Science is kicking ass this week: 'sleep replacement' drug

Now my biggest problem aside from liver failure has been solved! The need to rest my brain for 8 hours a night has long been a source of deep resentment for me. It's like I'm being robbed of precious time, much as my liver robs me of precious drugs - well, no more, and this time we can thank the boys down at DARPA.

Orexin A is a promising candidate to become a "sleep replacement" drug. For decades, stimulants have been used to combat sleepiness, but they can be addictive and often have side effects, including raising blood pressure or causing mood swings. The military, for example, administers amphetamines to pilots flying long distances, and has funded research into new drugs like the stimulant modafinil (.pdf) and orexin A in an effort to help troops stay awake with the fewest side effects.

The monkeys were deprived of sleep for 30 to 36 hours and then given either orexin A or a saline placebo before taking standard cognitive tests. The monkeys given orexin A in a nasal spray scored about the same as alert monkeys, while the saline-control group was severely impaired.

Now all I need is for them to develop is a way to reverse my lung damage and I'll be totally set...