institutional-pressure
The institute's culture, driven by Director Niles, demands punctuality, efficiency, and relentless pursuit of Zero Sleep, creating stress and high expectations among staff.
1 chapter across 1 book
Between the Strokes of Night (1985)Charles Sheffield
Charlene Bloom navigates the main hangar of a research institute where various sleep-related experiments are underway, including sleepless cats and hibernating animals. At a critical meeting led by Director Judith Niles, the team discusses the failure of an experiment involving a Kodiak bear and reviews reports on extreme human sleep deprivation cases, highlighting the institute's obsession with eliminating sleep. The chapter reveals tensions among staff, the institute's high-pressure environment, and the scientific challenges of manipulating sleep and brain activity.