No longer needing to sleep or no longer disposing your human waste, Which do you prefer?

[Agema]

Getting rid of sleep sounds like a good idea.

But stop and think what will actually happen. Those extra eight hours will be filled in large part by work. For a start, that's 8 hours more people do stuff, so people need to be employed to supply things to do.

Who on earth believes that our capitalist system and bosses will take a look at another 8 hours potential economic production and think "Mm, you know what, let's leave them to enjoy it as leisure time"? In particular, poor people on low salaries will be driven to work 16-20h a day to make ends meet: minimum wages are likely to be decreased - people only need enough to live on, so salaries can be dropped so that about the same money is earned off 16h work as used to be for 8h.

Sleep may be "unproductive", but it is the only time you have that is always going to be yours without demands and expectations from society or other people. You surrender that at your peril.

 

[Voidrunner]

Going to sleep is basically the only part of the day I look forward to, it's the one time of the day you can put everything aside and say 'I'm done.' I remember being in school and studying at night before exams and that moment where you just put the books away and crawl into bed just feels so freeing. I can't do anymore, tomorrow can wait, that type of thing. Plus, dreams are better than reality most of the time, so I wouldn't give up on sleep. Waste disposal is a pain in the ass, honestly a few minutes of that a day is more irritating than a whole night of sleep. I always ignore bodily urges until the last possible minute anyway because I can't be bothered getting up. So yeah, pretty easy choice.

 

[Abomination]

I would love to have an extra 6-8 hours a day. I presently suffer from having 20 hours of energy but need 6 hours of sleep. There's two hours there that is not accounted for.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

If I didn't need to sleep, would I still be tired? I feel tired most of the time.

If getting rid of the need for sleep also banishes tiredness, I'd choose to no longer need sleep. Definitely.

I'm getting this more and more. I used to be able to hike 30km in four and a half hours under weight of gear. If just wearing my webbing and ranging from a camp, I can navigate alpine and desert conditions to the tune of 50km a day. But recently I've been finding that I need to rest more frequently.

The level of energy drain over the last 4 years has been fairly pronounced. I suppose there's a reason the Army starts talking about getting you off active service by 40 if you're a lifer depending on rank and role you play.

I don't think it's just a matter of being tored however. Assuming not 'tired' in a holistic sense, rather in a 'age is rapidly catching up with you'.

Of course personal mileage may vary.... you're in your mid-thirties, right? If you're anything like me, I think it is a literal case of so many years since peak physical capability, and it's all downhill from here.

Honestly, I don't see why anybody would want to live past their sixties if it's simply a case of age. So far removed from your best, so far removed even from its memory. I feel like they should make euthanasia an option by 70... current projections being that I'll probably be house ridden by then. Maybe walk to the shops and back.

Then imagine getting rid of sleep in that state? Doing what exactly? Reading online newspapers 23 hours a day? I'd probably buy secondhand motorcycles and work on them all day. Nudging young'ens with my cane when they mouth off how I shoukd upgrade to cold fusion nuclear fuel cell engines rather than 'vintage' algal biofuel internal combustion enginery.

...Really should have been a mechanic. If I got a 'do over', I'd trade my money for simply a shot of starting my own professional motorcycle repair and secondhand sales workshop. Then I probably wouldn't mind working 21 hours a day if there was an Agema-argued point that the capitalist frameworks of society simply increased the number of hours everybody was expected to work and be active each day.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

I frequently look forward to sleep. I have never looked forward to, erm, waste disposal.

Absolutely not needing sleep. Having finished a 12 hour shift last night and being just too tired to go out for some fun on a Saturday night once in a blue moon, I feel the sleep option very strongly.

Ah, but if we no longer needed to sleep, how long would it be before companies instituted the 18-hour working day?

 

[Agema]

If I didn't need to sleep, would I still be tired? I feel tired most of the time.

If getting rid of the need for sleep also banishes tiredness, I'd choose to no longer need sleep. Definitely.

Assuming by tired you mean "sleepy" rather than fatigued by exertion...

The current theory is that the function of sleep is mostly to make sure your brain keeps working.

The brain has an extremely high metabolic requirement - that's one of the reasons most of the organs in your body can have the blood supply cut off for quite a while with not that much problem, but your brain cells start dying in about 90 seconds. At rest, something like 20% of our bodies' energy expenditure is our brains, even though it's about 2% of our body weight.

