# Would you never sleep if you could? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 26, 2017, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469 "2017-05-26T13:35:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/1 "2017-05-26T13:35:47Z")
A genie appears before you. Unfortunately for you, he’s just started on the job and didn’t really pay attention to the training so he only knows how to grant a single, specific wish: to never have to sleep ever again. You will remain physically capable of sleep; if necessary you can be chemically sedated, like for surgery or whatever, but on your own you will never, ever get tired enough to have to sleep, and you will never suffer any ill effects of sleep deprivation. At sometime around 400AM every morning you will blink and immediately be fresh as a daisy, as if you got 8 hours of sleep in an instant. If you were drunk, you will instantly become sober (or at least 8 hours less intoxicated). This does not confer any other powers. Your natural lifespan will remain the same as it was before, you’ll just be awake the entire time. Do you take him up on this wish or do you decline? ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/2 "2017-05-26T14:08:40Z")
Why would anyone, even the greatest lovers of sleep, NOT take him up on this offer? From what I understand, whenever you want to, you can sleep for as long as you’d like, correct? So basically you’re just increasing your options by saying yes but not really committing to anything. Suffice it to say, I’d say yes. And also I think I would rarely, if ever, sleep. That’s a whole extra third of my life I’d get back! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/3 "2017-05-26T14:10:38Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > Why would anyone, even the greatest lovers of sleep, NOT take him up on this offer? From what I understand, whenever you want to, you can sleep for as long as you’d like, correct? No. You can try, but without chemical sedation, you will never, ever sleep. ---
**Author:** ![femmejean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/0ea827/32.png) [@femmejean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femmejean)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/4 "2017-05-26T14:15:42Z")
Yes; I do wonder how much humans would have progressed if they could be in more control of basic aspects of their biology. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/5 "2017-05-26T14:25:58Z")
Oh yes, absolutely. I don’t sleep well anyway, and when I do, it’s never at the time that really works for modern life. This is just basically solving the need to do something that has never really worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/6 "2017-05-26T14:28:19Z")
I voted no, but not so much for sleep-- for the dreams. I one of those people who remembers his dreams, and some of them are just fantastic. I would not want to give up that experience, which is just as real, at the time, as waking reality is. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/7 "2017-05-26T14:28:38Z")
Good God, no. I don’t “love” to sleep, nor do I do it very well, but I can’t imagine filling all that time. Man, I’d be irritated if I finally found a genie and _that_ was all it could offer me. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/8 "2017-05-26T14:33:14Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I voted no, but not so much for sleep-- for the dreams. I one of those people who remembers his dreams, and some of them are just fantastic. I would not want to give up that experience, which is just as real, at the time, as waking reality is. This. I love to sleep, I love my bed and my wonderful Cuddledown pillows, I love the sensation of falling asleep, and I love my dreams. I also like to nap because I have vivid dreams when I nap. Sometimes I take a nap \*just \*to have dreams–kind of like you might go to a certain restaurant because the service is so good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/9 "2017-05-26T14:33:30Z")
You only bought my sleep so you could steal my dreams. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/10 "2017-05-26T14:36:34Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > No. You can try, but without chemical sedation, you will never, ever sleep. Then no. This would be disruptive in the personal relations area for little real gain. Besides someone would find out and then EXPECT me to be productive 24/7 and I’d wind up working for de-facto less than minimum wage. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/11 "2017-05-26T15:07:25Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Do you take him up on this wish or do you decline? Is there an open bar available? 🙂 I picked yes, I hate wasting time sleeping. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/12 "2017-05-26T15:09:18Z")
I have never been able to totally shut my brain down awake and I like shutting my brain down now and then so ------------ I’ll pass. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/13 "2017-05-26T15:31:33Z")
Sure. I’d take a graveyard shift job and get paid to on a chair somewhere without fucking up my ski time. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/14 "2017-05-26T15:41:16Z")
Prolly? I’m a reluctant sleeper who only enjoys it occasionally, and only when I’m exhausted. I sometimes think I’m almost afraid to go to sleep, like it will be the end of my existence and the person who wakes up next morning will be someone else entirely, just thinking they’re the same person. It’s a freaky thought that comes over me just every now and then. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > I voted no, but not so much for sleep-- for the dreams. I was thinking this too, but then as \*\*Gestalt \*\*points out . . > [@Gestalt](#): > > Why would anyone, even the greatest lovers of sleep, NOT take him up on this offer? From what I understand, whenever you want to, you can sleep for as long as you’d like, correct? So basically you’re just increasing your options by saying yes but not really committing to anything. So, if it’s optional, then yes, definately, so long as I can keep it secret from others. Don’t want people knowing they can call on me any time, or that I’ve met a genie. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/15 "2017-05-26T15:54:15Z")
Never! Often during the day I think about how later I’ll crawl into bed, get all snuggled in and comfy and read for an hour or so. It’s the best part of my day! ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/16 "2017-05-26T16:02:20Z")
But this way you’d get several more hours of snuggly book time. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/17 "2017-05-26T16:02:40Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Sure. I’d take a graveyard shift job and get paid to on a chair somewhere without fucking up my ski time. Definitely this, although I would try my hardest to make it a part time deal so I can have a least a few nights all to myself. I would find it wonderful to have 8 or so hours where I have nothing to do but play games/watch tv. It would be a dream (hell yeah pun intended) for long-distance driving as well. Although is the time in which I’m blinked awake negotiable? 4 AM is really late, can we make it, say, 11? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/18 "2017-05-26T16:03:14Z")
Even without needing to sleep, I envision myself being mentally exhausted from being awake constantly. Also, I love the whole idea of going to bed every night. Closing the door on the day. And waking up every morning with a clean slate, so to speak. No thanks. 'night. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/19 "2017-05-26T16:08:04Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > 'night. > mmm You’re really savouring that sleep time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469/20 "2017-05-26T16:14:25Z")
I love sleeping. It’s one of the most satisfying things to experience. And dreams delight me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-never-sleep-if-you-could/787469.md?page=2)