What Happens If You Don't Sleep for 11 Days?

What happens if you don't sleep, not for one night, but for 11 days (264 hours)? Thud the crash test dummy tries to beat the real record set by 17-year-old Randy Gardner in 1964, so you don't have to. Hour by hour, you'll see what happens to your brain when you don't sleep: why lack of sleep hits you like being drunk, why coffee only hides your sleep debt, why you get so hungry and so angry, the cleaning crew that only works while you sleep, the hallucinations, and the microsleeps you never notice. At first it's brilliant. Then the counter starts lying. Be honest: would you try to beat the record, or is your bed already calling you? Tell us in the comments. Chapters 0:00 Hour 200 0:56 The rules 1:38 Hour 17: like being drunk? 2:04 Why coffee lies to you 2:49 Why you're always hungry 3:46 Your brain's cleaning crew 4:19 Day 4: the hallucinations 5:17 Why you get so angry 5:59 Your immune system 6:22 Microsleeps 7:13 Why nobody holds this record 8:01 It was never a score 8:44 The science fair Sources Ross, J. J. (1965). Neurological findings after prolonged sleep deprivation. Archives of Neurology, 12(4), 399–403. NPR (2024). Lessons from sleeplessness: The 60th anniversary of Randy Gardner's world record. CDC / NIOSH. Impaired performance from lack of sleep mimics alcohol intoxication. Xie, L. et al. (2013). Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain. Science, 342(6156), 373–377. Guinness World Records (2023). What's the limit to how long a human can stay awake? Sleep Foundation. Microsleep: what it is and why it happens. Rechtschaffen, A. et al. (1989). Sleep deprivation in the rat. Sleep, 12(1). American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Recommended sleep for infants. Sleep Foundation. Caffeine and sleep (adenosine). Spiegel, K. et al. (2004). Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite. Annals of Internal Medicine, 141(11). Yoo, S.-S., Walker, M. P. et al. (2007). The human emotional brain without sleep. Current Biology, 17(20). Spiegel, K. et al. (2002). Effect of sleep deprivation on response to immunization. JAMA, 288(12). AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (2014). Prevalence of motor vehicle crashes involving drowsy drivers. Thud is a cartoon. Please don't try this. Sleep deprivation is dangerous, especially behind the wheel. #sleep #sleepdeprivation #whatif