Sleep Replacement Drug: Snort the Night Away
Ever wish that you didn’t have to sleep some nights? Well, I’m one of those “lucky” people who don’t need as much sleep as the average person. That’s because I’ve had insomnia since the age of 13. Falling asleep has always been a problem.
Anyone that has experienced long bouts of sleep deprivation knows that it’s no picnic. That’s why my ears perked up when I read about a new drug that could eliminate sleepiness. It’s being tested by Darpa-funded scientists now.
A nasal spray filled with a natural brain hormone called orexin A is being tested in labs. Up to this point stimulants have been used to fight against sleep. Yet they are addictive, have terrible side effects and often become less effective over time.
Jerome Siegel, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA, found that a lack of orexin A may cause narcolepsy (excessive daytime sleepiness). So what was the next logical step? Administer a double blind study where sleep deprived and narcoleptic monkeys are given orexin.
Results, although in their early preliminary stages, are amazing. Introducing the hormone has little to no side effect. It literally reverses the side effects of sleepiness without the edge that’s usually associated with stimulants. A scan of their brains revealed that they were awake and refreshed, just like after a nights sleep.
Little is known about long term sleep deprivation and its effects on the body. Although it’s obvious that long bouts without sleep are unnatural. Lets just say I doubt that it’ll ever be prescribed to students to pull all nighters. Yet can’t the same thing be said about caffeine?
Who knows, sometime in the distant future you may be ordering a bump of orexin at the equivalent of your local Starbucks? Then again, maybe not.
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Paul Sanchez said
am January 1 2008 @ 5:22 am
Great find. I think I’m going to need some orexin A today considering its 5:00 am and I can’t sleep. haha.
Jerad Kaliher said
am January 1 2008 @ 12:09 pm
@Paul Sanchez, story of my life! Some nights I’m up and have so much on my mind that I can’t fall asleep. Yet right around the 8AM mark the next day I’m too sluggish to actually get anything done. That would be a perfect time for a bump of this stuff.
Drew Smith said
am January 1 2008 @ 4:33 pm
in the words of valley girls everywhere.. ohmigod!
I worked from 3:00-12:45, went home and slept from 1-5, squeezed in a 15 minute nap, and returned to work from 8:30AM to 1PM today.
I generally shun caffeine. I’m strange that way. I remove the “energy” supplement included with my daily creatine pack and save them in a large bottle. In the event I anticipate a lack of sleep, these can make a considerable difference. Especially for a waiter up and on the move for several hours at a time. I’d prefer something without the side effects though, as I often find myself laying in bed hours later, at the moment of truth (when I need to be asleep) staring at the backs of my eyelids thinking and thinking and thinking. And NOT SLEEPING!
curious to see how this drug develops!
Jerad Kaliher said
am January 1 2008 @ 4:55 pm
@Drew Smith, you are a trooper my friend. I remember we had a talk a while back about our sleep habits. It seems that you’ve been doing well, even with the rigors of a demanding schedule.
That’s usually the problem with jobs like the one you’re in now. Although they offer flexibility they do require to you get back on the horse after a 10 hour day with little more than a 2 hour nap in between. Give a little, take a little – I guess.
We’ll have to see if this drug ever goes through FDA phase I if it has any merit…
Connie T. said
am January 1 2008 @ 5:56 pm
The hubby says: its unnatural, and refers to the sleeplessness that leads to madness in Macbeth….
I say: Give me some of that! But my boss better not think he can make me work wonky shifts! (I recently read somewhere that working overnight shifts shortens the human life span because it really messes up your system.)
This would be great for the military, e.g. navy seals that might have to stay awake for days on end, and avoid what’s called the “drone zone.”
p.s. love the blog title
Jerad Kaliher said
am January 2 2008 @ 12:17 am
@Connie T., yeah I can see how your counterpart might make a pretty strong augment against a drug like this. Honestly, I don’t blame him. It is highly unnatural. But then again, so is sitting at a desk for hours on end and staring at computers and TVs.
If we just sit down and face the facts, we are not really doing anything that our bodies are adapted to do. Maybe that’s why we have such a large laundry list of discomforts and diseases that have sprung up over the last 100 years.
Genetics aside, I think that the implications of a drug like this existing are also pretty scary. What happens when your boss makes you take a few bumps to stay awake and finish an order or menu? Will overtime still be paid? Where does the line get drawn at work without sleep in the equation?
It’s fitting that he refers to the sleeplessness that leads to madness in Macbeth. That was on my mind when I was writing this article.
Rob said
am January 6 2008 @ 12:19 pm
Hmmm, not for me I like my sleep too much. It might be good for those winter mornings though, one quick sniff and your up.
rob said
am April 4 2008 @ 11:03 am
i often go long periods without sleep, dont know if its insomnia or what not really fussed tbh cos thats why stumble was made!!!