02.16.06
Do people really need to sleep?
Some people think that we rest during our sleep, and that without sleeping we would be tired, and get sick.
In contrast, experiments with dogs as well as polyphasic sleepers have shown that it is not sleep that we need, but REM dreams. Dogs have died when prevented from dreaming, but not when prevented from sleeping. Polyphasic sleepers get by fine with 3 hours a day of mostly dream sleep.
However, there is a guy in vietnam who has been without any sleep for 30 years! He is active and in good health. Is he lucky genetically? Or is it something he learned? This means that not sleeping does not necessarily lead to death or bad health. We just need to figure out how to get rid of sleeping.
Polyphasic Sleep Put to Shame said,
February 16, 2006 at 7:23 am
[...] Vietnam Man Handles Three Decades Without Sleep (via) [...]
Chris said,
March 3, 2006 at 12:59 am
I love sleeping
Carl Smith said,
May 3, 2006 at 4:40 pm
Would you want to get rid of eating and breathing?
Also, I’m unfamiliar with the Vietnam journal you reference. Is it generally a credible one?
fredoh said,
August 8, 2006 at 6:43 pm
Here are some links that I believe will be interested
Andy said,
October 4, 2006 at 11:56 pm
Chris said,
March 3, 2006 at 12:59 am
I love sleeping
Hey Chris, how do you know- you sleep right through it all!! (Think about it..)
Justin said,
October 17, 2006 at 3:32 pm
“…could not sleep at night after getting a fever in 1973.”
There’s your answer right there. He probably suffered some sort of brain damage from the fever.
Nowhere does say if he still has to rest sometimes, or if he goes into REM sleep-like stages while still appearing to be awake.
If we just need REM dreams, then I’d still rather be asleep for them.
Monica said,
November 6, 2006 at 2:23 pm
I love to sleep all day and all nite!
raghuram said,
March 16, 2007 at 8:39 pm
i personally feel that we need to have REM dreams to have our life to continue.
i personally feel that a person taking early retirements from his work is facing more health problems than other person who is still trying to continue work,,,,,,,
for me Sleep is not so important but getting REM dreams is important,,,,,,
REM—-> RAPID EYE MOVEMENT
hence i love to have REM dream,,,,,,,,,,
Vanessa said,
June 6, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Sleeping is weird.. it’s addictive. when I start taking naps in the middle of the day, I have to break out of them eventually. I could sleep all the time. I’m so lazy I guess or depressed? I sleep like a cat would. So without sleep for me would mean always being too awake in this treacherous world! If I miss sleep at night like have only 5 hours sleep, I get really wacky and can’t think, it’s like I did drugs or something.
Caffeine said,
May 16, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Sleep is a waste of time and everyone knows it. I love sleep but even I know that you could do so much more with the 8 hours that you waste on sleep.
All humans except ones with sleeping dissorders spend 1/3 of their lives in sleep. So lets say that if your 85, then that means that you spend 28.3 years of your life in constant sleep. 28.3 years of accomplishing nothing.
No one is around on this planet forever, so you should be able to make the most of the time you have and be productive towards your own goals. But if your sleeping you cant do that….