What's the longest length of time that a person can stay awake for?

Answer 1

Don't know, but I started going loony on the third day they went to bed.

Answer 2

A lot of factors go into that.

If you are going to use stimulants to stay awake, the max is about four days before you start hallucinating. After 72 hours the body starts to shut down other critical functions to keep the majors ones goes. Stimulants can help to hold off some of the nasty side effects of sleep deprivation but you will end up paying the price when you stop taking them. Methamphetamine users can stay up and going for days on end because it over rides the CNS [central nervous system] and pools stored energy that the body has. This is why most meth addicts are thin, the drug literally eats away at stored body fat to use for energy while the drugs are in the system.

Coffee can be used but chances are you are going to get serious heartburn and stomach cramps from the amount needed to keep you awake for more than 48 hours. Personally, the longest I have ever been awake was 68 hours. That was with coffee, cappuccino and Stacker 2 before they reformulated it to not include ephedrine.

Answer 3

I don't know how long a person can stay awake without going irreversibly mad, but I managed 6 days and 5 hours.

However, by Day 3 I had gone mental and started hallucinating really bad.
I thought there were baboon-like creatures with big teeth scratching at my window and nobody could stand to be in my company because I scared them talking about the Big-Teeth Creatures.

And I didn't leave my room for the whole time (note: I had an en-suite so before you go thinking that I 'went' out the window... anyway the BTC's would have bitten my bum...)

I did take a LOT of Pro-Plus though, so that might have contributed to my temporary madness. It also made my heart beat very fast.

Don't try more than 3 days in-a-row, it took me about 2 weeks to recover properly coming down off the caffeine pills - NOT RECOMMENDED.

Answer 4

Channel 4 did a reality show based on this premise with occasional 1 hr knaps allowed, the longest a person stayed awake was for 6 days and a bit I think.

Answer 5

A Channel 4 (UK) documentary once told the tale of an American DJ who in the 1950's stayed awake for a week, to raise his profile and make some money for charity. He slept for a solid 24 hours when it was all over.

Sadly, it had long lasting after effects, causing him to be grumpy and giving him mental health problems. Eventually, his wife could take no more and divorced him.

Answer 6

I have also stayed awake for 4 days

Answer 7

Oh guy, my eyes get bloodshot everywhere between 5 to 10 minutes after my first hit, and stay crimson and trashed for a sturdy hour. in case your stressing over your mom and dad looking out or some thing basically carry a small visine bottle with you. a pair drops in the eyes after smoking that bowl will in specific cases avert your eyes from getting bloodshot all jointly.

Answer 8

i managed from early christmas morning till late night the day after boxing day - with a 13 hour flight included, whereby i could not get a wink of sleep as my sister fell asleep on my arm and wouldn't move, and when she eventually did, i was so far beyond sleep i couldnt get to sleep.

hang on - i'll work it out....

it was about 62 hours - ish - not taking into account the time difference between the UK and Malaysia - which would be plus so many hours i spose - not sure...

Answer 9

Vietnam man handles three decades without sleep.. I think this is the longest by any human being

Answer 10

Depending on the strength of the mind, I read somewhere you go insane after 72 hours - this is why one type of torture is to remove the eyelids then you can't get REM sleep and go mad.