[mchafkin]

The New York Times took on this topic a few years back in a very good article that argued that the whole idea of the 8-hour sleep was invented by the mattress industry (and other purveyors of sleep products), and that humans don't need anywhere near 8 hours of continuous sleep.

Ironically, all of the industry's marketing makes people anxious about getting enough sleep--and makes it harder for them to get to sleep (thus propagating the need for more expensive mattresses and pillows.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/magazine/18sleep-t.html?pa...

[preetkimausam]

Western consumerism is going to change human lives for bad.

[freehunter]

Then again, it's already changed human lives for the better as well. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have... the facts of life.