All-nighters

[dr.walrus]

So, for the last three years, I've learnt how to stay awake for 48 hours at a stretch (last minute before deadlines, anyone? Before that, I can only ever recall doing it once or twice, though a few times on 25h flights (UK > NZ), I'd gone 48 hours without more than an hour or so's sleep.

Does anyone else do it often? Deliberately? Do you have a technique? Why? What's your record?

My record is about 60-65 or so hours, but that was horrifying - by the time body gave up on being awake I was falling asleep mid-sentence, my body felt like a ragdoll and my eyes were red raw. If I need to perform like that, I try to get at least 4 hours sleep a night, you can just about perform normally, but 10 hours sleep over a 4 day period is actually quite enlightening of just how much of the world you see - it's wonderful to see sunrise and sunset every single day.

[diluzio91]

im usually a 2 day guy... and right after i finish what i was up for i basicly pass out.

My plan involves alternating light and dark, coffee, and music. having tv in the back ground helps alot too... even if im not watching.

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

heh just this past weekend i stayed up for 97 hours... so it was actually longer than the weekend..

[x88x]

I think my record in college was 50-something hours. I remember passing 50, at least. Though, that was also one of the frighteningly frequent incidents where I OD'd on caffeine. There's nothing like a caffeine-induced arrhythmia to knock some sense into you..

I haven't done anything even remotely like that recently though. The closest I've gotten in the last couple years has been 3.5 hours sleep in a 48-hour period.

[jdbnsn]

My record that I know of is a little over 72 hours working straight through doing autopsies, no breaks except for quick dips in the peanut butter jar for meals. After that, I know I have worked longer, but not continuously like that.

[knowledgegranted]

I pull an all-nighter every night.


On a serious note, I probably only get about 3-4 hours of sleep a night. For a wake-stretch, I was on the appalachian trail one year and stayed up for three days.

[Beta-brain]

My approx 50 hours doesn't sound like much compared to some here!
A few years ago I decided that I would make the effort to rebuild a Kawasaki Z900 that I had been restoring for a while and ride it to a big Kawasaki owners rally that was in two days time, it was all repainted, chromed, rebuilt spoked wheels and many new parts it just needed putting back together.

I started at about six in the morning and ran into problem after problem with parts not fitting correctly and the new expensive wiring loom turning out to be from the wrong model bike which meant I had to rebuild and use the old loom I eventually got it running around eight in the morning two days later only having had 2-3 short breaks for sustenance, I rode the bike to the rally only about 40 miles away, parked it and put the tent up bought a beer and collapsed in the tent and slept for most of the day and completely missed the rally

My advice, Buy a simple British bike or a Harley!

[x88x]

Hahaha, doesn't have to be British or American to be simple. My Honda is dead simple...granted it's also 31 years old this year...but hey, it still runs great and hardly ever needs maintenance.

[xr4man]

i HAD to do stuff like that in the navy. the longest was when my radar broke and i had to fix it. my parts came in 10:00 sunday morning and i got to go to bed wednesday morning. that was the longest, but there were a couple of 48 hour stretches of troubleshooting and several 36 hour stretches. i have a civilian job now, so i don't do that anymore, i like my sleep.

[Airbozo]

i HAD to do stuff like that in the navy. the longest was when my radar broke and i had to fix it. my parts came in 10:00 sunday morning and i got to go to bed wednesday morning. that was the longest, but there were a couple of 48 hour stretches of troubleshooting and several 36 hour stretches. i have a civilian job now, so i don't do that anymore, i like my sleep.

My longest stretch was also in the Navy. We were on port and starboard watches (4 hours on 4 hours off), and it so happened that we had 6 general quarters drills, all of them while I was supposed to be off. It turned out I was up a little over 72 hours straight, then only 4 hours of sleep and at it again (actually less than 4 hours).

The Navy ruined my sleeping habits. To this day I rarely sleep more than 6 hours even if I try... A couple of years ago the wife was gone for a week with her sisters diving and while she was gone I hosted a mini lan with some of my friends. We ended up staying up for 2 days partying and I thought I was going to be able to sleep in. I went to bed at 3:30 am and at 8:30 I could no longer stay in bed.