Chapter 04 of 5
11 Days Awake
The teenager who stayed awake for 264 hours — and what sleep loss does.
- 1963
A science fair project
In December 1963, a 17-year-old San Diego student named Randy Gardner decided to stay awake as long as possible for a science fair.
- The Team
Friends on watch
Two school friends took turns keeping him awake and recording how he changed.
- The Scientist
A sleep researcher joins
Stanford sleep researcher William Dement heard about the attempt and came to observe.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
Why did Guinness World Records stop recognising attempts to stay awake?
😴 The Science of Sleep
- 01Why We Sleep at AllWe spend a third of our lives asleep. Here's what it's for.
- 02Inside a NightSleep cycles, REM and the strange world of dreams.
- 03The Body's ClockThe inner timekeeper that runs your days — and the Nobel Prize that explained it.
- 0411 Days AwakeThe teenager who stayed awake for 264 hours — and what sleep loss does.
- 05Owls, Larks and Jet LagMorning people, night owls, and working with your own clock.