How many hours can you stay awake before it kills you?

Question

My friend hasn't slept for a few days, she's depressed and we're all a bit worried about her.
How long can you go without sleep before it becomes fatal? Does anyone know?

Answer 1

I was up once for 3 weeks so who knows. I think I was pushing it though. No lie.

Answer 2

Don't ever take the sleeping pills route!!

1. They will damage your liver big time and you can get into serious health problems.

2. You will get hooked up on them and you won't be able to have a normal life any more if you don't take your pills everyday.

The sleeping pills industry is damaging our health by capitalizing on our ignorance, and by distracting people from effective and natural ways to deal with this problem. I had been taking prescription sleep medications [Ambien] for over 5 years. It stopped working and I simply took more. Still did not work. Nights were very difficult - medication put me to sleep but I would wake up after 2–3 hours with a strong sympathetic response (fast pulse, pounding heartbeat, wide awake alert). It was a very difficult cycle to break. I was really in bad shape due to lack of sleep.

After years of struggling I was able to cure my insomnia naturally and pretty fast. I followed the Sleep Tracks sleep optimization program, here is their official web -site if you want to take a look: http://www.insomniacure.net

Ohhh..and Good Luck!

Answer 3

It depends. On average, it's a month. If your doing stuff like playing video games, probably 3 weeks. Possibly two. Could also be 2 months before you die. 3 months would be just close to impossible.

Answer 4

Sleep deprivation weakens the immune system leaving us more susceptible to other diseases and disorders like diabetes, cancer and even the common cold.


It is not uncommon for people who suffer from sleep deprivation due to sleep disorders - sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia, etc. - to also suffer from other problems including diabetes, asthma or a second sleep disorder.


Sleep deprivation also causes much stress and, again, stress weakens our immune system - a double whammy. And both of these things, sleep deprivation and stress, can upset your mental processes. You may suffer from confusion, memory loss, irritability or emotional highs and lows. If you already have a mental disorder, sleep deprivation only adds to the problem.


Many elderly people suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders. For the elderly, sleep deprivation can be even more dangerous. Sleepy people are less focused on what they are doing or where they are going, and this could lead to falls or even to becoming lost on an unfamiliar street. Of course, added to other problems of the elderly, Alzheimer's, dementia, or even memory losses, and you have a real problem.


So, if you want to stay healthy, be sure you get the sleep you need. If it means a change in lifestyle like cutting out some of your activities or altering sleep habits, remember, if you don't have your health, you probably won't be participating in these activities anyway. If your lack of sleep comes from a sleep disorder, or even if you suspect you may have a sleep disorder, talk to your doctor and ask if he thinks you should have a sleep study done.

Sleep - it's one of life's essentials. Sleep deprivation can shorten one life's span. Increases appetite to gain that energy. and obesity results.