Metabolism means waste products, and waste products are a problem. This is where a second problem emerges, which is that due to the blood-brain barrier there is relatively limited exchange between the cerebrospinal fluid and blood. So the longer you're awake, the more waste metabolites - which will ultimately be toxic - build up in the brain. Sleep initiates a process of lower metabolic state (although not by much) and increases the interchange of metabolites between the blood and cerebrospinal fluid. If you like, it's rinsing out the crud from your brain. It also spurs anabolic (i.e. growth and rejuvenation) across the rest of the body, through less clear mechanisms. It's not just that, but sleep assists a lot of processing functions, such as the transferral of memories from short- to long-term storage, so without sleep certain aspects of your cognitive function are likely to suboptimal.

Wakefulness is maintained by excitation of the cortex by numerous other parts of the brain collectively called the ascending arousal system. Sleepiness is basically due to these brain regions producing less excitation according to circadian and homeostatic drive. If you're not getting enough sleep, the homeostatic drive is the problem. If you're a shift worker, tough, the circadian drive is going to make you a little suboptimal if you're working through the night no matter what. Being tired isn't such a big deal - you can get tired in the day no matter what, particularly as you get older. The problem is chronic lack of sleep.

To the best of our knowledge, no-one's ever died from total lack of sleep. I believe the longest recorded period with no sleep at all in a human is 11 days. Rats have died in ~12 days from sleep deprivation. Some guy with a rare disorder technically went without full sleep for at least a month, except that for several hours a day he was reporting symptoms which strongly suggest his brain was activating aspects of sleep even though he retained consciousness. Chronic lack of sleep is associated with suppression of the immune system, endocrine disorder (particular abnormal stress responses), appetite abnormalities, reduced physical recovery generally, greater susceptibility to mental health disorders.

Given all it does for the body and how complex it is, I have no idea how anyone would propose getting rid of sleep.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Getting rid of sleep sounds like a good idea.

Pretty much agree. While it differs from society to society, much of our daily lives revolve around making sure our basic needs are met. Eliminating one of them is bound to have consequences beyond the immediate convenience of not needing to take care of it.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Strange how many people are voting for getting rid of sleep! Let?s see, would you rather never experience the epitome of human comfort again or never have your body produce shameful and disgusting byproducts again?

 

[CaitSeith]

I don't know. Without the need of going to the bathroom, I'd no longer have a excuse to take a 5 minute pause and play Nintendo 3DS/Switch in the meantime.

 

[Silvanus]

Of course personal mileage may vary.... you're in your mid-thirties, right? If you're anything like me, I think it is a literal case of so many years since peak physical capability, and it's all downhill from here.

I'm mid-to-late twenties. If it's downhill from here, that's some distance (I hope).

Assuming by tired you mean "sleepy" rather than fatigued by exertion...

I do.

Wakefulness is maintained by excitation of the cortex by numerous other parts of the brain collectively called the ascending arousal system. Sleepiness is basically due to these brain regions producing less excitation according to circadian and homeostatic drive. If you're not getting enough sleep, the homeostatic drive is the problem. If you're a shift worker, tough, the circadian drive is going to make you a little suboptimal if you're working through the night no matter what. Being tired isn't such a big deal - you can get tired in the day no matter what, particularly as you get older. The problem is chronic lack of sleep.

I think that during a working week, I don't really get enough sleep (about 6.5 hours a day, 7 if I'm lucky, and then more when I'm off the next day).

It doesn't impair my ability to work, and I don't need nearly as much caffeine as some people do. Mostly, it just saps my energy and makes physical exertion difficult.

To the best of our knowledge, no-one's ever died from total lack of sleep. I believe the longest recorded period with no sleep at all in a human is 11 days.

That's what I remember from studying psychology in school, too. I think the runner up was 9 days, and for some reason, they were worse off than the one who stayed up for 11.

IIRC, the 9-day stint person started having severe hallucinations and paranoia and such.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

No more sleep. Because I already suffer the side effects of not getting enough of it. It would be nice not to have bags under my eyes all the time.

 

[DeadProxy]

Sleep is like a much needed fast forward button. To be aware of all 24 hours for the rest of my life sounds pretty terrible. I'd much rather never have to worry about that awkward feeling when you know you have to go and the uncomfortable pains it causes.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

I'm mid-to-late twenties. If it's downhill from here, that's some distance (I hope).

Oh, sorry. For some reason I thought you were older ... I think I got you confused with another poster. My bad.

