My blurb regarding the provigil/caffeine research didn't go far enough. IMHO the issue isn't staying awake. It is staying awake with unimpaired cognitive performance.

Again IMHO, no one (without objective testing)has a really good idea regarding such performance decreases with sleep deprivation, or mitigation with caffeine, provigil, or other stimulants. How many times have you heard of someone who had too much to drink slugging down a few cups of coffee so they could drive home safely? Nothing but a wide-awake impaired drunk! Of a driver who is sleep deprived, tanks up on nodoze, and get's "white line hypnosis" and kills someone.

So my opinion is (since most of us aren't going to spend the time and money getting this personally objectively tested)... use whatever you're comfortable with. Just don't bet your life on any substance overcoming the negative effects of sleep deprivation.