Advice for staying awake for long periods of time

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TommyWizard

TommyWizard

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TommyWizard
Ok, let me get the background into the forground before you all say Red Bull.

So, I recently seen a timed world record which I think I might have a crack at. Im not going to say anything becasue nothing is fully arranged, a friend I know has setup a chairty and I'd love to do it in aid of them.

But, I need to beat 25 hours straight, 26 hours would be the target with 30 making it harder to hit for next time tryers!


I wouldn't be doing this challenge for a few months but I would really need to almost train myself to use my energy as little as possible (not a very physical activity). The way the record was broken was a break can be taken once and hour for a few minutes before returning.



So should I look towards energy drinks / foods closer to the time to try and get the maximum effect from them or is there something else I could possibly do to keep myself awake for that period of time.


Thanks Guys :D
 
Putting your face in cold water, or splash it with cold water.

(joke) There is another method, but it is illegal and not healthy at all (/take my coat)
 
To be honest, all you have to do is find something to do while it's dark and everyone is sleeping. Go to a party and not drink, I guess? As long as you are not bored, you shouldn't fall sleep that easy.
 
Wait, the record for staying awake is only 25h?

I might have beaten that once without knowing it. There might be a typo.
 
Go to college and procrastinate your final paper.

25 hrs doesn't sound like a lot, just need to find something entertaining.
 
More than 48 (I don't know really how much) hours is not healthy, so don't push yourself to beat the WR.
 
26 hours? That's something I honestly think almost everyone has done at some time or another in their lives.

Energy shouldn't be a problem, especially if you sleep well the night before. You just need something to keep you entertained (books, movies, internet, PS3, etc).*

Or, just wait until you have an important paper and it will come naturally... :D


* I might have not fully understood what you'll be doing exactly...
 
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Usually, caffeine and red meat keeps me going.
 
First and foremost, get a great sleep before you try to go for any record. Then, stay active, but don't do anything that will wear you out. Go walk somewhere instead of driving because your mind gets lazy when you're driving. Also, stay away from caffeine for as long as possible because it puts your brain on overdrive and wears you out quicker. Only use it when you need to be more alert and to concentrate - don't use it to "stay awake" because when it wears off you'll have dug yourself a big hole.

I'd say the most important thing is to not try to stay awake. The only times I've ever been awake for 24 hours or more is when I was just hanging out with friends, having fun, working on cars, or exploring on bikes, etc. Didn't even realize what time it was.
 
Pulling stints like these are pretty "easy" for me depending on how my sleep cycle has been the previous 2 days. Today is a pretty good start for me pulling a 24 hour deal as I've already been awake since 4am. Add in the fact that I only slept for 2 hours beforehand & this looks like a downhill wreck. But, those 2 hours are all I can manage if I haven't been awake for 12 hours (which was the result after the previous day resulted in a 10 hour sleep & waking up at 2pm).

So, as of now, I've been up for 12 hours, which is pretty ordeal for anyone, even after work (Work normally pulls me out of a 2-4 hour sleep-funk as it eventually keeps me busy enough to stay awake). Ideally, my body would probably start to fall asleep around 9-10pm, which would put me back on a normal sleep cycle. However, because I plan to go to a meet around 7pm tonight for 3-4 hours, by the time I get home, my adrenaline will be back up & I probably won't knock out til' 3-5am giving me a full day's cycle of being awake.

So, the "key" to this is really, as others have said in multiple ways, to keep your mind pre-occupied. Usually, as long as I'm pre-occupied with work or friends, my mind isn't thinking about sleep. Games usually keep me going as well if I can get into them (have pulled a 7 hour session of CS:S before resulting in me being awake for 27 hours a few years back; not too proud of that). Other than that, it's usually a mental endurance of not trying to think about sleep.

I will add that if your body does get to the point where your eyes start to just close & your head dips, I'd give in. At that point, your body is at its limit for the time and will "shut down" to preserve your health.
 
Stay on your feet and stay busy while you are on your feet.

I have to work 3rd shift everynow and then and a few times i've probably had maybe 2 hours of sleep.I'll work for 9-10 hours and not even feel tired.

Here's what i would do.Start the first half of the record at night.It's much easier finding something to do during the day than there is at night.Plus during the day you have the sun beaming down on you which helps.I would find doing it this way better than doing it the other way around.

