We always make a big deal about all of the things we would accomplish if we could use all 24 hours in every day, as if the need to sleep is really the thing that keeps us from being more productive.
So, what do we think would we do with the extra time, if we could feel totally rested without sleep? These people have some pretty grand ideas!
You won’t be able to fool everyone.
Haha oh man, the OP is so unrealistic.
If we could take a pill that rested us, we’d have another 8 hours in our day for employers to exploit. We’d be expected to work 12-16 hours since “we don’t need sleep anymore” – places would staff less people because they could just make their crew work all three shifts.
Anyone who thinks “Yeahhh! Bonus time :D” Is incredibly naive. If this ever came to pass, all that would happen is the working class would be expected to work even more for less.
“Well, you can work for 12-16 hrs a day now, so obviously we don’t need to increase minimum wage – you can simply work more hours if you want food and shelter!”
There are other things to consider.
Sleep.
How else am I supposed to hide from my depression?
We’ve already thought of that.
Here’s a webcomic about an entire society that starts talking that pill. Society stretches the work day out to 18 or 20 hours, often of meaningless stuff.
The main character is allergic to the pills, and needs to sleep, so it’s considered a disability that he can only work 16 hours a day. There’s a bunch of other side effects.
Sad, but probably real.
If that pill existed, what few labor protections we have left would be gone overnight.
“you don’t need a minimum wage increase! you can just work another 6 hours if you want shelter, clothes, food, and medicine!”
Shelter? Why do you need that if you don’t have to sleep? Just stay in the office all day. Here’s a Foosball table to keep you entertained and we have a cafetería so no need to go anywhere for food.
If you run out of pills we have “nap pods” where you can spend some time at the office while we get you your dose.
Everyone has that stack.
Complete the stack of games I don’t have time to start, complete the stack of books I’m too busy to read.
And in the end still go back to that one game you already played through a hundred times.
Just the rest, please.
I don’t care what I have to do with the 24 hours, I’d finally be rested.
Slept an average of 6 hours 26 minutes in the last 738 days.
That’s the wrong pill.
The pandemic has shown me that lack of time is not why I don’t get things done.
What I need is a pill that fixes my procrastination.
Different strokes.
I’d probably save that pill forever and use it on one of those rare but miserable times where I have to drive late at night.
Not very exciting, I know. But dying isn’t very exciting either.
Plenty of people would be opting out.
Hell no, I sleep to escape.
I look forward to crawling into a comfy bed at night and sleeping.
It is the highlight of my day…which writing it out and seeing it actually looks kinda sad but I promise it’s not intended to be.
That last part is it.
I absolutely would. It’s literally having more free time each day to do things that I don’t have time for.
Finish cleaning my office, clean my room, have time to workout… or just play more video games
All this and more, am I right?
I suppose we’ll probably never get the chance to find out – because sleep really is amazing, if you ask me.
