Sleep is for Sissies

Though researchers agree almost unanimously that far from granting superpowers, sleep deprivation dulls the mind and nervous system--rapidly, profoundly and invariably--many people still insist that they are the exception. For them, the perceived satisfaction of heightened productivity, extra hours spent with friends and family, and uninterrupted late-night sessions in front of the computer or television outweigh the supposed benefits of unconsciousness.

Are they right--or does the altered state brought on by caffeine, fatigue and lack of slow-wave sleep merely make them believe they are right? It's a question they might do well to ponder--if only they had the time. --Reported by Anna Macias Aguayo/ Dallas, Paige Bowers/Atlanta, Simon Crittle/ New York and Leslie Whitaker/Chicago