Would you give up half of what you own for a pill that would permanently alter you so that sleeping an hour a day would fully refresh you without side effects?

Absolutely.

First off, let’s consider giving up half of what I own. I don’t actually own all that much. And most of my possessions are made up of books and movies. While I would likely miss having this sort of home library… or half of it anyway… I wouldn’t be too bad off if I lost it. Aside from those things… I should probably make more space in my apartment anyway.

As for a pill that permanently alters my physiology so I only need one hour of sleep each day? That sounds fantastic. We spend a third of our lives unconscious. Imagine all you’d be able to accomplish if you could stay awake for 23 hours each day.

Don’t get me wrong… I like sleep. It feels good. But I’m really only aware of how good sleep feels when I compare it to how bad it can feel to wake up sometimes. And if an hour of sleep can cause me to feel fully refreshed for the day ahead, great.

What would you do? Are you willing to sacrifice half of your belongings to just require one hour of sleep each day? Or do you enjoy your sleep too much to give up the full eight hours? Let me know what you think down in the comments!

*The Question of the Week can be found in The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock, Ph.D.