Staying Awake World Record

L.Jenkins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Gardner_(record_holder)

I can't find the most recent record for staying awake, but 264+ hours seems excessive. I'd love to do it, but it would take some planning and about 2 weeks off work.

Anyone want to give it a try.

Did three days for college work once, can't say I enjoyed it much.

L.Jenkins

I did three days myself on a trip to the US. I was fairly narky but a few pints knocked me straight out. Woke up early the next day after a nice good sleep

micayla

Did four days once, no sleep and barely any food, family bereavement. Not sure I could do it again but I would be willing to test it and see if I can.

L.Jenkins

Ok, can anyone help find me the record or point me in the direction? I will have a genuine craic at it. I'll even make a boards t-shirt with Nocturnal Forum written on the back of it for the lulz. I'll even do it for a charity.

micayla

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

Ok, can anyone help find me the record or point me in the direction? I will have a genuine craic at it. I'll even make a boards t-shirt with Nocturnal Forum written on the back of it for the lulz. I'll even do it for a charity.

Randy Gardner still holds the record. For official records you have to have it monitored by scientists so the documentation is there to prove it. No one else has been able to prove they stayed awake longer than Gardner.

L.Jenkins

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

Ok, can anyone help find me the record or point me in the direction? I will have a genuine craic at it. I'll even make a boards t-shirt with Nocturnal Forum written on the back of it for the lulz. I'll even do it for a charity.

Scrap that, I just applied to the Guiness World Records so I can go for it. So planning is in order and I'll do it for the lulz.

micayla

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

Scrap that, I just applied to the Guiness World Records so I can go for it. So planning is in order and I'll do it for the lulz.

I was looking into the links on wikipedia and came across this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Wright_%28sleep_deprivation%29

Apparently The Guinness Book of Records doesn't credit sleep deprivation records anymore due to health risks, this could be why you couldn't find an official new record since Gardner.

L.Jenkins

I'll find some way of keeping a record :P

micayla

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

I'll find some way of keeping a record :P

Well best of luck with it:) According to that wiki page on Gardner 449 appears to be the longest, but again not credited by The Guinness Book of Records.

L.Jenkins

Thanks. I'll keep posting here in the Noc forum for the craic just so ye all can see me descend into madness over the week and a half :P

jokettle

Not to be a complete buzzkill, but you may want to read up on the risks involved before putting yourself through that. I vaguely remember some lecture I went to as an undergrad where they described the side effects of extreme sleep deprivation; the details escape me now but it was kind of intimidating, to say the least!

You used to be cool.

reallyrose

I agree with jokettle. I don't think Boards would want to be on board (ha) for this either. The health effects from forcing yourself to be awake for an extended period of time can be .... bad. Both physically and mentally.
Just because one published person managed it without going nuts doesn't mean it's an intelligent thing to do.

It's a free country, you can do what you want.
But this is a very silly idea.

Edit: OK, I went off and looked it up.
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1690

The tl;dr version:
> Slurred speech, stuttering, speaking in a monotone voice, or speaking at a slower pace than usual.
> Poor memory, specifically long-term memory.
> Inability to react quickly to situations.
> Inability to cope with making quick but logical decisions.
> Fatigue. Not "Gosh I could do with a snooze" fatigue but "I literally can't lift my arm" fatigue. Where getting up to go to the bathroom will seem like climbing a mountain.
> Hallucinations
> Paranoid delusions.
> Muscle damage, in some cases. While you sleep, you regenerate muscle tissue, fix micro-damage and such. You can replicate the effects of sleep on your muscles by lying down quietly. However, after several days of sleep deprivation, it is unlikely that you'd be able to lie there and not sleep.
> Depression of the immune system.
> Death

In addition, a prolonged period with little/no sleep will lead a person to fall into microsleeps. This is when you just fall asleep for a few seconds, no matter what you are doing. So if you are walking along the street, you'll just fall over. Holding a hot cup of tea, drop it on yourself.
Then when you wake up a few seconds later, with a lap full of hot tea, you won't be able to work out how to deal with it easily due to the mental effects listed above. You won't be able to ask for help because at this stage you'll be convinced that everyone is out to get you. And even if you don't think that, your speech will be so slurred that no one will be able to understand you.

So yeah, very stupid idea.

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/108/455/457.abstract
https://www.thieme-connect.com/ejournals/abstract/sin/doi/10.1055/s-2005-867080

Oh, and coffee doesn't really help.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2005.00468.x/full

L.Jenkins

I'd be fully aware of the all the above health risks. I've often gone for extended periods without sleep and know what sleep deprivation does to me.

It's just, I have a very personal reason to raise money for charity and if this kind of lunacy grabs the most attention and will possibly help then I'm all for it as I absolutely love extreme endurance challanges.