Is it possible to override the need for sleep?

[ghosty]

So lately my sleep schedule has been totally backwards and irregular... I sometimes find that when I sleep in shorter intervals that I have more energy than when I sleep for a while. So I got to thinking... There are many times in Special Ops military branches, and just other occupations where one must go for many days with very little to no sleep. It made me wonder about the possibility of overriding the instinct and need for sleep. Is it possible through conditioning and perhaps diet alterations to ensure energy in a healthy way that one could eliminate the need to sleep?

Any thoughts?:wtf:

[ghosty]

I found this on oddee.com too that made me continue to wonder... he seemed to be able to do it...

The Man who doesn't Sleep (Thai Ngoc)


Sixty-four-year-old Thai Ngoc, known as Hai Ngoc, said he could not sleep at night after getting a fever in 1973, and has counted infinite numbers of sheep during more than 11,700 consecutive sleepless nights. "I don't know whether the insomnia has impacted my health or not. But I'm still healthy and can farm normally like others," Ngoc said. Proving his health, the elderly resident of Que Trung commune, Que Son district said he can carry two 50kg bags of fertilizer down 4km of road to return home every day. His wife said, "My husband used to sleep well, but these days, even liquor cannot put him down." She said when Ngoc went to Da Nang for a medical examination, doctors gave him a clean bill of health, except a minor decline in liver function. Ngoc currently lives on his 5ha farm at the foot of a mountain busy with farming and taking care of pigs and chickens all day. His six children live at their house in Que Trung. Ngoc often does extra farm work or guards his farm at night to prevent theft, saying he used three months of sleepless nights to dig two large ponds to raise fish.

[budl0v3r]

Sleep is essential in your everyday life because when you sleep your body goes to work healing your ailment's: that's why alot of sleep heals the flu faster. Also your brain store's memorys and processes them while you sleep so you have a better memory when you get enough sleep. But like everything, there is a thing as too much sleep, and I have found that. I enjoy sleeping long periods of time, its fun and gives an excuse for everything :D. But when I sleep that much I never have any energy because I've slept too much. Now I sleep between 5 and 8 hour's, and still: no energy. It's probably just me, all my friends have the perfect amount of energy on 8 hour's.
Did that even make sense??
Oh well to sum it:
Sleep is good: for your brain and body
Too much sleep is bad: makes you tired
:stoned::stoned:

[D.U.M.B]

Why would you want to stop sleeping? Sleeping rules

[WeedyBoyWonder]

I don't believe it to be possible for every human to over come the need for sleep, but as transcript you posted had the man that didn't need sleep for almost or over now 12,000 days. That is pretty fucking mad is it not? Like, not sleeping for 32 YEARS! lol... but yea, maybe it is possible for some, to not depend on sleep for their bodies general well being, although the number of people in the world that could go without sleep for a decade or more (or triple o_O) must be pretty small I would think?
People in the military don't have the choice to sleep I would assume, not that I take much interest in any armed forces apart from FPS (my hearts beatin', my hands are shakin', but I'm STILL shooting and I'm still gettin' them headshots, it's like BOOM HEAADSHOT!). When it's stay awake, or have the chance to be gunned down or casually bombed, it's maybe not such a good idea to get some sleep.
I find if I sleep to much then I find I'm less motivated when I am awake and it actually takes me alot longer to feel awake and generally be feeling like I'm ready to start the day. I get around 6 to 8 a night which I find to be premium.
..wo, when did I start using words like premium :wtf:

[RUTBpiping]

Why would you want to?.....sleep is wonderful. :thumbsup:

Its the time where your body can recharge clear out toxins etc etc.

Dont do it.....it will damage your health.

[Purple Banana]

SLEEP RULZ!!!!11!!one!!1!

[couch-potato]

Overcoming the need to sleep... perhaps human evolution?

[fasterspider]

Sleep pissed me off :mad:this past sleep session that was supposed to be because I woke up too many times and then finally at 4 am to sit here in front of my PC for hours wishing for daylight and my garage to work on my bike.
I used to be able to sleep 10-12 hours but, then I quit doing drugs, alcohol and cigarettes and my sleeping went out the window with those old habits. Now I only sleep about 5 hours a night and what is worse is that I am fully rested and do not need anymore sleep. I get restless and start to sweat so I have to get out of bed. That sucks because there is nothing to do at 4 am.
There are exceptions to almost every rule but sleep is what regenerates us for the next days activities.
Sleep well and enjoy it while you can because the older you get, the less you sleep.

