The Hufffington Post this week reported on the rise in non narcoleptic usage of the drug Provigil.
Provigil, a wake-promoting drug used to treat certain sleep disorders like narcolepsy, is also being used by some without the sleep disorder to keep them alert and attentive, according to an ABC News report. “People have used it to try to get an edge at studying at school. It’s becoming like Ritalin where people are taking it that don’t have anything. But they’re using it to try to increase their alertness,” Dr. Philip Gehrman, Ph.D., CBSM, clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania, told HuffPost.
There are two things going on here. Firstly, we’re allowing our lifestyle choices to interfere with our sleeping patterns and instead of taking care of ourselves, we’re just looking for the next ‘quick-fix’. And secondly, accessing specialist medicine is clearly too easy. There’s not much we can do about the latter, short of considering a complete overhaul of the way in which we dispense medication. With regards to the fact that we’re choosing to pop pills instead of creating healthy, repetitive bed time routines, demonstrates how little faith we have in our own natural ability to sleep, heal and restore.
Over the last two weeks we’ve been road testing certain theories and technologies designed to assist you in sleeping well, so that you don’t have to resort to something as outrageous as Provigil. If you don’t have a condition, you shouldn’t be taking a drug designed to treat it, you just don’t know what it may do to you. What you can and should be doing is researching any drug you are offered, in fact any new product on the market, herbal or chemical before ‘just giving it a go’. There are plenty of ways to get to sleep soundly, without ingesting drugs or risking your health.
Our video blogs will continue to analyse techniques available as well as report to you the latest scientific findings in the world of sleep, dreams and general well-being. Stay tuned!