The Man Who Didn't Sleep For 11 Days

In 1963, 17-year-old Randy Gardner stayed awake for 11 days, breaking the world record for the longest period without sleep. Gardner's experiment, which was monitored by sleep researcher William Dement, revealed interesting insights into the effects of sleep deprivation on the human brain. This case sparked further studies on sleep deprivation and its potential dangers, with organizations like Guinness World Records eventually discontinuing the category due to health concerns.

Randy Gardner, a 17-year-old from San Diego, broke the world record for sleep deprivation in 1964

Randy Gardner, a 17-year-old from San Diego, California, broke the world record for sleep deprivation in 1964. He stayed awake for 264 hours (11 days and 25 minutes), breaking the previous record of 260 hours. Gardner's feat remains the longest scientifically verified period without sleep.

The idea for the experiment came about when Gardner and his friend Bruce McAllister were looking for a project for their school science fair. They decided to attempt to beat the world record for staying awake, which was held at the time by a DJ in Honolulu. McAllister won the coin toss, so Gardner became the test subject who would deprive himself of sleep.

Gardner's two friends, McAllister and Joe Marciano, took turns monitoring his mental and physical reactions and ensuring he didn't fall asleep. They kept him occupied with activities like basketball and bowling, as he was physically fit and these activities helped keep him awake. Gardner also reported that eating citrus fruits helped with the nausea he experienced starting on day three.

As the days went on, Gardner's cognitive and sensory abilities began to be affected. He experienced mood swings, memory and attention lapses, loss of coordination, slurred speech, and hallucinations. On the final day of the experiment, he recalls having a short fuse and snapping at reporters.

After breaking the record on January 8, 1964, Gardner was taken to a naval hospital where his brain waves were monitored. He slept for 14 hours and woke up feeling groggy but not any worse than a normal person. He and his friends won first place at the San Diego science fair for their experiment.

While Gardner suffered no ill effects immediately after his 11 days without sleep, he reportedly developed unbearable insomnia later in life. He believes his stunt was to blame and sees it as "karmic payback" for depriving himself of sleep.

Gardner experienced nausea, mood swings, memory loss, and hallucinations

Randy Gardner, a 17-year-old schoolboy in San Diego, California, went without sleep for 11 days, from 28 December 1963 to the morning of 8 January 1964. This amounted to 264 hours, breaking the previous world record of 260 hours.

During his sleep deprivation experiment, Gardner experienced nausea, mood swings, memory loss, and hallucinations. On the third day, he began to feel nauseous and ate citrus fruits to alleviate the nausea. He also experienced difficulty with memory and concentration, describing it as "almost like an early Alzheimer's thing brought on by lack of sleep".

As the days went on, Gardner's mental state continued to deteriorate. He became increasingly irritable, experiencing mood swings and hallucinations. His cognitive and sensory abilities were affected, and he struggled with his sense of taste, smell, and hearing. Despite these challenges, Gardner was determined to continue the experiment and push through the adverse effects of sleep deprivation.

After breaking the world record, Gardner was taken to a naval hospital where his brain waves were monitored. He slept for 14 hours and woke up feeling groggy but not any worse than a normal person. Gardner's experiment provided valuable insights into the effects of sleep deprivation and the importance of sleep for overall health and well-being.

Sleep-deprived people experience 'microsleeps'—sleeping with eyes open without knowing

Sleep-deprived people may experience microsleeps, which are brief episodes of sleep or drowsiness lasting a few seconds. During microsleep, an individual may appear awake with their eyes open but is actually unconscious and unresponsive to their surroundings. This phenomenon is dangerous when it occurs in situations requiring constant alertness, such as driving or operating heavy machinery.

Microsleeps are often caused by sleep deprivation and can happen to anyone, even those who are well-rested, when performing monotonous tasks. They are characterised by a decrease in activity in wakefulness-related brain regions and an increase in activity in sleep-related regions. While the individual may believe they have simply lost focus, they have, in fact, briefly fallen asleep.

The risks associated with microsleep are primarily related to accidents that can occur while driving, operating machinery, performing surgery, or engaging in other sensitive tasks requiring quick reactions. It is challenging to detect microsleep episodes, but some methods include psychological tests, speech tests, behavioural tests, and more advanced techniques like electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Microsleep can be a symptom of various sleep disorders, including insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, hypersomnia, and circadian pattern disorders. Treating and preventing microsleep episodes involves ensuring adequate sleep, typically seven to nine hours for adults, and making lifestyle adjustments to improve sleep quality.

While microsleep itself is not harmful, it can lead to dangerous situations due to a lack of awareness. Therefore, it is crucial to address sleep deprivation and create a sleep routine to prevent microsleep episodes, especially when performing tasks that require constant alertness.

Tony Wright, who also tried to break the record, felt enlightened, accessing a different part of his brain

Tony Wright, a man from Cornwall, also attempted to break the world record for the longest period without sleep. He stayed awake for 266 hours, but failed to surpass the record. Wright claimed that he felt enlightened after his sleep-deprived marathon, as he was able to access a different part of his brain.

Wright described his experience as "starving the rational mind, the egotistical mind, of sleep, and its batteries are running down". He further explained that if one could push beyond this point, the capacity to remain in control of the rational mind begins to fail, and one can start to "see glimpses of the other side of the brain, the other self".

Wright also noted that staying awake to access a different state of mind is not a new concept, although it may seem like archaic nonsense. He stated that he had spoken to many people who recalled similar experiences, such as after a night of drinking or a hard day's work. They may get tired, but they also experience a softness and a more relaxed state, with increased access to the emotional side of the brain.

Wright and his followers are advocates for sleep deprivation as a means to alter the brain, but organisations like Guinness World Records have discontinued tracking this record due to the serious health risks associated with sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation can lead to impaired immune function, weight gain, and high blood pressure

Sleep deprivation can have a detrimental effect on health. Randy Gardner, a 17-year-old from San Diego, California, holds the record for the longest period without sleep, staying awake for 264 hours (11 days) in 1963. During this time, he experienced mood swings, memory and attention lapses, loss of coordination, slurred speech, and hallucinations.

Sleep is an active physiological process that is essential for maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health. It plays a crucial role in immune function, with sleep deprivation leading to an increased risk of infection and inflammatory pathologies. The immune system's ability to defend against infection and inflammation is supported by regular sleep, which promotes host defence. Sleep deprivation has been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and obesity, which are all preventable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Sleep deprivation can also cause an increase in sympathetic outflow, resulting in higher blood pressure and heart rate, which provides a link between sleep deprivation and hypertension risk. It can alter glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, increasing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, it can lead to a reduction in the clearance of metabolic waste products that accumulate during wakefulness and neural activity, such as beta-amyloid, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Furthermore, sleep deprivation can disrupt the balance of hormones that control hunger, satiety, and energy balance, such as leptin and ghrelin, which may contribute to weight gain. It can also lead to physical inactivity and overfeeding. Sleep plays a fundamental role in maintaining immune function integrity and a homeostatic immune defence against microbial or inflammatory insults. Sleep deprivation may result in deregulated immune responses, with increased pro-inflammatory signalling, further contributing to the risk of infection and inflammation-related chronic diseases.

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