It isn’t hard to believe Peter Kim could use a few extra hours in the day.

The School of Management sophomore juggles four jobs, classes, clubs and intramural sports, getting an average of three hours of sleep per night, he said.

A glance at his planner reveals a week filled with meetings and practices, in addition to time at work and approximately six hours per day of studying.

Kim and other students, whose packed schedules offer little chance for sleep or free time, may be tempted to seek assistance in the form of sleep-fighting drugs such as Provigil, which has seen a dramatic increase in popularity since its introduction three years ago.

“If I had the option [of taking Provigil or a drug like it], I would most definitely do it,” Kim said.

However, he said he would only take the drug if it was legal and there were no side effects.

“It’s more hours in the day. It’s what everyone dreams of. You can procrastinate and still get more done,” Kim said. “I feel like my productivity would go up.”

Attempting to increase productivity by taking Provigil or similar drugs could have its consequences, however, according to Sanford Auerbach, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Boston Medical Center.

Provigil, the brand name of the drug Modafinil, was designed for use by people who suffer from narcolepsy, but Auerbach said he had also seen it prescribed for patients with other diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, who feel fatigued.

A United States Army study explored the effects of Provigil on otherwise healthy individuals and found helicopter pilots taking the drug were able to stay awake for 40 hours, sleep for eight, and stay up another 40, according to an Army newspaper.

Provigil differs from non-prescription alertness aids, such as No-Doz, Auerbach said, because it does not work as an irritant or stimulant, but instead “works at a more basic level involved in wake/sleep maintenance,” he said.

Despite its appeal for those who need to stay awake to study or party, Auerbach said that Provigil’s potential as a “lifestyle drug” like Viagra or Prozac is uncertain.

“Certainly, it is a performance enhancer in that it allows folks to stay awake without sleep for long periods of time,” Auerbach said.

However, Auerbach said that the future effects of Provigil use are still unknown.

“I’m still not sure about the long-term consequences of leading a life like that,” Auerbach said. “There are so many things that need to be sorted out as to what it does to people.”

He cited the example of a student using Provigil to cram for a test.

“If you’re a student staying up taking Provigil, when you sit down for the exam, will you be as quick and sharp mentally? No one knows,” he said.

Though Auerbach said he has not seen the drug used by otherwise healthy people who simply want to stay awake, he said that there is a potential for abuse among college students, but only for short lengths of time, such as during exam weeks.

“Most abuse type drugs tend to be euphoric or mind-altering,” he said. “This really doesn’t do that per se.”

Auerbach said he suspected Provigil “may become more trendy for a while,” in much the same way Prozac became trendy following its introduction.

Some students, however, said they are not interested in staying awake for extended periods.

“It doesn’t sound safe,” said College of Communication freshman Pinar Posluk. “I wouldn’t trust a pill that would let me stay awake for 40 hours. That can’t be healthy.”

Auerbach said for some, health is not an issue.

“There are a lot of things people will do even if you tell them it’s bad for their health, especially if they think they can get advancement,” Auerbach said, citing the example of professional athletes who take steroids despite widely publicized risks.

“I don’t know if they’re going to get it from physicians,” he said, adding that the drug is available from various web pharmacy sites.

Meanwhile, Kim said he relies on power naps and the occasional coffee to stay awake.

“Weekends are recovery time,” he said.