# What if I took a bottle of sleeping pills but tried to stay awake? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071 "2003-02-05T23:28:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/1 "2003-02-05T23:28:55Z")
I’m no doctor, and I have no desire to run this test on myself. But I’ve been curious about it for years. When I was in 7th grade, my mother attempted suicide due to the divorce from my father. After she took the pills, she decided she’d made a mistake, etc. She managed to get to the hospital in time, and her stomach was pumped, and she survived. That said, however…what if I took an entire bottle of sleeping pills, and decided just to stay awake. Would there be any adverse effects? Would there be any internal organ damage? From personal observation, and a conversation with a pharmacist, I’ve learned that most OTC sleeping pills use Benedryl as their active ingredient. Would there be any difference among brands due to trace ingrediants? What about prescription sleeping pills? On an overdose, the idea is to go to sleep and not wake up. If I stayed awake, would there still be an issue of dying? And what actually causes death from sleeping pills? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/2 "2003-02-05T23:35:44Z")
Depending on what the medicine was, you might not be able to stay awake, no matter what you tried; it’s a bit like asking “what if a condemned criminal was given the lethal injection, but _decided to stay alive?_” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/3 "2003-02-05T23:41:34Z")
Actually, **Mangetout** , I had that thought, too. That’s why I asked about both OTC and Rx pills. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/4 "2003-02-05T23:44:15Z")
Sure, but just because something is available OTC, doesn’t mean overdose is impossible or safe. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/5 "2003-02-05T23:46:21Z")
Anyway, as I said, I think you _wouldn’t be able to voluntarily stay awake_; given sufficient dose, you would lapse into unconsciousness, **then** suffer the dire consequences. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/6 "2003-02-05T23:51:33Z")
A member of my family attempted suicide with OTC sleeping pills (approx. 2 bottles) and was taken to the hospital just in time. They made him drink charcoal and all that to make sure that the rest of the pills wouldn’t absorb into this bloodstream. But, for the next day or so, it was really touch and go about possible damage to his internal organs. They said he got really lucky that the damage was minimal. ---
**Author:** ![Alien2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Alien2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alien2022)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/7 "2003-02-06T00:06:20Z")
Good 'ol Charcoal! ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/8 "2003-02-06T01:01:44Z")
But what kind of damage does it do to internal organs? Is that what kills you, or does it slow you down enough to make you go into respiratory failure etc? ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/9 "2003-02-06T01:50:07Z")
Sleeping pills are usually of the barbituate family of drugs. [http://www.well.com/user/woa/fsseda.htm](http://www.well.com/user/woa/fsseda.htm) [http://healthcenter.ucdavis.edu/htbarbiturates.html](http://healthcenter.ucdavis.edu/htbarbiturates.html) > [@](#): > > \*\* > Physiological Effects\*\* > Barbiturates slow the heart rate and breathing, lowering the blood pressure. It can slow reactions, cause confusion, weaken emotional control, distort reality, and reduce awareness. Abuse of the drug or if taken in high doses may result in acute poisoning with all the classic signs of shock: shallow breathing, weak pulse, cold and clammy skin, depressed reflexes. Coma and even death may occur. so it doesnt matter if you tried to stay awake. With the proper excessive dosage, the heart will slow down to full stop then you die. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/10 "2003-02-06T02:04:06Z")
I don’t know about the physical effects, but while I was reading a textbook “Principles of Neuropsychology” (Eric ZillMer, Mary Spiers), it mentioned sleeping pills, noting that some belong to a category called benzodiazepines. Apparently it’s difficult if not impossible to overdose on these alone, but drawbacks include building tolerance, and a too-short-term effect. One big side effect it has is on memory - (Rohypnol is in this drug category, and its uses in non-prescription cases are well known. A legitimate use of this drug type might be in colonoscopies, where the patient needs to relax, and if their memory of it is fuzzy, so much the better.) A study where an overdose was suspected involved grad students in a drug trial in the 60’s… they all left the test, went to class, did stuff etc, but came back the next day without any recollection of the previous day. Google says Benadryl is an antihistamine, used in allergy cases I think… and called Diphenhydramine or Diphenhydramine hydrochloride. I don’t know what an overdose of this would do. My guess a person would zone out if they didn’t go to sleep… probably like an overdose of alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Never\_to\_be\_Queen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Never\_to\_be\_Queen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_to_be_Queen)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/11 "2003-02-06T02:10:05Z")
It has been my experience that sleeping pills = vivid, nasty nightmares Maybe more sleeping pills would equal worse nightmares, but I don’t know for certain. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/12 "2003-02-06T02:10:15Z")
As **nanoda** and others have pointed out, it would be a challenge, but not impossible, to take a lethal dose of OTC sleep aids like diphenhydramine. Similar situation for prescription benzodiazepines. Barbiturates (far, far less frequently used as sleep aids anymore) on the other hand, can cause fatalities more readily. But **Nanoda**? More people die of fatal acute alcohol intoxication than they do of acute sleeping pill overdose every year. By a wide margin. So don’t expect to just “zone out” with an alcohol OD. I’ve seen too many who didn’t wake up later. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/13 "2003-02-06T03:05:54Z")
