Not sleeping

[a1]

On the news today i heard that a person hadn't sleept since 1975. is it possible. i heard that the longest a person had ever stayed a wake was 5 or 6 days. i want a scientific answer please.

[PsychoDiablo]

Since 1975! I really doubt it, but maybe he had some other form of rest besides sleep? :-?

[pepper_airborne]

This is very real, a lot of people suffer from it, i think it had something to do with the brains not making a substance or not using a part that makes one sleep.

[Omag 2.0]

One dies if he doesn't sleep at all... So I doubt the story...

[NDSP]

On the news today i heard that a person hadn't sleept since 1975. is it possible. i heard that the longest a person had ever stayed a wake was 5 or 6 days. i want a scientific answer please.

Can you give us a link to where you found this  :-?

[Stormtropper]

I really doubt it...people die after about 6 or 7 days...

...and even then, your body would kick into short rymthic bursts of sleep (like 5 or 6 seconds of sleep every 30 seconds).

[BFMF]

I heard that the longest a person had ever stayed a wake was 5 or 6 days.

That sounds rough. The longest I've ever sayed up was 70 hours without sleep. Even though I was busy, there were still a few gaps in time that I couldn't remember...

[Sir_Crashalot]

The longest I did without sleep was probably 48 hours. In that 48 hours I worked 21 hours straight, had to drive home, eat, shower, get back to work and finish up. I've been sick for 2 or 3 days afterwards. Now I can do 24 hours without but after that I need to sleep for at least 7 or 8 hours. So doing without sleep for the past 32 years? Nah, I don't think so.

Crash

[Hagar]

Vietnam man handles three decades without sleep

[Ashton Lawson]

Its possible.  It seems that even though they don't sleep, they get their rest through some other form.

In some cases, people may not sleep, but they lose consciouness for brief amounts of time, say 2-6 seconds.  They have these unconscious moments often, and is their form of sleep, but they still find it very uncomfortable.

A person who doesn't get any form of rest, at all, most certainly would die within 6-8 days, give or take.

[eno]

This is very real, a lot of people suffer from it, i think it had something to do with the brains not making a substance or not using a part that makes one sleep.

The substance that triggers sleep is Melatonin, it builds up during the day and regulates your sleep patterns. Those with irregular sleep patterns may be suffering from a lack of Melatonin although it can be administered in tablet form if necessary. My Autistic step son has had it prescribed to regulate his sleep along with a Histamine which induces drowsiness.

Melatonin is sometimes used to help overcome jet lag.

[expat]

I really doubt it...people die after about 6 or 7 days...

...and even then, your body would kick into short rymthic bursts of sleep (like 5 or 6 seconds of sleep every 30 seconds).

Last year there was a program called "Shattered" on UK TV. It was a big brother type program. Contestants had to stay awake for 7 nights. The winner won 100000 pounds or so.................No one died!

Matt

[Saitek]

The guy must rest. He may not sleep, but he probably closes his eyes and rests and perhaps this works for him as equivalent of sleep.

[Jimbo]

He's trying to make money out of the media! BOO! BOO i say!

[Tweek]

I really doubt it...people die after about 6 or 7 days...

...and even then, your body would kick into short rymthic bursts of sleep (like 5 or 6 seconds of sleep every 30 seconds).

Last year there was a program called "Shattered" on UK TV. It was a big brother type program. Contestants had to stay awake for 7 nights. The winner won 100000 pounds or so.................No one died!

Matt

I do remember that, but they were allowed to sleep for 2 hours (after something like 4 days), as they were concerned for their health. I'm not sure what 2 hours of sleep would do for you in the long term, but I'm sure it helped. They certainly wouldn't have let anyone die on air!