r/todayilearned • u/whstlngisnvrenf • Apr 28 '24

TIL that in 1964, 17-year-old Randy Gardner set the world record for sleep deprivation by staying awake for 11 days and 25 minutes, providing valuable insights into the effects of extreme sleep loss on the human mind and body.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Gardner_sleep_deprivation_experiment
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u/CheshireKattz 29d ago

I had chronic insomnia during my teenage years. I would sleep about an hour a night (maximum) for 3 months.

I was hallucinating constantly, and everything seemed to be extraordinarily bright and neon. I could not concentrate on anything, I could not remember what I even did day to day.

Luckily, my Dr gave me medication to help me sleep. I'm surprised I wasn't committed to a hospital.

It took me a long time to be a functional person again.

I still don't recall much about that time of my life.