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Comment by logicalmind | Hacker News Reader

It depends on how big of a problem you want to tackle. The biggest problem I have every day is that I get tired and have to go to sleep. This time spent sleeping could be better used by doing more productive things. Finding a solution to the "sleep problem" would be a huge win in many ways.

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I'm looking for a solution to a much different sleep problem: How to consistently remind myself that trying to do without sleep is counterproductive and nuts and that I should be doing much more sleeping.

I need the reverse of an alarm clock: A clock that somehow makes me sleep.

Because otherwise not only will my brain function worse, but the additional stress may actually shorten my life, which pretty much screws up the goal of getting more hours out of life!

I don't think you need a reverse, just to reconsider what the alarm you're setting is for.

Try setting the alarm for when you should sleep, instead of wake.

I need to do this myself, and reading your thoughts made it clearer to me. (Doubt I'll actually do it though...)

I had a conversation with a friend and asked him if sleeping was a disease. I firmly believe that one day human kind will solve both the need to eat, sleep and death.

Meanwhile you can stop trying to be more productive. It is really overrated. Try taking a Saturday off and do nothing but read, watch good movies you have been putting off, and just relax overall.

Meditation FTW!

Why would anyone who loves what they do stop trying to be more productive? When I say more productive I mean I want to read more, have more conversations, identify and solve more problems, write more papers. Taking a day to 'relax overall' is the least appealing thing I can think of at this moment.

I apologize. I thought you meant productive as in more work (you know more code, more marketing etc..).

Maybe I am abnormal here, but there is nothing in this world I could enjoy doing everyday for most of the day.

I like to get myself away from any and all electronic devices at least one day a week. Last Saturday I took my family to the beach and we all brought books to enjoy. It was awesome, and I felt more relaxed and recharged than I ever do after eight hours of sleep.

Sleep is neither a problem nor a disease, and I really don't think you should see it as an obstacle to your productivity. Trying to fix the "sleep problem" is about on par with trying to fix the "going to the bathroom" problem or the "having to eat" problem. Lose the balance of sleep and you'll burn out faster than you can possibly imagine.

Uh. If you go that way, I'd dare say the elephant in the room is that I'll grow old and die (probably of cancer) in about 50 years. Honestly, it bothers me a lot more then sleep and it's easier to solve too.

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