YouTuber Norme attempts record-breaking sleepless marathon, faces dangers
YouTuber Norme decided to test how long he could stay awake and, in doing so, break the world record for the longest time. The creator has been live for twelve days now.
11 August 2024 14:23
How long can a person stay awake? Many have tried to test and push the limits. It must be emphasised that preventing oneself from sleeping is unhealthy and can lead to severe health consequences. Just 48 hours without rest is enough for the body to start sending alarming signals like nausea and severe headaches.
The Guinness World Record for staying awake belongs to American Robert McDonald, who stayed awake for 18 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes. He broke it during a rocking chair marathon in a hotel in 1986. The most famous participant in this "competition" was Randy Gardner, who in 1963 stayed awake for over 260 hours. Doctors monitored his condition, and the 17-year-old performed various tests to assess his mental and physical performance as fatigue increased. Due to the danger posed by deliberate sleep deprivation, in 1997, documenting similar challenges was banned.
This did not stop the Australia-based YouTuber nicknamed Norme from taking on the challenge. The guy has been staying awake for over 200 hours.
Effects of sleep deprivation. Almost 250 hours on the clock, fainting, and hallucinations
You can watch Norme's challenge live. As of August 11th at 4:00 PM Greenwich Mean Time, the guy has been awake for 246 hours, over 10 days without rest. Viewers are genuinely frightened and are begging the YouTuber in the chat to give up. Norme is visibly in poor condition, experiencing hallucinations and fainting. His brother also appears on the stream, trying to keep him "awake," for example, by splashing him with water.
Internet users are showing a remarkable sense. Most comments urge him to stop the stream. "Don't play with your life." "Rest." "You're risking your life; you could die from this." "This is very disturbing," they write.
