Can sleep deprivation kill you?

[sophie]

Anyone ever tried a polyphasic sleep schedule?

For those not in the know, a polyphasic sleep schedule is one in which, rather than having a block of 8-9 hours of sleep every day, you instead nap for 20 minutes every 4 hours. I'm thinking of giving it a whirl this summer.

 

[aronnax]

IB students are proof that sleep deprivation is false.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

Anyone ever tried a polyphasic sleep schedule?

For those not in the know, a polyphasic sleep schedule is one in which, rather than having a block of 8-9 hours of sleep every day, you instead nap for 20 minutes every 4 hours. I'm thinking of giving it a whirl this summer.

Do you think you could pull this off though ? Wouldn't you just try to sleep and not be able to ? I imagine it would be really hard just to say "ok , that's it I'm off for a nap now" then just shut your eyes , drop off in a few mins and get up 20 minutes later?

 

[GhostWriter16]

Anyone ever tried a polyphasic sleep schedule?

For those not in the know, a polyphasic sleep schedule is one in which, rather than having a block of 8-9 hours of sleep every day, you instead nap for 20 minutes every 4 hours. I'm thinking of giving it a whirl this summer.

I see no reason to try it. I don't sleep very well outside of hours I don't normally sleep.

My preference to get the best sleep is to go to bed sometime after 11 but before 2 and sleep 8-9 hours.

If I go to bed much earlier, unless I'm super tired, It will take about an hour for me to fall asleep.

I really haven't gone to bed later than 2 very many times, but on one occasion we had an all-night event with our church, I didn't get home till 10AM, and only slept like three hours, even though I was super tired.

Even when I'm tired, it usually takes 15 + minutes for me to fall asleep. So this kind of sleep schedule would fail for me.

 

[Narz]

My best dreams always happen once I wake up at about 6 am and fall asleep a few minutes later.

My best dreams are in the morning too, but always when I know I can sleep for a few extra hours with no obligation that morning.

 

[Truronian]

How long does everyone sleep on average? I usually clock about 7-8 hours. Any more or less and I'm usually very tired all day.

 

[Narz]

About six hours a night lately (goto bed around 2:30AM, wake up 8:30).

I'd love to sleep in later but my daughter has other ideas.

 

[GhostWriter16]

How long does everyone sleep on average? I usually clock about 7-8 hours. Any more or less and I'm usually very tired all day.

Well, while I'm a bit more flexible in my school schedule, I still don't want to work all day, so I try to get up sometime between 7:30-8:30 AM, and I probably get in bed between 10-11 PM, and take roughly 30-45 minutes to fall asleep. So averaged out, probably about nine hours or so.

On a weekend? Anybodys guess. Could go to bed anywhere from 11-12:30 (This spring break its been more like 1:30, but that's not really normal) and get up anywhere from 8:30 to 10:30. So probably still about nine hours, but (To me) its a better set of 9 hours.)

About six hours a night lately (goto bed around 2:30AM, wake up 8:30).

I'd love to sleep in later but my daughter has other ideas.

You could go to bed earlier than 2:30 AM you know...

 

[Lillefix]

I usually fall asleep between 1 and 1.30. Sometimes later. I wake up at around 6.30(or earlier, I have two alarm clocks, but they're never necessary). It's generally too little for me, so I sometimes sleep a little in the afternoon. I think it's really just as well, it's normally really difficult for me to sleep more than 5 hours at a time.

 

[pob]

How long does everyone sleep on average?

10-12 hours every second night

 

[emzie]

Anyone ever tried a polyphasic sleep schedule?

For those not in the know, a polyphasic sleep schedule is one in which, rather than having a block of 8-9 hours of sleep every day, you instead nap for 20 minutes every 4 hours. I'm thinking of giving it a whirl this summer.

It's torture -- legally, if you forced someone to do this, it'd be torture -- to acclimate your body to it. I gave up after a day.

How long does everyone sleep on average? I usually clock about 7-8 hours. Any more or less and I'm usually very tired all day.

Normally, 4-6 hours, wake up for an hour or two, go back to bed for 2. If I have to work it's more like 6 hours, work, 2 hour nap, evening activities, 4-6 hours of sleep.

If I take a bunch of allergy medicine I'll sleep for 6-8 hours straight. Still end up taking the 2 hour nap. It's 1:30 pm and I'ma go do that now

 

[GhostWriter16]

It's torture -- legally, if you forced someone to do this, it'd be torture -- to acclimate your body to it. I gave up after a day.

that is awesome. I'm not surprised.

 

[Dendrow]

I drove across country in one shot then stayed up when i got there for a day. It was about a 3 day drive and then i stayed up for another 8hrs once i got there. I was perfectly fine. After the first day I kinda just didn't get very tired from staying up the consecutive days. The first one was the hardest..

However, I do believe you will pass out before being killed by staying up to long.

 

[Narz]

You could go to bed earlier than 2:30 AM you know...

I could & sometimes do (though often later too).

I've let myself become ingrained with some very bad habits (eating late @ night, staying up late). I kind of self-medicate by zoning out via forums, games, movies etc. after my family has gone to sleep. I'd love to flip it so I can get to bed by say 10:30PM and get up at 5 or 5:30AM and have my time to myself then but it's easier said than done.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I remember when I was in the army we went 80 hours without food or sleep. People where definetly not thinking straight or behaving rationally. Our officers made us right as essay during the last hours. It was pretty much jibberish. I saw lightflashes and had difficulties thinking. The effects felt much like alchohol. This was however different since it was a three day obstacle course and the physical exhaustion was really bad.

 

[sophie]

Do you think you could pull this off though ? Wouldn't you just try to sleep and not be able to ? I imagine it would be really hard just to say "ok , that's it I'm off for a nap now" then just shut your eyes , drop off in a few mins and get up 20 minutes later?

Well, from what I've heard the first week or two is just terrible. Worst sleep deprivation of your life, but once you get acclimated you actually don't feel tired at all, plus you get the added benefit of 22 hour days to do stuff.

 

[mechaerik]

Many mornings after not having gotten enough sleep I'll dream I am waking up, taking a piss, getting ready for school/work/child rearing only to then really wake up & realizing I've been dreaming it. My body appears to be fooling me into staying asleep just "one more turn".

There was a Calvin & Hobbes strip that alerted me that I was not alone in this phenomenon.

This will occasionally happen to me too, although rarely. One time I dreamt I had changed my shirt before school; I went to school with the same shirt I seplt in.

One of the weirdest times was when I dreamt I visited CFC for a thread update; there was even avatars and posts involved!

 

[Flying Pig]

There's a great part of British officer training where the cadets are kept up for the best part of a week digging trenches and running before being sent into the field for three days; haven't heard of any fatalities but I did hear of one who opened fire with his machine-gun (loaded with blanks) because 'the elephants were coming', and another who hallucinated tea-sets all over the place... great fun. To watch.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Not as funny as this classic though, surely


Link to video.

 

[NetGear]

You defintely hallucinate after three days. Though its not guranteed. It also feels like a form of drunkedness without the drunk slobbish, head spinning, motor function deprived feel.

If you want to experience it, take ambien and don't goto sleep right away. Then write yourself a messege for tomorrow. Then swear to me you were rational last night.