[the image reaper]

I'm a retired longhaul trucker, 31 years, over 4,000,000 miles ... over the years, I reached my best efficiency, if I slept about 5 hours a night (or,day) ... after about a week of that, I would need a full night's sleep (8 or 9), then I could comfortably repeat the 5-hour cycle ... I felt great with 5, and sluggish with 8 ... even now, I usually sleep only 5-6 hours per night, and would probably have less, if I weren't 'medicated' :jointsmile: ... truckers talk about sleep schedules a lot, etc., and there's a lot of variance, but we aren't able to change it drastically ... I think we're each individual slaves to our sleep needs ... I gotta go take a nap :D

[Breukelen advocaat]

The guy in Vietnam, who claims to have not slept for 33 years, is greatly exaggerating his ability to bypass sleep. According to everything I've read and heard, it's impossible to survive w/o sleep.

He may not remember falling asleep and waking up, but sleep has to happen.

[liberationfrequency]

I don't think there is because I know it's a form of torture for to stop people from falling asleep for days, and eventually you would just go mad.

[LIP]

I can fish for 3 days straight with no sleep, without feeling tired at all. Sometimes i do an all nighter because i just cant sleep and stay up the next day without getting tired.

[Purple Banana]

I saw a documentary on a genetic degenerative disorder that blocks the ability of the brain to produce sleep-inducing chemicals, causing the patient not to be able to sleep but an hour every week or so... It's fatal eventually, because the body becomes so worn out, ect. I can't remember the name, but I'll try to see if I can find info on it.

[scagster]

Every few months I go through a period of 3 to 5 days where it's near impossible for me to sleep. I have to get all sorts of prescription meds to knock me out at all, but if completely sober throughout (cannabis included as sobriety haha), I won't even get tired for days.

[Barney Trouble]

you cant live without sleep, that article is either fake or embellished.

[DreadConches]

You probably feel more energetic with the shorter periods of sleep because you are waking up around the end of a cycle. If you wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle you will feel groggy. There are some products on the market that capitalize on this by waking you up when you are most restless (basically equates to lightest sleep). One of the products was recently featured in popsci. I'm sure if you want more information you can find it online.

[NextLineIsMine]

That story about the Thai guy cant possibly be true, though we dont understand why yet the human mind is incapable of going without sleep. Even meth heads hit their limit after about a week and soon slip into psychosis and paranoia or realize its time for a nap.

[DreadConches]

Meth is not much of a stimulant compared to some of the safe things currently in development. Another article in popsci was about that, maybe I will find it...

[ghosty]

I saw a documentary on a genetic degenerative disorder that blocks the ability of the brain to produce sleep-inducing chemicals, causing the patient not to be able to sleep but an hour every week or so... It's fatal eventually, because the body becomes so worn out, ect. I can't remember the name, but I'll try to see if I can find info on it.

I'd be interested in reading that...

I can go about 2 days without sleep then I need about 8-10 hours to regain energy. I don't purposely try to push myself to my limits, but I wont go to sleep unless I'm tired, instead I stay up and do things. Such as writing and producing music. I've written most of my material in the late hours of the night and early morning when most people are sleeping. I find many of these times I can be very productive, so it got me wondering about the possibility of not needing to sleep so I could continue to work on projects at night without getting fatigued. I completed my most recent song (see sig) overnight just the other day, and finished it to the point it's at now by about 7am.

P.S. The story of the thai guy is true... All of the stories posted on that site are true. Oddee - Quality Entertainment (http://www.oddee.com) it's known for having the wierdest but truest things on their site, it's actually a pretty damn cool site... That one was under the page of people with extraordinary abilities, another interesting one on there is the blind boy who taught himself to see using a form of sonar and sensitivity so sound changes between spaces.

I reccomend checking it out, if you want a cool site to kill some time with.:thumbsup:

[Purple Banana]

There was a novel I also read regarding this one wolf researcher in far north Canada- the man followed the wild wolf pack's behaviors, and in turn, he had to learn to sleep like them- sleeping for 2-3 hours every 4-5 hours.

When he returned home, he found he was much more energized and productive if he was following a similar sleep schedule to the wolves. I think that would be optimal, but probably not practical for a 9-5 job, but still- I'd love to try it.

[Eazy]

well im 19, and as a rule of thumb i dnt sleep at weekends go bed thursday about 3/4 am get up half 6 go to college come home at about 7pm, go bet 1/2 ish maybe 3. wake up 9 or 10 am, start my 3 day weekend with spiffs n all sorts of mind candy, go bed sunday about 2am, get up 6, college monday go bed about 12 get up 6 n repeat the week... sleep sucks cant waste weekend time!!!

[NextLineIsMine]

I know what your thinking of, im an avid Pop sci reader too. The drugs exist now and are prescribed to narcoleptic patients only. Its a new class of drugs which are not stimulants, the heart does not beat faster, there is no "speedy" feel the user is not excessively alert like on amphetamines but does not feel mental weariness at all.

BTW I found it its called Modafinil

[DreadConches]

Yeah, thats one (thanks for looking), but there is also one that has an alphanumeric name that is being produced by some branch of the military and is still in development. Maybe I will look.