The longest time a person has gone without sleeping is 11 days and 25 minutes. A record set in 1963 by Randy Gardner, a 17-year-old, one or two claims of persons who have gone longer have emerged. However, because there was no close monitoring, as there was with Gardner, he is the one with the official proof.
The consequences of sleep deprivation are not attractive in any way, purposeful or not. Gardner, who accepted the challenge, regrets it because of the negative impact it had on his personality for years to come.
Let's look at the consequences of sleep deprivation.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation
24 Hours of No Sleep
The cognitive impairment 24 hours of sleep deprivation causes is the same as having a 0.10% Blood Alcohol Level. It makes you irritable and leads to silly mistakes.
36 Hours of No Sleep
A recent study shares how your blood pressure rises due to staying awake for so long along with a fall in body temperature.
Increased errors in simple tasks, shorter attention span, drowsy reaction, and sudden bouts of short sleep without knowledge are also common.
48 Hours of No Sleep
48 hours of sleep deprivation equals two days. At this point, a hit to the immune system is common, especially a drop in natural killer cells is noted.
You might have trouble with productivity and visual cognition. In fact, hallucinations might start at this stage.
72 Hours of No Sleep
If you aren't striving to break some sort of record - which you shouldn't be doing anyhow - you should be seeing a doctor by now.
An acceleration in heart rate, dip in mood, anxiety attacks, and an inability to process information is common at this point.
Harm Of Gradual Sleep Loss
Sleep deprivation does not just refer to insomnia or being awake for an abnormally extended period. Even sleeping less than your body requires for a week can have the same effect as staying awake for 24 hours. If you sleep for only 7 hours every day instead of 8, your cognitive processes will slow down.
Long-term sleep deprivation may raise a person's risk of getting Alzheimer's disease.
According to one study, making up for missing sleep can help you regain your health.
Final Thoughts
If you have insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea, simply deciding to sleep will not help you achieve it. Insomnia treatment options include counselling, mediation, and sedatives. CPAP therapy is the most widely prescribed treatment for OSA.
