This is really two questions. First, a friend and I were talking the other day about not sleeping – he hadn’t slept in about 40 hours and he was having so much fun because he was delirous. He said it was like a drug to him. You see, then we started to wonder if there are people that get addicted to not sleeping for long periods of time because they like the feeling? I’m not talking about people who have to to get work done, but people that just do it to get high.
Also, I had another friend that told me that, since sleep is a series of cycles that last two hours, if you sleep for, say, three hours, then you might have well gotten up after two. If you don’t complete the cycles, they don’t help you. Is that true?
I think **addiction **isn’t quite a fitting description. It seems that the behavior would be self-limiting to a great enough extent that you couldn’t get it often enough.
I can understand how some people might like the feeling though, but it takes so long to get there.
I start feeling all wiggly and begin hearing things that aren’t really there when I realize I haven’t eaten anything for 20 hours or so. It’s kind of pleasant once in a while.
I disagree. I’m can’t seem to get onto a regular sleep cycle. I have to stay up for long periods of time, or at the very least, have a very weird sleep habit that is pretty much completely random. 36 hours awake, 4 hours of sleep, 16 hours awake, 4 hours of sleep, 120 hours with no sleep (that’s when I REALLY start feelin’ it…man, do I feel woozy…haha…) 20 hours of sleep…
…And to think, I’m going off to the Army in three weeks…I’m trying to get into a regular sleep pattern…it just doesn’t seem to be working very well.
Try having a couple of kids - you soon learn that sleep is the single most precious commodity on the planet :o. You can’t get enough never mind trying to go without and after an initial ‘high’ has passed from lack of sleep it’s all downhill then - fatigue, lethargy and what can only be described as a mental darkness. It’s certainly not addictive.
A well informed friend told me that sleep deprivation induces a manic state in most people. This site indicates that mania symptoms can include:
Increased energy, activity, restlessness, racing thoughts, and rapid talking
Excessive “high” or euphoric feelings
Extreme irritability and distractibility
Decreased need for sleep
Unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities and powers
Uncharacteristically poor judgment
A sustained period of behavior that is different from usual
Increased sexual drive
Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
Denial that anything is wrong
[sup]EMPHASIS ADDED[/sup]
As you can see, there are many positive reinforcements brought on by sleep deprivation. However, chronic sleep loss can result in psychosis and complete mental breakdown. Sleep is good.
Your friend is mistaken. Deep sleep does not occur until the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase of resting. This is when vivid dreams occur. Usually, a person does not enter this state until after three to four hours of undisturbed rest.
It is a common form of torture to continually re-awaken someone after only two or three hours of sleep. Chronic lack of REM phase sleep can induce psychosis and mental breakdown as well.
Gotta 6-year old and a 1-year old right now…and I’m about a month and a half away from the third one popping out. I know sleep is nice, but…shrugs I’ve been used to it since I was young, so…
From my personal experience - sleep deprivation can be very addicting… or the mania that results from it can anyway. As Zenster mentioned above the results can be devistating.
The benefits do not outweigh the negatives. It is like the domino effect. The allure of it can lead people to quit taking medication and end up in a downward spiral real quick. All rational behavior and thoughts go right out the window. I don’t recommend it.
During my intership in medicine many years ago, our shifts in ob/gyn were 24 hrs on and 24 hrs off. The problem with this was that the paperwork took several hours over the 24 hrs. There were timew when for whatever reason we were awake for up to 50 plus hours…At this point I was light-headed, giddy…and not thinking at 100%.
It was not addicting for me. I simply put up with it as did my colleagues.
Yes, I think it can be addicting…Why the hell are you asking me at 2:56 in the morning? Huh???
When I retired in my forties, I had no responsibilities. I’ve developed very irregular sleep patterns and I tend to fight off sleep in the dead of night.
Let’s see…this is Saturday morning. I woke up at about 11:00 a.m. on Thurday, stayed up all day and night Thursday, stayed awake all day Friday except for a couple of catnaps, and have stayed up all night Friday night into the wee small hours of Saturday. I know it was Thursday because I had to get up for an appointment with my shrink.
I am not bi-polar because I don’t have the extreme highs. I have medications that I take for sleep and they work when I take them.
I feel wired but not sleepy.
However, I did try to bite some heads off in another thread. They are probably waiting for me in the pit.
