There is one very important issue in the ongoing war against terror that does not get into the headlines. It is all about the quality of sleep that US soldiers are getting in the frontlines. Reports say that American military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are staying wide awake continuously for several days or nights.
Back here at home, sleep experts and some family members of these brave GI's are starting to worry about the long term effects on health that sleep deprivation can bring to these fighting men. But few people know that many US servicemen in the Gulf region are being helped by a type of drug that allows them to stay alert and awake for as long as forty hours without feeling smashed up afterward.
This pill is the product of years of research on sleep deprivation on the warfront. Its development can be attributed to the theory that sleep basically has two intrinsic qualities. One, sleep brings about physical restoration; and two, sleep effects mental recovery. Since the modern soldier has undergone tremendous training physically and psychologically, he is not bound by the same bodily and mental requirements which include sleep.
Under this same context, it is suggested that due to exhaustion, the soldier will need more of physical restoration than mental recovery. And this is fortunate because physically curative sleep can be easily attained; and with proper chemical aids, a trained soldier can do with less or without physically restorative sleep for days without permanently damaging his health.
In previous wars, American soldiers took derivatives of stimulants to keep them awake when the going got tough. But those stimulants had bad side effects, especially when the potency ran out. The side effects were evidenced by high levels of agitation, poor judgment, fatigue and sleep crashing exhibited by soldiers who used them. Also, many veterans of previous wars turned into junkies when they got home.
Well, not this time. Researches done by the US military reveal that the new pills can help the modern American soldier stay awake in the field and perform his duties intelligently and with watchful eyes within the allowable forty hours and, if needed, another stretch of forty hours after an eight-hour sleeping break. And that's without the bad side effects that traditional stimulants can do.
Sounds promising right? Well, as emphasized these soldiers are trained professionals. But what if these waker-upper pills become available for the common American? If this happens, there is a good chance that ordinary people will abuse the use of these pills for the sake of extending their working hours and accommodating time for their families. And that can be very scary for many sleep experts.
While it is true that studies conducted by the US military show promising results for these new pills, many doctors are still skeptical about this type of drug. After all, science has yet to find out what really happens to someone who has been deprived of sleep for too long. But if you take a look at it, being unable to meet the recommended amounts of sleep for several days can already make you physically sluggish and mentally dull; this is the main reason behind the finding that the percentage of vehicular accidents steeply rise during the period between 2 and 5 in the morning when people should normally be in bed.
So, unless you are out there defending freedom and democracy, you better get the recommended amount of sleep or sacrifice your health, physically and mentally. Even soldiers will tell you that there is no substitute for a good night's sleep and they will avoid using stay-awake drugs if only they can.
If you are suffering from sleep deprivation, you should get professional help and take supplements that can help you reach deep quality sleep; products like Sedamine can get you there. Click on http://Sedamine.com/ more information.
About the Author
Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.healthnfitnesszone.com.
Monday, January 14, 2008
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