How Long Humans Can Stay Awake and What They’ll Catch
You hear the advice that people need eight hours of sleep, but does that apply to every person? What about children, teens and older people? Many people seem to get by on less than eight so… Randy Gardner (born 1946) holds the scientifically documented record for the longest period of time a human being has intentionally gone without sleep not using stimulants of any kind. In 1964 – as a 17-year-old high school student in San Diego, California – Gardner stayed awake for 264 hours (eleven days), breaking the previous record of 260 hours held by Tom Rounds of Honolulu. The Guinness Book of Records has, however, withdrawn its backing of a sleep deprivation class because of the associated health risks.
