Sleep Deprivation

"We are presently engaged in the largest experiment in sleep deprivation in human history."

Slightly paraphrased, so remarked filmmaker Alan Berliner in his May 17, 2007 WNYC radio interview on the Brian Lehrer Show. Mr. Berliner created the highly acclaimed 2005 personal documentary WIDE AWAKE, a uniquely personal tour through a lifelong obsession with insomnia.

There is no question that, generally, under present-day capitalism it has become difficult to provide our bodies the sleep they require, and oftentimes we don't. The demands of the "modern" economy and the continual economic squeeze, characteristics of the modern profit-centered economy, leave us slaves to the grinding need to survive--at whatever pace of work our corporate masters dictate.

Yet, sleep-deprived humans create a host of problems for themselves and others. Persons in positions of importance where judgment is critical present a special problem. How many automobile, airplane, or spacecraft accidents, medical mistakes, or other human personal or social snafus are attributable to sleep-deprived individuals pushing their minds to function properly and acutely, without the necessary rest and refreshment?

And of course, chronic sleep deprivation will unquestionably take its toll on our health and appearance.

As global competition heats up under capitalism and the demands on workers intensify, expect this problem to further worsen.

The obvious and only answer? Transition to a cooperative society, characterized by a sane pace of economic activity, where full safety in and out of the workplace is an integral part of the system--starting with the fundamental of a proper nights rest.