For the last two weeks or so I haven't slept more than about four hours a day.  Usually go to bed about 5am, and wake up by 9am.  I'm not working due to a back injury and take painkillers.  Pain, drugs and inactivity all keep me from getting much sleep at a time but lately I'm missing more and more sleep.

I avoid driving because it's too easy to space out and hard to keep my eyes scanning the road.  Playing video games is getting really easy though.  My reaction time just keeps getting faster.

So what happens with extended sleep deprivation?  How long have y'all gone with little or no sleep?

H

The longest I've ever gone without sleep was when I was 10.  I was awake for 4 days straight.  I think I slept through an entire weekend when I finally crashed.  I'd get up to use the bathroom and get a glass of water.

If you're having trouble sleeping, I highly reccomend getting a bottle of melatonin in 1mg tablets.  I work nights, and they keep me from going crazy by not being able to sleep.  Melatonin is the hormone your body is supposed to produce once your skin stops being exposed to the sun for the day and makes you drowsy.  It also promotes deep natural sleep.  It's a powerful antioxidant, and it's been linked to playing a vital role in the body's fight against cancer.  

There was a government study recently concluded that suggested that having such a well lit society during the night time may be responsible for low levels of melatonin in people, causing several types of sleep disorders and even promoting certain types of cancer.

I get it at Wal-Mart for about $5 for a bottle.  I use it when I can't get a full 8 hours sleep or when my sleep schedule is messed up.  It can make  5 hours of sleep feel like 8.  It also works really well for jetlag.

Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas...

Thanks GBT, I'll try some in a few days.  Sleeping isn't important for me now and I'm sort of enjoying the experience so far.  Just curious about where it's going from here.

H

Sleep, what's that?

I work nights, been doing it for years.  Never see more than 5 hours at a stretch.  That's on a good night.

Herbal supplements like Valerian, Kava Kava, work for a while, but then they stop.

GodBlessTexas is right I take melatonin all the time.  It stops working also, though, so I still take it like a vitamin.

I found the best thing is Melatonin and a huge greasy meal and I'll be out for about 5 hours.

They say that you are not supposed to go to bed on a full stomach, but that's the only way I can sleep.

If I go for weeks on 2 and 3 hours a day, I suffer from migrains.  They really suck!!!!!

I really couldn't tell you what the effects of extended sleep deprivation are, maybe ar15 addictions?  Maybe that's why I have 4 of them!!!

I never sleep the same number of hours per night. The one thing that I have found that helps is to adopt a schedule and keep it. If you go to bed at midnight every night like clockwork and try to get up at the same time, then a sleep pattern is fairly easy to start. But with me, I am always getting disturbed at night and I can never get into any type of routine, so sleep deprivation is a common thing for me.

Engineering college student here... I've ground through a week without sleep.... after a while you pick up the ability to get a really deep rest while sorta conscious... Unfortunately your productivity just drops like a rock. Youar abiliity to tell you can't do anything goes away too, so it's almost a vicious cycle.

What's really fun is when the hallucinations pop in.. around 48 hours I get auditory hallucinations (footsteps behind me, people calling my name, clicking noises)... shortly after I see light patterns... and around 72 hours I'm seeing clowns, turkey legs and teddy bears. Thankfully, it's too insane, so I can pick out what's fake.

If you *need* to drive while sleep deprived, bring lots of caffeine, and... an ice pack. Cold seems to keep me up really well... nothing keeps me on target like a frosty crotch (sounds nuts, but it works). I usually also have a rap CD, which keeps me awake on account of anger. If you have someone in the car with you, try not to go on about normal stuff; you'll nod off... try to argue over something; anger and high level thinking keep most people going pretty well.

That's pretty much all I can think of for now.. it is 5:14 and I'm on summer break. Old habits die hard.

enjoy it for as long as you can.as a2 time back surgery pateint,let me give you 2 cents worth of advice.
before too long youll be taking more and more then with out warning you Dr. will pull your good perscripsions and try and give you darvocett(glorified asprin).
take it for what its worth.but them dam dr. will give you pills up the yinyang then pull the majic cqarpet out from under you.

2-3 hours a night.....cant friggin sleep.....

i normally get 4-5 hours a night and have been that way for 14 years. I used to work thirds when I was in college and I just got used to it. 'Sleeping in' for me means I got 6-8 hours and I am still awake by 7am on Saturday.

4-6 a night