The World Record for Not Sleeping

In January 1964, Randy Gardner set a world record. He remained awake for 11 days and 25 minutes.

The 16-year old was monitored by a sleep researcher from Stanford University, a Lt Commander with the US Naval Medical Psychiatric Research Unit, and two of his fellow students.

By the second day, Randy couldn’t focus his eye and had to stop watching television. On day 3, he lost physical coordination. His monitors recorded on the 4th day that Randy was paranoid and hallucinating. He believed himself to be a black professional football player, and accused his own friends of being racists when told he had white skin.

On day 8, Gardner’s speech became slow and slurred, and the following day he was unable to speak in sentences. On the final day, he was suffering from body tremors, a heart murmur, his eyes rotated in their sockets, and he had no short-term…