Insomnia; Whats the longest you have ever gone without sleep?

Caoimhín

Right, im on a personal best here, 59 hours straight without sleep.

Im not on any medication or any of the illegal "Colombian Marching Powder", I only have one mug of coffee in the morning and no caffeen or other stimulants through the day.
I simply get these bouts of sleeplessness, at this point i spent my time watching "The West Wing" boxset or keeping an eye on commodity prices

Generally, lack of sleep may result in the following symptoms, what i am wondering is at what stage they begin to kick in:
I have highlighted in red the ones i believe i am experiencing right now.

• confusion,
• memory lapses or loss
• depression
• hallucinations
• hand tremors
• headaches
• bloodshot eyes
• periorbital puffiness, commonly known as "bags under eyes" or eye bags
• increased blood pressure
• increased stress hormone levels
• increased risk of diabetes
• increased risk offibromyalgia
• irritability
• nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement)
• obesity
• temper tantrums in children
• yawning (No Shít)
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
• Psychosis :eek:

So what is the longest you have ever gone without sleep, NOT including coke parties, too much coffee of long plane flights. Just in day to day life?

Chaotic_Forces

What do you belive is "too much coffee"?

Jesus Wept

Highlighted in red?

Metallitroll

its not worth it. am goin to bed with immediate effect >

after a movie!

Shield

78 hours

Caoimhín

The-Rigger wrote: »

Highlighted in red?

What i am experiencing. Well except the psychosis, i always have that.

Jesus Wept

Was awake a similar amount of time as yourself, if you are up and about it is ok, but once I got into a car I passed out (well, sleeping wise), I wasn't driving.

Caoimhín

psni wrote: »

78 hours

Wow, do tell more, was it work or some fiendish experiment?

What sort of shape were you in at hour 78?

karlog

The longest i went without sleep was 45 hours. Never experienced confusion, depression, hallucinations, hand tremors or headaches. I did feel really tired though(obviously) to the point where i had no will power left to stay awake and fell asleep. Slept for about 10 hours and woke up fresh as a daisy. Weird the way that works. Doing that often cant be good for you i guess. Better stick to staying awake for 16 hours and going to sleep for 8.

Caoimhín

Chaotic_Forces wrote: »

What do you belive is "too much coffee"?

Well i guess more than two mugs of coffee would certainly be enough to make me a little jittery and if i had a sniff of coffee after 6pm there is no way id sleep.

Why do you ask?

Shield

A combination of everything happening all at once, a lot of it to do with work and deadlines. Hour 78 was my rest day and I couldn't even remember getting home. I slept for 20 hours in one go. Horrible feeling.

Tar.Aldarion

3-5 days, pass out, repeat. Not nice

Caoimhín

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

3-5 days, pass out, repeat. Not nice

Yeah, but what had you awake for that long? Were you working like PSNI of was it simple insomnia like me?

Killer Pigeon

4 days ... we're all going to die anyway.

OutlawPete

Trip 2 Tipp, 1991.

Didn't sleep for four days.

Whenever I hear this song, takes me right back ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQCrgu8Am2U

69 hours during final year exams..

Thursday, wake up at 6am, study, exam and then study, study all night Thursday.
Friday, do exam, go drinking, goto pub, goto club, do acid at 3am.
Saturday, trip balls, lie around the house trying to find reality, go out again for friend's birthday that night, generally act weird.
Sunday, make it home around 2am, go on boards, sleep around 3am.

Then I have to start studying for my last exam during the day on Sunday.. I'd do it all again but my body didn't like me for it.
OP, get drunk.. I can't sleep without drink or valium these days.

Tar.Aldarion

Caoimhín wrote: »

Yeah, but what had you awake for that long? Were you working like PSNI of was it simple insomnia like me?

depression

im invisible

went about 80 hours once, 3 nights drinkin vodkas, double vodkas, quadruple vodkas all with red bull, slept fine them nights, but the next night i went onto some concoction of narcotics/ amphetemines, couldnt sleep for over 3 days, depression, paranoia, hearing voices near the end of it, didnt touch much drink or drugs for the 3 days, but the 4 earlier nights caught up with me big time, dont know if i'd call it psychosis, but it was as near as i ever want to be to it

Metallitroll

OutlawPete wrote: »

Trip 2 Tipp, 1991.

Didn't sleep for four days.

Whenever I hear this song, takes me right back ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQCrgu8Am2U

never saw the loose fix promo

also, reminds me mine woulda been Feile '95

insomnia via excitement trumps insomnia via boredom. any day

skelliser

4 days for me as well. not drug or drink induced which made it worse. combination of work, stress etc.
horrible!

when day 3 arrived, thats when it started getting bad, it was time for a visit to the GP.

I suggest you seek medical attention man, whats happening to you is not healthy.

phosphate

can't remember exactly but around 42 hours...i thought that was bad enough.

Caoimhín

Deleted User wrote: »

OP, get drunk.. I can't sleep without drink or valium these days.

Im leaning that way alright.. Princess Valium and Mr Jim Beam will fix what ails me..

Caoimhín

skelliser wrote: »

4 days for me as well. not drug or drink induced which made it worse. combination of work, stress etc.
horrible!

when day 3 arrived, thats when it started getting bad, it was time for a visit to the GP.