I’ve heard of people taking large doses (20+ pills) of benadryl recreationally. Apparently 20 pills doesn’t really make you any more sleepy than 4 pills, and a mild stimulant (such as ephedrine) is enough to keep you awake and enjoying rather startling hallucinations. Don’t try this at home, I have no idea what such a thing could do to your liver. As others have mentioned Benzodiazepines (such as valium, klonopin etc.) may be hard to OD on by themselves, but if you take them with alcohol they can get deadly very fast. You’ll pass out and forget to breath. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/14 "2003-02-06T03:18:34Z")
The OP reminded me of when I was five years old. I severely lacerated my hand on a piece of glass, and was given a sedative, followed by general anesthesia for surgery. I vividly remember fighting to stay awake, and struggling to keep my eyes open. I had the feeling that chains were cranking my eyelids closed. The next thing I knew, it was eight hours later… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cadolphin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@cadolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/15 "2003-02-06T03:37:11Z")
I’m no doctor or pharmacist so I can’t tell you a thing about what organs would be effected or anything along those lines. As a former psych tech I can tell you that all to often the “side effect” of taking more then the prescribed dose is accidental death… or almost killing yourself which has some long-term consequences in many areas none of which are pleasant. Kudos to **Qadgop the Mercotan, MD.** for point out this: > [@](#): > > More people die of fatal acute alcohol intoxication One new year’s eve I drank to much and found myself in the ICU watching them working on me while I hovered in a corner of the room. I wouldn’t mess with even thinking about something so risky as your OP suggests, but if you are thinking about it, or know someone who is thinking about it, PLEASE call someone RIGHT THIS MINUTE! There are crisis line numbers in most phonebooks or call an ER or even 911, but for goodness sake, GET HELP NOW! ---
**Author:** ![BioHazard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@BioHazard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BioHazard)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/16 "2003-02-06T03:49:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Never to be Queen \* > \*\*It has been my experience that > sleeping pills = vivid, nasty nightmares > Maybe more sleeping pills would equal worse nightmares, but I don’t know for certain. \*\* I’ve noticed this too, even with Tylenols “Simply Sleep”. Why is this? I seem to be overly sensitive to sleeping pills, b/c even half a dose conks me out. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/17 "2003-02-06T05:03:03Z")
On nightmares: I believe “simply sleep” has the same active ingredient as benedryl(diphenhydramine). Despite **Cooper** ’s comment about them, most people do not find Benedryl hallucinations to be particularly pleasant, quite the opposite. Diphenhydramine is an anticholinergic drug and produces hallucinations in the same way that things like Datura or Amanita mushrooms. I wonder if that might have something to do with the nightmares. ---
**Author:** ![BioHazard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@BioHazard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BioHazard)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/18 "2003-02-06T19:50:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cooper \* > \*\*I’ve heard of people taking large doses (20+ pills) of benadryl recreationally. Apparently 20 pills doesn’t really make you any more sleepy than 4 pills, and a mild stimulant (such as ephedrine) is enough to keep you awake and enjoying rather startling hallucinations. \*\* Did they take the benedryl allergy pils, or did they take cough syrup that just so happened to have benedryl in it? Some cough syrups have DXM (DextroMethorphen HCL ??) in it which some people abuse for the halucinigenic effects. I’ve heard that its not really a halucinigenic, its a disassociative. ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/19 "2003-02-06T20:06:49Z")
As others have mentioned Benzodiazepines (such as valium, klonopin etc.) may be hard to OD on by themselves, but if you take them with alcohol they can get deadly very fast. You’ll pass out and forget to breath. That simply isn’t so, I think you can take enough of just about anything to kill yourself even water. I actually found someone once that tried to OD on valium and it was nasty business. I have no idea what happens to internal organs I do know what happens to the “body”. You would lose control of your bowels and foam at the mouth and turn a very nasty shade of blue with black lips. If you are thinking of doing that - think about the effect of the person who would find you. I was only 10 years old and that vision my friend will stick with me for the rest of my life. I think it would be a HORRIBLE way to die. ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071/20 "2003-02-07T01:04:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BioHazard \* > \*\*Did they take the benedryl allergy pils, or did they take cough syrup that just so happened to have benedryl in it? > > Some cough syrups have DXM (DextroMethorphen HCL ??) in it which some people abuse for the halucinigenic effects. I’ve heard that its not really a halucinigenic, its a disassociative. \*\* No this was definitely the benadryl tablets, nothing else in them. I’ve heard of abusing DXM, but I’ve never heard of startling hallucinations on DXM…at least on the doses you could ingest in cough syrup - it used to be available in tablet form called Romulars or something, maybe a large enough dose would do that for you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-i-took-a-bottle-of-sleeping-pills-but-tried-to-stay-awake/153071.md?page=2)