When we sleep, our bodies do many different things. We clean out our systems, repair injuries and grow. Sleep is as necessary to life as food and water. But what if our desire to sleep could be quenched artificially? A new pill using a chemical called modafinil, which is supposedly non-addictive, could revolutionize the way many Americans go through life. It allows users to stay awake for 48 hours, followed by a normal, eight-hour nap. The risks, however, are not only likely, but also unknown.
The drug is intended for use by narcoleptics, but when prescriptions outnumbered the assumed amount of patients, physicians began to wonder if the drug was being used for other purposes. Since it is relatively new, no studies of long-term side effects have been completed. No short-term side effects were found. Judging from the numbers released in a Boston Globe article on the drug, many seem to have taken that as an indication that it was a safe way to stay up all night. There is no "crash" at the end of the extended wake time; after eight hours of rest, the subject is awake and ready to go.
Despite the lack of research on long-term effects, the military is already administering the drug to soldiers who need to stay awake for extended missions. They, too, have not reported any short-term side effects, but is this the kind of example we want the government to be setting for its citizens?
In this cutthroat environment of corporate warfare and high scholastic pressure, there can be little doubt of modafinil's potential for abuse. Americans are obsessed with chemicals that change how their bodies function, from anti-depressants, like Prozac, to diet pills, like Fen-Phen. There should be little surprise if modafinil becomes the next "lifestyle drug." Adirol and Ritalin are already used without a prescription by students to keep awake to study and complete research papers and projects, not to mention as a way of controlling "problem" children. If a person is already taking the drug without a prescription, he or she is less likely to abide by dose recommendations, rendering the potential for serious side effects even greater.
This is a disturbing reality for the world of science, which has not progressed to the point where it can conclusively determine the effects of long-term use in clinical trials. One of the major concerns with this drug is that unlike other sleep-blockers, such as caffeine, modafinil focuses directly on the hypothalamus, a part of the brain intimately involved in the production of hormones - quite necessary to human life.
Beyond the physiological dangers of modafinil, widespread use could lead to an imbalance in schools and offices around the country. If one student or worker takes this drug and becomes more successful and effective at his or her endeavors, will other students or workers fall under pressure to keep up? Would it be reasonable if one employee got a raise for putting in extra hours if he or she was reliant on a chemical? Any person who has become so busy that he or she cannot take the time to sleep doesn't need a chemical to help, but rather a reassessment of his or her priorities.
The government needs to take a firm step and prohibit non-prescribed use among those who are not narcoleptics. Even forcing military personnel to use the drug is questionable; as the long-term effects of the drug are unknown, the potential consequences could be devastating for soldiers. As with any drug on the market, modafinil's effects over a long period of time need to be observed. No matter how badly we may yearn to make time to accommodate our needs, the sleep cycle is a natural, physical process, which should not be hindered for mere convenience.
