Orexin A

[Rose]

http://www.wired.com/science/discoverie ... eprivation

Thoughts?

[Universezero]

Seems like it would be awesome if it worked fully, but somehow I get the feeling that if someone used that for a year and never slept the -something- bad would happen. We're not even fully sure why humans need sleep, and I get the feeling this drug will not be able to replace it.

[Rose]

I could've sworn I read that it would really damage memory function if overused. Like, you wouldn't be able to learn anything new. I'd try to find it again but it's 3:30 AM and I honestly can't be arsed. I'll see if I can find it tomorrow. But yeah, in any case, I highly doubt it would actually replace sleep. But it would be awesome to use in a pinch, like if you have a project due the next morning for school.

[scythe]

One significant problem is all of those other effects of orexin. In particular, orexin, being the appetite hormone, makes you really hungry. Modafinil, also mentioned in the article, is arguably the most benign stimulant known, but long-term sleep deprivation using stimulants has been known to cause problems. The fact that orexin can reverse 36 hours of sleep deprivation isn't too surprising; what would be surprising is if it prevented the neurotoxic effects of not sleeping which are suspected to be a major cause of cognitive problems in ecstasy users.

Among other things, disruption of the orexin/hypocretin system is related to narcolepsy. GHB, known for its ability to induce deep sleep, has been used to normalize sleep patterns in narcoleptics and doing this provides significant benefits. Melatonin, released during sleep, is one of the most important natural chemopreventive agents.

In short, this has serious potential to harm those who attempt it. Taking drugs to stay awake all the time is fucking stupid.

[Rose]

I nominate that post for Post of the Year. A) It describes stuff clearly, B) It provides a shitload of links, and C) It summarizes itself at the end.

KUDOS TO YOU, SIR.

[squibbles]

A) It describes stuff clearly, B) It provides a shitload of links, and C) It summarizes itself at the end.

Also known as every scythe post.