The world records the longest time a human has gone without sleep is 264 hours - about 11 days.
This record was set by Randy Gardner, a 17-year-old athlete, under ideal conditions in a laboratory. However, the question everyone will ask is "Will Randy survive the experiment? Is Randy still the same person he was before the experiment?"
Experimental diary
Day 1
After 24 hours without sleep, Randy felt sluggish, irritable and stressed. Although he did not drink alcohol, his blood alcohol concentration still reached 0.1 BAC. The maximum allowed to drive on the road is 0.08 BAC. At this point, Randy's body has begun to "sleep locally".
This means that while Randy is awake, some parts of his brain will rest. This can affect appetite and hormone levels.
Day 2
After 48 hours without sleep, Randy sometimes passes out for a few seconds. This phenomenon is called "microsleep", which is a protective mechanism of the body.
Day 3
After 72 hours without sleep, the human brain simply stops functioning normally. Randy loses the ability to taste, smell, or feel things around him properly.
Most people will feel extremely stressed at this stage.
Day 4-11
The human simply loses the sense of reality. Most people who reach this stage, including Randy, begin to hallucinate and become paranoid about everything. The brain has now officially stopped functioning
Recovery
On day 11 of the experiment, Randy finally collapsed. He slept for 14 hours, only getting up to get some water and then going back to sleep. Randy felt extremely tired for the next few days. However, the human body is extremely resilient. Finally, he was able to sleep normally. After about 8 days, Randy recovered.
This experiment was conducted in 1963. Currently, Randy is 75 years old, still living a healthy and happy old age.