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Article: And so to - bed; Sleep.(Sleep; are we getting enough?)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- December 21, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Sleep "knits up the ravelled sleeve of care". But are we getting enough? And can we do without it?
MOST people spend nearly a third of their lives asleep. Until the invention of the electric lightbulb, they had little choice. Artificial light was dim and dear, so people rose with the lark and went to bed soon after dark. But for the past century or so, synthetic daylight has been available round the clock, and there is plenty to do at any time of day or night. For most people in rich countries, the 24-hour society has arrived. Sleeping at night, therefore, is no longer the default option. Many people decide that to make more room for other pursuits, they can do ...