In 1965, Randy Gardner set the record for staying awake the longest period of time, without using any stimulants. The 18-year old girl was awake for 264,3 hours or 11 days to be exact.
What were the consequences of this experiment? How did she look? What was happening in her body?
Although changes vary from body to body, these are the main changes that will happen if you stay awake for one week:
Day 1
The challenging times begin. You’ll experience headaches and buzzing in your ears. Your hands will be cold. Your studying capability and memory will be reduced. It will be difficult to pay attention and listen carefully.
Day 2
You’ll start to notice physical signs of sleep deprivation. You’ll get purple, under eye circles, bloody eyes and the temperature of your body will drop. The ability to talk will be reduced up to 5 times. You’ll also experience lack of emotions.
Day 3
Every simple and small thing will become annoying and will make you nervous. Your appetite will increase, especially the desire for greasy foods. Your body movements will slow down and you might experience twitches.
Day 4
Your skin will turn pale and you’ll notice wrinkles. You might experience hallucinations.
Day 5
Your eyelids will drop and the circles under your eyes will only get bigger and bigger. You’ll constantly feel tired. You’ll continue hallucinating.
Day 6
You’ll experience irrational fears, paranoia and light aggression. Your brain functions will be reduced, your muscles will become weak and your speech slowed down.
Day 7
One week without sleep can seriously damage your speech. Your body will be able to perform only the basic functions. Your brain neurons will become less active, your heart will be exposed to a lot of stress and your immune system will stop rejecting viruses.