Anyone Know How Long A Person Can Go With No Sleep?

[Luthien]

It's been over a week for me now, with no sleep.

I'm getting pretty sick, and worrying about it.

Anyone know how long a person can go with no sleep, before it gets seriously life threatening?

I've heard people can die from lack of sleep, and given how I feel, I can believe it.

 

[A-RON]

Wow, I would go see a doctor right away. If you can't fall asleep after a week, there's something majorly wrong. The most I've gone is 82 hours, but it was actually a period of about six months that I slept about 10-15 hours per week, maybe more on occasion.

Seriously, go to a doctor.

 

[Luthien]

Yeah, I plan to. I have started hallucinating...that was a major give away to me that I need help. The thing is, my doc just thinks I am a nutjob, and she never listens to me at all...

Something is up with my body that is for sure. I haven't been able to eat anything either...it's probably adding to my feeling of imminent death, starvation and no sleep, what a hellish combination.

 

[Tinyflame]

Luthien,

I have had a few times in my life where out of necessity or because of insomnia I couldn't sleep for about 4-5 days, but I found a very different reaction than you. I found that my "visual/ even auditory perception" was markedly affected, -personally it would have been almost impossible to put a "post" on a Forum like this with much degree of acuity/ clarity.

Similarly, due to depression, grief, circumstance, "disaster in progress", I have had several times in my life where I couldn't eat for a week or more, and similarly I don't think I had your energy at those times.

I agree with the above posts, I would seriously head to any Doctor immediately and tell them that what you have said here. Bring a copy of your "post" here if you have to.

 

[Luthien]

Junebug,

The main reason I am so worried is because this bout of insomnia is so markedly different than others I have experienced in the past. I feel completely wide awake, extremely hypervigilent, and like I have drank about 3 pots of coffee all at once.

I can't handle caffeine, or any other stimulants, because I am very sensitive to them. I have bad heart palpatations, and can't sleep for days, so i haven't had any for years. I remember how it felt though, and this is the same. Wide awake, heart racing and palpatations, hypervigilent, and SICK.

my stomach hurts so bad, I can barely stand it. Fibro is out of control.
And then yesterday morning the hallucination happened when I was trying once more to go to sleep.

The whole thing has me very worried, because it has never felt like this before. Add to that the vision loss that comes and goes, and headaches I've had for at least the last month, and you have one very scared Luthien.

I wish I just just turn off.

 

[Luthien]

I am going to see a specialist tomorrow about my stomach. Hopefully they will have the results of my last testing and can dx it. If they can fix that, maybe I wouldn't feel quite so awful.


Blah...

 

[Tinyflame]

Luthien,

I think the first thing still would be to go to a Doctor, maybe a different one than your usual.

Also, I know for myself I cannot keep my body weight up when I cannot sleep or eat around the clock. For example, the "bones in my butt" would hurt sitting on a chair by about the 2nd or 3rd day, and no energy to stay upright virtually after 1 week.

Not to mention I remember at one point (when I could not because of circumstances, get any sleep) being told I looked liked like a "raccoon" and that "it was frightening to see" how ill I looked. No self-respecting Doctor should be turning you away.

Keep drinking fluids, that will help with headaches, could you try a "smoothie"?

My thoughts (and prayers, if that's ok-?) are with you.

 

[Luthien]

Junebug,
I am going through most of that right now. My body weight has dropped considerably, I wasn't thin to begin with, about 160, so I'm not sure if i am thin enough to have my bones hurt yet.

I have only been out of my bed once this week, aside from small jaunts to the bathroom, or to try to eat.

I do look like death warmed over...seriously, I look worse than I did when I had cancer. So I bet they'll believe I am ill. I just don't want the to think I am crazy, and throw me in the psychward, because that is a place I cannot handle. Been there, done that, almost actually went nuts.

i think whatever is wring with me is physical and not due to my emotions...though I culd be wrong..hopefully I am.

I can't eat anything at this point and even too large sips of water make me violently ill, I am hoping they have a solution when I go in tomorrow, at least for that part of this, because my stomach is the worst of it.

I am not religious, and consider myself to be an athiest. I at least do not believe in god as god is most times portrayed, but you are, of course, welcome to pray for me, any help I can get is welcome, and who knows, it just might work.

Thanks

 

[cragger65]

Luthien, I agree with Meg. You really need to bring up what's happening mentally and emotionally for you as well. If your regular doc won't listen, your going to have to address it with another doc. You can't go on like this.

Our bodies and mind's are inseperable. They directly affect one another, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say your mental state is having a huge impact on the situation over all. Since you're not against, I will be praying for you too.

Dave

 

[Tinyflame]

Dear Luthien,

It's ok, I didn't want to offend you- I read your diary before and knew you said that you are an atheist and that's why I asked.
I am sorry for all you went/ are going through.

You have much support here, all around you.

I know that for myself, my stomach is really a horrendous source of pain and aggravation for me. I also found that with no food/ no sleep (for me) the physical and mental pain just feed off of one another.

I'll be thinking about you and I know that tomorrow is going to be the start of some real positive healing for you. Don't be afraid to insist that they address these symptoms you have- think of the beautiful, gorgeous pain-free relief of a great night's sleep. Your stomach, too is going to feel a 100% better to eat, and it will help prevent ulcers and all the cost, aggravation, pain of that too.

I am so sorry that you have had to go through so much. But now you have even more support. If possible maybe you can just do something "gentle" for yourself- a warm bath, something you enjoy.
Even to just lay down and rest your eyes.
:Hug_emoticon:

 

[Nicolette]

Hi, I haven't read all of this but I did want to state the obvious - whatever you do don't drive yourself to the doctor...have someone go with you.

 

[becvan]

At my very worst for sleep, I slept no more than 10 minutes every few days for over three weeks. By the end of it I was completely out of my mind.

For your question, yes you can die from extreme lack of sleep, but I don't remember how long that is and I suspect it is actually different from person to person.

My lack of sleep (which sounds an awful lot like your experience) was due to my PTSD symptoms gone wild. I needed medication that made me sleep and it took awhile to find which one did.

My suggestion is: See both a doctor and a psych doc if you can. It could be from your PTSD or from something medical.

Hope you get some sleep soon!

bec