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Museings - Sleep and life expectency.

A

aero

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
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154
There have been allot of studies done on sleep and increased/decreased life expectencies. There seems to be a general agreement about 8 hours of undisturbed sleep increasing someones life expectency. My question is, or theory rather, is that If sleep increases life expectency then wouldn't it be in a Dr's interest to perscribe everyone some form of sleeping pils? As they are meant to be looking out for our long term health and well being.

PRO's> It would decrease medical costs long term as it would increase everyones life span. We would have less sick days, which would in turn boost the economy as we would work for more days and subsequently years in our life.
There would be no such thing as insomnia, saving on dr's visits.
Mental alertness and stress would be decreased, with the security of perfect sleep nightly.

CON's> Reliance, addiction, Costs.

Lots of these beneifist etc, for a small cost of creating and distributing these pils. Surprised it hasn't been trialled somewhere allready? Thoughts guy?
 
A lot of doctors believe it is better to find what they consider better long term solutions to the problem.

As well as the fact that a lot of sleeping pills, like benzodiazepines, alter the way we sleep. Apparently they can do this in a negative way, it's not something I have looked into too much as I use benzos for getting fucked up, not sleeping. This would possibly negate the 'life expectancy' qualities of sleep you are talking about.

Interesting topic.
 
yeh i'm not talking any current medications on the market as i don't think there is a good example available. But in the future it's not unlikely that one will exist, with limited side effects that might not interfere with out sleep patterns.

I use benzo's to sleep when i'm sick to gaurantee a good nights rest, might be placebo or the benzo sleep but it leaves me totally refreshed the next day and feeling better.

Studies would have to be done but i would assume most people would have similiar experiences?
 
All well and good if if after 8hrs you wake up clear headed but unfortunately I find most pharmaceutical sleeping aids leave me slighty groggy the next morning. Not really what I need when I'm working.

Besides what does it mean when Margaret Thatcher (still alive and kicking at 85) survived on 4 hours a night and Sir Winston Churchill (died aged 90) needed only 3 hours a night while in public office?

I would think most cost effective treatment would involve exercise, diet and meditation techniques.
 
Busty St Clare said:
Besides what does it mean when Margaret Thatcher (still alive and kicking at 85) survived on 4 hours a night and Sir Winston Churchill (died aged 90) needed only 3 hours a night while in public office?
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Specific examples differ from soceities trends on a larger scale. I think it's well documented that low amounts of sleep are unhealthy. And i don't doubt that those two had more medical advice and monitering than the average person.

I think drugs are even cheaper than exercise < think cost of runners vs production of 1cent pils etc.

And diet as well < cost of natural produce.

Meditation is the only 'free' option.

My topic is more on the theorisation, rather than todays reality.
 
Good diet is only expensive if you choose not to eat anything.

Exercise is as cheap as getting off you fat arse and skipping with a piece of rope.

Don't forget your 1cent pill comes with a million dollars worth of research and development.

Maybe living past 70 is just being fucking greedy.
 
Busty St Clare said:
Maybe living past 70 is just being fucking greedy.
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Nah i think it's good. We would be better of as a society, longer life to work. More time to raise a family. More time for education. More time for play. Lot's of benefits.
 
Are you sure?
Think about the strain on health services if everyone lived a long life.
 
I have said it before but I am a firm believer in reducing the retirement age to say 55 then introducing an "extermination age" at 75. You would not have to save as much for retirement, you could plan to be more active and enjoy the time you are fit and healthy then throw a huge farewell party the month before your 75th birthday. The strain on the health system would be reduced as most chronic illnesses take affect in your 80's. I see too many patients who reach a certain age where they wish they were dead. At least we could celebrate their death as much as their life.
 
I don't know that much about sleeping pills.

But like everything else, if we were on sleeping pills regularly over extended periods, wouldn't our body build up an immunity?
 
