Man who didn't sleep for 264 hours revealed the horrifying impacts it had on his body
While it must be a surreal feeling to become a Guinness World Record holder, that really shouldn't come at the cost of your health.
Randy Gardner, who was 17 at the time, decided he wanted to break a record with his pal Bruce McAllister, in 1963.
The idea was pretty simple. One of them would attempt to break the world record for longest time spent awake, which was 260 hours at the time.
The pair decided who would undertake the mammoth and dangerous challenge by flipping a coin.
Advert
Ultimately, it was Gardner who lost and he was chosen to partake in the experiment which healthcare professionals strongly advise against.
Gardner enlisted the help of friend and sleep researcher William Dement from Stanford University, though the problems soon became clear.
"[Gardner's parents] were very worried that this might be something that would really be harmful to him. Because the question was still unresolved on whether or not if you go without sleep long enough you will die," the expert previously said.
Gardner and McAllister’s experiment provided some unexpected results just a few days in.
After three days without any sleep, Gardner apparently began to experience concentration issues and short-term memory loss.
The student at the time was also reportedly suffering from moodiness, paranoia and hallucinations.
A video uploaded by the Guinness World Records YouTube channel revealed that Gardner would still be able to partake in activities, and was even able to win a game of pinball despite his extreme tiredness.
Dement said: “He was physically very fit so we could always get him going by playing basketball or going bowling, things like that.
“If he closed his eyes he would be immediately asleep.”
Brain scans would later reveal that the participants’ brain had been ‘catnapping the entire time… parts of it would be asleep, parts of it would be awake’.
The teen seemed to have no major short-term issues from completing his science project, though did later admit that he had been suffering from unbearable insomnia for decades.
"I was awful to be around. Everything upset me. It was like a continuation of what I did 50 years ago," he explained.
Now in his late 70s, we don't really hear much from Gardner anymore, though his record for longest time without any sleep has since been beaten.
But, of course, experts have issued strong warnings about taking part, as those who suffer from sleep deprivation can be at risk of heart disease, exhibit poor balance and be subjected to high blood pressure.
Topics: Guinness World Records, Health, Sleep, Mental Health
Callum Jones