How long have you gone without sleep?

[WhiteRabbit]

I had kind of a traumatic experience last week, and my nervous system has been on high alert ever since. It's 5:30 am, and I'm finishing up night three of no sleep. How long can this go on? I've tried melatonin and OTC sleep meds. My body feels really heavy but my brain just will not shut off. I think I'm having auditory hallucinations. I keep hearing doors closing. I'm seriously starting to lose my shit.

How long have you gone without sleep and what happened?

 

[Innereye]

7 days was my longest. I average a few hours a night now. It's enough :)

 

[astr4]

idk if it's an option but don't feel bad about seeing a doctor and asking for sleeping pills if needed. lack of sleep can be so agitating.

 

[Innereye]

idk if it's an option but don't feel bad about seeing a doctor and asking for sleeping pills if needed. lack of sleep can be so agitating.

No issue with falling asleep. But I wake up almost instantly from central sleep apnea lol. Can't do pills or my symptoms get worse.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

idk if it's an option but don't feel bad about seeing a doctor and asking for sleeping pills if needed. lack of sleep can be so agitating.

I can't take benzos or Z-drugs anymore. I think that rules out most prescription stuff. Not sure.

 

[Innereye]

I understand the dilemma. Sleep is such an integral part of regulation. Coping without it is a trial for sure

I can't take benzos or Z-drugs anymore. I think that rules out most prescription stuff. Not sure.

Have you had a sleep study?

 

[WhiteRabbit]

Have you had a sleep study?

No. I've always had insomnia but it's not usually this bad.

 

[Innereye]

No. I've always had insomnia but it's not usually this bad.

On top of insomnia, it's important to get an idea of the quality of sleep you're getting. Many people are living with a degree of apnea and have no idea.

 

[astr4]

No. I've always had insomnia but it's not usually this bad.

eventually your body will just be tired enough to pass out. i know it's pretty stressful in the meantime, i hope you're taking care of yourself in other ways, keeping yourself warm, hydrated, etc.

 

[hearball]

whenever i have not slept for long hours , the reasons have not been pleasant . so those memories have been deleted or fogged up . So i don't have an answer for this .

 

[avoid]

The longest time I went without sleeping is approx. 40 hours. By no means an impressive number if it were a competition.

Usually I get tired after 15 hours. I can ignore it at the cost of losing mental capacity and my productivity if I keep myself busy in a lid environment up to approx. 24 hours. After that, my mind becomes clouded until I give into my need to sleep. I spent 40 hours awake for personal reasons only once and all-nighters (24–30 hours) only a hand full of times.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

I keep having these intrusive thoughts like "maybe if I CTB, I can finally rest". I don't actually want to do that. This shit is unsettling.

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

I had exactly the same issue around this time last year. I had an upsetting medical situation going on and I could not fall asleep for the life of me. Over the space of two weeks I'd be surprised if I got more than 10 hours of sleep.

It messes with your mind and it becomes difficult to think normally, and you really do go to weird places mentally.

You are likely having microsleeps though, where you're out for 10 to 30 seconds at a time. It's obviously not enough, but you are still somewhat functional as a result. Eventually you will fall asleep properly, but it may take some time. Just know that it will happen when it's meant to, and you don't need to worry, even though it's very difficult not to.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

I had exactly the same issue around this time last year. I had an upsetting medical situation going on and I could not fall asleep for the life of me. Over the space of two weeks I'd be surprised if I got more than 10 hours of sleep.

It messes with your mind and it becomes difficult to think normally, and you really do go to weird places mentally.

You are likely having microsleeps though, where you're out for 10 to 30 seconds at a time. It's obviously not enough, but you are still somewhat functional as a result. Eventually you will fall asleep properly, but it may take some time. Just know that it will happen when it's meant to, and you don't need to worry, even though it's very difficult not to.

Thank you uncle Dolan, but please put on some pants you're scaring me.

 

[Pluto]

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

Thank you uncle Dolan, but please put on some pants you're scaring me.

Don't say I don't ever do anything for you. I look ridiculous.

 

[SixNeufUn]

Around 2 days. Didn't do good because I was bored and fell asleep in the end

 

[WhiteRabbit]

Don't say I don't ever do anything for you. I look ridiculous.

View attachment 152274

JFC, take 'em back off.

 

[cicatrezESP]

it was over 3 and a half days, so almost 4! it was fun, i was trying to see how long i could do it for (just an experiment) and then someone told me i should go to sleep which is why i ended up finally going to bed but i probably could have stayed up longer

 

[WhiteRabbit]

*update because I know everyone is enthralled with this saga*

I took a two and a half hour nap and while that's not enough sleep I feel a little better.

 

[EternalShore]

*update because I know everyone is enthralled with this saga*

I took a two and a half hour nap and while that's not enough sleep I feel a little better.

I'm glad you feel a bit better now! :) I hope you continue to feel even better and get even more sleep! ^_^ Sleeping helps you feel better after all! hehe~

Anyways, I've probably only gone like 22 hours without sleep personally~ I was trying for 24 and was even going to volunteer at the church the next day, but both of those obviously fell through! xD

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I once went almost 72 hours without sleep trying to hunt for Mew in the 2014 Google Maps April Fools challenge. I didn't even get to print out the certificate though.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

I didn't even get to print out the certificate though.

tragic

 

[vampire2002]

i think the longest for me is about 4 days, or maybe a little less than that. the hallucinations sometimes mess me up though. one time there were spiders talking to me under my bed.

 

[WildAtHeart]

nothing crazy. 2 days.

 

[Forever Sleep]

Any time I've done it (maybe a handful of times) has been work related. So, a day, a night, another day- maybe 40 hours. But- that's been working my arse off the whole time. Not good. I'm too old for that shit now. I try to avoid it and get very irritable with the people who put me in such a situation- because they didn't do their job basically.

In my 20's, I had a massive project I had to do in two weeks. Some nights, I only got 2-3 hours sleep working up to no sleep the last night. I unsurprisingly fell asleep on the train on the way home. Woke up to everyone staring at me. Not sure whether I snored or dribbled or something.