Next time Stephen packs up his family for one of those all-nighter cross-country excursions, maybe he will benefit from this development:

As the line between science fiction and reality becomes increasingly blurry, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has always led the pack in terms of cool, weird, wacky and frightening innovations. This time Darpa-funded scientists have found a drug that eliminates sleepiness with a nasal spray of a key brain hormone. The spray has worked well in lab experiments, with no apparent side effects. The hope is that the hormone will serve as a promising sleep-replacement drug in humans.

The spray contains a naturally occurring brain hormone called orexin A. In tests, monkeys suffering from sleep deprivation were treated with the substance and were subsequently able to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests. Darpa is no doubt interested in the spray for it’s promise of keeping soldiers awake and alert during battle, but for those suffering from narcolepsy, the discovery may offers a potential treatment. Even those with less severe sleep disorders may be interested. According to the National Sleep Foundation, than 70 percent of Americans get less than the generally recommended eight hours of sleep per night and consequently suffer some type of sleep-deprivation symptoms.

I, for one, have about a six-cup daily coffee habit that I would like to shake. I would go cold turkey, but I don't think I could take three weeks or so of being (alternately) comatose and psychotic. Maybe this stuff could help?

As there are no side-effects (yet identified), I wonder what possibilities there are for long-term use? You want to talk about kicking the habit -- could those who are so inclined kick the sleep "habit" once and for all? One could potentially add north of 25% productive (or fun) time to one's day. Second career, night school, hobbies -- the possibilities are intriguing.

If this stuff were to become readily available, I can see it being widely used. But given the option, would people give up sleep altogether?

Would you?