But like everything else, if we were on sleeping pills regularly over extended periods, wouldn't our body build up an immunity?
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That and dependence. The number of people I know who take a benzo every night for sleeping is incredible. I remember a mate who is a drummer once freaking when he realised he had to travel for work and was out of tamazapam. He was positively in a panic. Thankfully he changed to doing manual labour and found he was so tired from work he no longer needed them.

But it would be hypocritical to say I don't take anything. A couple of beers before dinner makes it much easier for me to sleep, that's for sure, and I certainly notice difficulty in getting to sleep on the alcohol free nights.
 
Busty St Clare said:
I have said it before but I am a firm believer in reducing the retirement age to say 55 then introducing an "extermination age" at 75. You would not have to save as much for retirement, you could plan to be more active and enjoy the time you are fit and healthy then throw a huge farewell party the month before your 75th birthday. The strain on the health system would be reduced as most chronic illnesses take affect in your 80's. I see too many patients who reach a certain age where they wish they were dead. At least we could celebrate their death as much as their life.
Click to expand...

In the future though being 80 might be equivelent to being 60 in todays years? think advancements in technologies etc. More on topic, increased life expectency directly infers increased health. Thus medical costs would be lower for longer living healthy individuals, say vs short living unhealthy ones. I don't think 'living longer' refers to adding years to chronically sick, or often sick, elderly. As wouldn't they be dead/close to death? Raising a generation of healthy individuals creates a generation of healthy elderly. Todays figures can't represent that statistic.
 
phase_dancer said:
A couple of beers before dinner makes it much easier for me to sleep, that's for sure, and I certainly notice difficulty in getting to sleep on the alcohol free nights.
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Yeh imagine if they sold sleeping pils like beer, im sure it would be used to generate the same effects:). The idea is theory not practice with current medications, as no possiblity exists.

I'm not pushing the benzo abuse sleep option, as thats not a 'healthy' option.
Clearly we have no pil that can give us this option atm, otherwise it would be in circulation.

But you'd be hard pressed ot find someone who would turn down a sleep quick fix in favor of nothing if it were readily available, had minimal side effects.
 
Also lets not forget the very real affects of mixing sleeping pils with alcohol.

If it was the normal for everyone to take sleeping pils, people would overlook the risks involved.
 
aero said:
In the future though being 80 might be equivelent to being 60 in todays years? think advancements in technologies etc. More on topic, increased life expectency directly infers increased health. Thus medical costs would be lower for longer living healthy individuals, say vs short living unhealthy ones. I don't think 'living longer' refers to adding years to chronically sick, or often sick, elderly. As wouldn't they be dead/close to death? Raising a generation of healthy individuals creates a generation of healthy elderly. Todays figures can't represent that statistic.
Click to expand...

But at what stage do you stop working? As soon as you stop you do not contribute to the economy or pay taxes, you become a drain. You may be healthy and not needing a hospital yet you still use public transport (which is subsidised even more as a senior) not to mention your housing is one less the next generation can utilise. There are only so many holes to tee off from on a golf course. Soon enough there is a waiting list at the clubhouse.

It sounds harsh but being alive is different to living. You can have a dream that living for an extra 50 years is a blessing but I see it that you should enjoy your precious time then move on for the next person. I don't see the planet really being able to support a human population with zero deaths.
 
You still buy things when your old. You need to eat, drink sleep etc. If you live longer you don't just live longer and become unproductive. There has to be a period of extended productivity with extended amount of years lived. It's not an extension of senile existence, that's not good.

Currently the world can support 3 times it's population with food, the problem being that 2/3 of that food is in the hands of 1/3 of the pop.

Back to topic again, the idea is that sleeping pils can be administered on a large scale to the population, to increase sleep. That means it's regulated somewhat, and it is readily available. This means the supply is limitless. Regulation means addiction and dependence are monitered and controlled. The fact that everone has them destroys recreational monetary value.
Better sleep = better productivity.



I don't see a downside to being alive longer.
 
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