I suggest you seek medical attention man, whats happening to you is not healthy.

Yeah maybe. I should add that i havent eaten in 3 days either.

Overheal

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/15/15/fe/the-best-bed-in-the-world.jpg

claims to be the best.

Captain Commie

longest has been about 60 hours, during an office move, woke up at 8am on the monday, wemt to work to do normal job then had to go to new office after that and cable the place out and test everything only going home for an hour between so i could grab a shower and some clean clothers, repeated cycle for the tuesday and finally got to sleep at about 8 or 9 pm on the wednesday.

was fuelled mostly with coffee and cola with plenty of food and the odd helping of proplus, i was in such a state by 6pm on the wednesday that they had to get me a taxi home as couldnt trust me to drive myself. Slept solidly till 8am next day and woke up right as rain.

Nothingbetter2d

8 days.........but it was down to seriously bad migraines keeping me awake rather than insomnia.

it was shortly after i had eye surgery... eventually the doctors had to give me some morphine to deal with the pain so i could sleep...... i slept for almost 3 days after that

Sisko

I have massive sleeping problems, but not Insomnia. I have had very little sleep the past few days and nights and all I want is to just sleep at night and be alert and awake during the day but no luck, this has been going on for 15 years and has a massive impact on my life and ability to be anywhere decently productive.

Actually had a massive rant written out but I'll spare you all

To answer the op, probably close to 50 hours.

Often have to intentionally keep myself awake after not sleeping for a day and a night so that I can fall asleep at a 'normal' time and hopefully wake up at a normal time. This works but doesn't last long , after about a week I'm in bits again and during that week I'm constantly tired anyway. But yeah I have do to the whole stay awake for 30 hours straight thing quite often.

*edit*

Btw being awake for 30+ hours is very dangerous, and imo far worse in terms of driving a car then driving drunk. I don't drive, so I don't have to worry but I certainly have to concentrate a lot harder even crossing busy roads then normal as its so easy to start drifting away in your mind even though your walking down the street out and about. Going that long with out sleep its almost like your out of phase with reality sometimes. Really horrible when you've got a lot to deal with that day and you've not slept in 2.

Jesus Wept

Do you know what your sleep problem is Sisko?

Sisko

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome

NTMK

About 9 days

one of the worst experiences ive ever had

Sisko

I can't even begin to imagine what something like that is like, I find it hard to believe its even possible tbh.

pappyodaniel

I haven't slept since Thursday night/Friday morning. It started off with a hangover but after a while it developed into fever, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. The effect of having no sleep in this time has led me not to leave the house since Sunday night/Monday morning.

I'd love to go out and maybe do a bit of exercise to help me sleep but the fear of sh!tting my pants stops me.

I've always been a bad sleeper and going to bed at a 'sensible' time would have me staring at the ceiling for hours. No sooner than I'd drift off my alarm would go off.

So it's nearly 96 hours since I've slept. A record for me and one I'm not proud of.

jackiebaron

37 hours was my longest awake....college cram session.

I love the cot. I have this huge emperor size double bed with multiple quilts and pillows and cushions. Leave the windows open so the room is icy but with fresh air then climb under the covers in the nip with me woman where it's boiling. I'm 40, smoke like Ivor the Engine, drink like Oliver Reid but I only look about 28 and I attribute that to spending half my life in the land of nod :P

NTMK

Sisko wrote: »

I can't even begin to imagine what something like that is like, I find it hard to believe its even possible tbh.

It's horrible your mind starts to play tricks on you, you struggle to do the most basic tasks. I got intense headaches and it only ended when i was sedated.

Caoimhín

Right,
I went to the Doc and got a box of "Sleepy sleepy snoozy pills" I reckon a few of these babies washed down with a stiff Jim Beam should turn the lights out. (Please dont try this at home kids)

If i die, bury me with me mothers people.

Good night and Gods speed.

Novella

I had a really shit time with insomnia last year. I've no idea how long I was awake for but I couldn't remember things like what day it was, when I last ate. I was prescribed sleeping tablets for a while but gradually weaned off them because I felt I was starting to become reliant on them. Haven't suffered the same since thankfully.

davoxx

from friday morning 8am to a monday morning 5am .. was up and in work at 9am ... that was a tough last week

Overheal

Does Melatonin require a prescription over there?

cherryghost

6 days was the longest for myself.

u140acro3xs7dm

Went 4 or 5 days once, cant really remember as i was a little confused. After day 2 or 3 i got a huge burst of energy and was real hyper. I started getting mild hallucinations at one stage. I had a couple of dinks to help me sleep but it didnt work. I think in the end i just got hammered and ko'd. It's very strange thinking back on it because my recolection of it is so vague even tho it was only a couple of years ago.

Caoimhín

Overheal wrote: »

Does Melatonin require a prescription over there?

Yes

--LOS--

probably a couple of days coz you eventually pass out for a few hours but it's not really sleep. Plus you dont really keep track of time when you're like that.

Cupcake_Crisis

4 days was the longest for me. After 2 days I was incredibly giddy and annoying, but my the third day I felt like i got hit my a truck!

The Agogo

Never lost more than one night's sleep tbh ...I have trouble sleeping but nowhere near 4-8 days like some unlucky people here!

stovelid

About 48 hours I think.