Doing Without Sleep

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Recently after a restless night, my wife claimed she hadn't slept at all.  Her claim caused me to check how long we can really stay awake.

The official world record for staying awake was set at a science fair project in 1965.  It's eleven days, or two hundred and sixty-four hours.  In the end the student involved, though technically awake, was unable to think clearly.  He returned to normal after a few nights' sleep.  Several volunteers have achieved eight, nine or ten days of wakefulness without serious permanent consequences.

Sleep deprivation usually produces no significant changes in blood pressure, heart rate, reflexes or muscle power.  It's our reasoning and cognitive functions, and the ability to remember things that suffers.

Most people need less sleep as they get older.  On average newborns may sleep twenty hours a day, young children eleven hours, teenagers nine hours.  Forty year olds sleep between seven and eight hours, and the over fifties often less than six hours.

Certain rare medical disorders such as Morvan's Syndrome can leave the patient without sleep for several months.  Although sufferers from this disease don't feel sleepy, they do experience hallucinations, pain, muscle twitching and circulatory problems.

So next time you go to bed, remember a good night's sleep is one of life's great blessings.