I’m sure we’ve all pulled the odd all nighter, and I know that any more than 3 days without sleep with induce hallucinations - but what about beyond that? Is it possible to keep a person awake indefinitely, and what would be the effects on the person? I read that rats deprived of enough sleep will snuff it - is this a possibility?
Thanks in advance to replies.
Some previous threads with good information and links:
Just a personal anecdote to add to the info in those threads.
In my dissolute youth, I had to kick a serious drug habit before joining an out-patient treatment program. Rather than check into a detox I decided to go to Bermuda and kick on my own. (Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.) The short version is that I didn’t sleep at all for ten days. Not a single wink. My sadistic sister was with me and made me do things every day like go to the beach, out on a friend’s sailboat, to dinner at the yacht club,etc. At night I just stared at the stupid flowered curtains and watched my sister sleep.
I will admit to being very tired and cranky. I also felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown most of the time. However, nothing bad happened and I was riding one of those little mopeds around the island (in traffic that went on the wrong side of the road).
When I got home, I asked my analyst if my lack of sleep could be physiologic from drug withdrawal. He responded by asking why I was afraid to fall asleep. Idiot.
The next night, when I went to my first group at the out-patient program and asked the same question, everybody nodded and said , “Oh yeah, that’s normal. You won’t sleep for about twelve days and then you will gradually start sleeping again.” My relief at knowing others had gone without sleep for similar periods and also knowing it would end was all it took to abolish that “feel like I’m going to have a nervous breakdown” thing.
Physically, I did not feel that my lack of sleep was harming me but who can tell.
By the way, don’t try this at home kids. Also, I was only kicking opiates. If you tried this with sedatives you probably wouldn’t live to tell the tale.