That being said, if you're not recovering from general fatigue after sleeping, and assuming you're getting a decent amount of sleep and you're not sure why, it might pay to see a doctor and getting a general blood and urine work done if this is a persistent condition. I mean 7 hours isn't too bad. It's a pretty normal amount of sleep.

Maybe an organic acid analysis might identify core problems with your metabolism?

Can't hurt, right?

I'm pretty lucky in this regards. I often go days without sleep. Multiples even. Then I spend 6-7 hours sleeping and I'm feeling better. I must admit I'm kind of powered by tea after the first night of missed sleep, however. Often 15-20 standard black tea bags a day. No sugar, no milk, squeeze of lemon ... so I pretend it's good for me.

Energy drinks give me heart palpitations, and ixnaying coffee has halved the number of migraines I get and their severity.

 

[Smithnikov_v1legacy]

I'm at that age where sleep is something I actually enjoy, so yea, I can do without pooping.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Of course personal mileage may vary.... you're in your mid-thirties, right? If you're anything like me, I think it is a literal case of so many years since peak physical capability, and it's all downhill from here.

I'm mid-to-late twenties. If it's downhill from here, that's some distance (I hope).

Assuming by tired you mean "sleepy" rather than fatigued by exertion...

I do.

Wakefulness is maintained by excitation of the cortex by numerous other parts of the brain collectively called the ascending arousal system. Sleepiness is basically due to these brain regions producing less excitation according to circadian and homeostatic drive. If you're not getting enough sleep, the homeostatic drive is the problem. If you're a shift worker, tough, the circadian drive is going to make you a little suboptimal if you're working through the night no matter what. Being tired isn't such a big deal - you can get tired in the day no matter what, particularly as you get older. The problem is chronic lack of sleep.

I think that during a working week, I don't really get enough sleep (about 6.5 hours a day, 7 if I'm lucky, and then more when I'm off the next day).

It doesn't impair my ability to work, and I don't need nearly as much caffeine as some people do. Mostly, it just saps my energy and makes physical exertion difficult.

To the best of our knowledge, no-one's ever died from total lack of sleep. I believe the longest recorded period with no sleep at all in a human is 11 days.

That's what I remember from studying psychology in school, too. I think the runner up was 9 days, and for some reason, they were worse off than the one who stayed up for 11.

IIRC, the 9-day stint person started having severe hallucinations and paranoia and such.

Ever heard of the Russian sleep experiment? If not, look it up. It?s apocryphal, of course, but it?s creepy as shit; even the clinical, matter-of-fact? bent on the Wikipedia page reads like nightmare fuel.

 

[CheetoDust_v1legacy]

I have college in the evenings, I get up for work at 5.30 am and I'm working on a manuscript and trying to tidy up a few short stories. Not to mention meal prep and getting to the gym. Pooping is when I get to read. So I have to go with never sleep again.

 

[jademunky]

I like sleep so i'm gonna go with the never needing to evacuate every now and again (I'm assuming the waste just gets teleported out of me and into the sun).

The 8 extra hours of free time would be nice but honestly, what would I even do? It's dark and everyone else would still be asleep right?

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Strange how many people are voting for getting rid of sleep! Let?s see, would you rather never experience the epitome of human comfort again or never have your body produce shameful and disgusting byproducts again?

You know, now that I think about it ... not having to defecate (as in at all) would make the assumption that human digestion is perfect, right?

I mean how many millions of people would be saved worldwide each year if people didn't have to worry about drinking contaminated water? That basically all water and foodstuffs we consumed didn't leave you dying from violent vomiting and diarrhoea? If gastrointestinal disease symptoms didn't kill so many people each year?

So really it's an argument about productivity vs. human wellbeing. Given that the necessity of sleep has the added bonus that people can only be exploited so much, and saving human lives from the biggest killers on the planet, that's a win-win right? I mean diarrhoea alone counts for like 5% of all human mortality...

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Absolutely not needing sleep. Having finished a 12 hour shift last night and being just too tired to go out for some fun on a Saturday night once in a blue moon, I feel the sleep option very strongly.

Ah, but if we no longer needed to sleep, how long would it be before companies instituted the 18-hour working day?

Long enough to enjoy it I'm sure. We do have plenty of laws governing that sort of thing. I only do the standard 40 hour week, I just have weird shifts.

 

[CheetoDust_v1legacy]

Oh and ibs coupled with other stomach issues means pooping isn't always a walk in the park for me so I would definitely give that up if I could.