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Sleep is for the unmedicated

  • 08-03-2003 8:34pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,025 ✭✭✭


    A new study aid ?

    Saw this on Boing Boing

    http://slate.msn.com/id/2079113/

    A fascinating diary of one writer's trial of the narcolepsy drug modafinil (creepily marketed as Provigil), a drug that slows the release of GABA, a sleep promoter in the brain.


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 953 ✭✭✭superconor


    hmm. as far as i can see that drug just makes your brain feel like you have had more sleep than you actually have had, but your body would know that you rae tired, would it not?
    i thought that was interesting.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,483 ✭✭✭✭daveirl


    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,155 ✭✭✭SOL


    I might just try that


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,330 ✭✭✭✭Amz


    There was a BBC documentary on this topic some weeks ago. Very interesting it showed how the neurostimulator which people with narcolepsy are lacking was only discovered when a scientist was trying to find a cause for obesity.

    The documentary suggested that we do not in fact need to sleep and it is only due to the production of this neurochemical (name escapes at the moment sorry!) at certain times during the day that we do sleep. It was also suggested that if this chemical could be produced in medicinal form ie tablet etc then there people would have more time to work etc without the need to sleep thus creating a society of drones.

    Because of the 8 hours a day (give or take) spent sleeping this drug would give people more tiime to do anything be it leisure time, time spent working and could also be militarily important in reducing/eliminating fatigue.

    Apologies if ive been repetitive.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,524 ✭✭✭✭Gordon


    I can't understand why on earth your brain would use a drug that it didn't need. Mind you my brain has many things that it doesnt need inside it. for example: hangover chemicals - i don't need them now do I.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,330 ✭✭✭✭Amz


    Sorry i was kind of unclear there......
    (when am i ever otherwise?!!)

    When we become tired say at night it's because this chemical within the brain is at it's lowest and when we wake up it's because the brain releases the chemical back into it's system to wake us up I'm going to eh... google it and see if i can find anything or try find the a link on the BBC's website
    It was really interesting how it worked but it was on a month or two ago and i was watching it on BBC sign zone at about 3am so the correct chemical names are lost to the mists of time/repeated blows to the head....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,330 ✭✭✭✭Amz


    This is a liink to the BBC programme I was referring to might be a bit more insightful than my late night attempt!

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2003/narcolepsy.shtml

    Here's another two or three links that are kind of related to narcolepsy and recent breakthroughs etc..

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/sci/tech/newsid_61000/61914.stm

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_583000/583586.stm


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,483 ✭✭✭✭daveirl


    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,330 ✭✭✭✭Amz


    I dunno what programme you're talking about but it wasnt on this BBC one!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15,552 ✭✭✭✭GuanYin


    That is insane!

    There is no way in the world that should get FDA approval.

    Sleep isn't just about brain function, its important in immune system moderation, tissue repair and biochemical equilibrium.

    Simply blocking gabanergic pathways (or more likely inhibiting gaba receptors) may stop fatigue but your body will eventually suffer as a result.

    It may give your a few more hours in the day but it would probably shorten your life span considerably.

    On a related aside, Russian scientists spent time and money on a programme investigating buddhist meditation techniques that substituted for sleep. They were allegedly able to moderate their metabolism to such an extent that they could get the benefits of a full nights sleep in a couple of hours.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,483 ✭✭✭✭daveirl


    This post has been deleted.


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