What happens to the brain if you don't sleep at night?

The world record for the longest time spent without sleep is 264 hours - 11 days.

It was established by a 17-year-old, Randy Gardner, under laboratory conditions. Prior to this feat, Randy was a fit athlete. However, the question everyone was asking was:

Will Randy survive this experience and will he be the same afterwards?

First day without sleep

After 24 hours without sleep, Randy feels sleepy, irritable and stressed.

Although the teenager had not consumed any alcohol, his blood alcohol level was 0.10. The maximum legal limit for driving on the road is 0.08 blood alcohol level.

At this point, your body also begins to “ sleep locally ”.

This means that even though you are awake, parts of your brain are at rest. It can affect your appetite and hormone levels.

Second day without sleep

48 hours without sleep. Randy would occasionally lose consciousness for a few seconds. This phenomenon is known as " micro-sleep " and is a protective mechanism.

Third day without sleep

Honestly, after 72 hours your brain just stops working properly. Randy has lost his ability to taste, smell, or sense objects properly.

Most people feel very depressed at this point.

Days 3 to 11 without sleep

You lose the sense of reality.

Most people who have gotten to this point, including Randy, start hallucinating and becoming paranoid about everything. Your brain has officially given up.

Recovery

On the 11th sleepless day, Randy finally collapsed. He slept for 14 hours to wake up, get water and go back to bed.

Randy felt very tired for the next two days. Yet the human body is extremely resilient. Eventually he began to sleep normally, and just 7-8 days after the experience, he returned to school.

This experiment was performed in 1963. At the age of 79, Randy remains healthy, fit and happy. Just looking at him, no one could have imagined that this man didn't sleep for 11 consecutive days when he was younger.