Another thing.5 hour energy(they don't make you crash).Make sure you have 3 and space them out to get the most out of them.Stick to small amounts of lean protein and healthy carbs eaten every 3 hours. Eat regularly so your body will be constantly digesting and delivering a steady, even stream of sugar into the blood system. This will ensure a steady stream of energy.

oh and don't eat turkey.I know it's a lean protein as well,but it can make you fall alseep.
 
24 hour race with a wheel at night in a car that competes with the A.I, and other stuff that will keep you interested and alert during the day.
 
I'm assuming the record is for something other than simply staying awake, because there's a guy in Vietnam who hasn't slept for 33 years.

I would actually avoid the energy drinks though, because the crash they'll give you will make it very difficult to stay awake. Personally, I like to eat something like trail mix that you can constantly nibble on without feeling too full, just the act of eating will help to keep you awake.

And for the record, my longest time spent awake was 35 hours, after having a delayed flight, I can't fall asleep with someone looking at me.
 
Work on a farm. Last harvest I did a 4.5 day stint with no sleep operating a combine harvester, with hour breaks every now and then. For anyone thinking that driving such a large vehicle with no sleep is dangerous, it has auto cutoff fitted for this exact reason.

During harvest and lambing/calving I usually manage on 2-3 hours sleep a day and then sleep for the entire Sunday at the weekend if I can.
 
I know accidentally taking a pill of Concerta (did not realize it until I took it) for my ADHD at night made me stay awake for a about 28 hours. Joking aside I hated myself for accidentally taking the pill at night. There was so many times I wished I could fall asleep.

Though I can add drinking cold water helps to keep you awake and hydrated.
 
What is this for? 26 hours is not challenging—merely laborious. I do this at least twice a month.

The easiest way is actually to do labour, though, nearing the last 3rd of the time-span approaching the end of the attempt.

Edit: Also, in a more plebeian way, I've found (through 3-day benders) that re-setting your day with a traditional morning—showering, changing clothes, having breakfast and a coffee etc.—is a very psychologically powerful method to influence your body's release of hormones which will contribute to continuing your insomniatic endeavour.
 
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Longest I've managed is 48 hours, a few friends and I tried to do 48 hours straight, only two of us could pull it off. As Keef said, caffeine will give you a feeling of alertness when you feel groggy, but after it wears off your brain will be even more worn out, so don't use it unless you need to be ready to go for something.

I'd recommend just finding a way to pass the time, don't do it alone, don't get bored. If you stay up watching something you really like, or playing a game you've wanted to play, you'll be fine. Don't lay down at any point. If you lay down and get comfortable, you're toast. You have to stay sitting up, and walk around every now and then.

Just remember how powerful the mind is. As Public's Twin said, if you have a shower, shave, change, have some breakfast, you can trick your body. I've had this happen the wrong way for me, I woke up a 2pm the other day, didn't eat until 6pm, and then at 1 in the morning it was time for "lunch".

Just don't get bored. It's easy to stay up for a long time with friends and doing something fun, than it is to be alone and bored.
 
I know you can't say anything, but 26 hours? That sounds like a breeze.

I once stayed awake for 30 hours straight on one my last semesters of college. I felt like crap and I don't know how did I not crash on my way home, but I managed to finish my project, do the presentation and get home safely.
 
I have 7 series of Top Gear on my computer, and the humor keeps me awake...?

drowsy_2_080228_mn.jpg
 
alexleighton
I'm assuming the record is for something other than simply staying awake, because there's a guy in Vietnam who hasn't slept for 33 years.
Click to expand...

Source? Because the human brain will just fall apart without sleep for too long. Even if you claim you've been up for 48 hours, you are often already succumbing to micro sleeps that you are not aware of.
 
Alright I'll let a few more details slip here.

The world record for the longest time spent on bumper cars / dodgems was recently beaten and upped to 25 hours. The doll who broke it spun in circles most of the time!!

I think that 25 hours is easy to beat, but being cramped in the small cockpit which is a bumper car will be tough! Apparently to fall in the rules you need to film the whole event, and have a minimum of 3 cars on the floor at a time. Every hour you can take a five minute break (presumably between runs?)


Cheers, some good advice, might buy one of those rucksacks with the water tanks installed in them.
 

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