands of years i dont really think we can change that just by taking a pill or two. i mean, theres definetely going to be something if one starts to take em on a daily basis.

however the pill can be useful as well, ie in space or during war-time.

Wow, it sounds amazing! I've been awake for over 7 days following a traumatic experience in the past, and yes, and the way I felt was beyond crap... I know you guys love links, but I can't provide any because most of the stuff I read is in print, but I've seen in many journals and even magazines that claim 1.5 hours (90mins) of REM sleep is all you need to completely "heal" yourself and be bright eyed and bushy-tailed for the next day... just beginning the REM is the problem, I suppose