• In 1959 Peter Tripp, DJ for WMGM in New York, decided to raise money for the March of Dimes by performing a stunt. The stunt was to stay awake for 200 hours. He set up his recording booth in Times Square and came on the radio hourly to tell people how he was feeling, and he ran his usual evening show every night. The entire ordeal was carefully monitored by doctors and psychiatrists.
• Tripp was never alone. Nurses constantly checked his blood, urine, blood pressure, respiration, temperature, and brain waves. He was subjected to tests that showed muscular control, reaction time, memory, and psychological condition. His physical health did not change much, but his psychological health deteriorated.
• On the third day, he became disoriented. On the fourth day, he began laughing at things no one else thought were funny. He was easily upset. He could not name common objects.
• Then hallucinations began. He screamed when a doctor’s tie turned into a live writhing snake. He was convinced that the attendants were trying to slip drugs into his food to force him to sleep. Near the end he suffered from paranoia and was convinced that the wake-a-thon was actually over, but evil doctors were keeping him awake to torture him.
• Still, during his broadcasts, he continued his on-the-air patter without mishap. It was as if a reserve part of his brain kicked into action whenever he went on the air.
• After five and a half days, he became so incoherent that doctors put him on a stimulant. At this point, his mental perception and alertness improved drastically.
• Tripp stayed awake for eight days and nine hours, exceeding his initial goal of 200 hours by 70 minutes. This set a world record. He slept for 13 hours afterwards and said he felt fine when he awoke.
YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE
• In 2004, a 7-episode reality TV show premiered in Britain, featuring a contest to see which of the ten contestants could stay awake the longest. They were challenged to stay awake for seven days. The directors allowed contestants only a 45 minute nap at intervals.
• The winner would receive the prize money of £100,000. However, every time anyone closed their eyes for more than ten seconds, £1,000 was deducted from the prize.
• Every day the participants were tested. There was the clock test to measure their sense of time; the memory test; and several mental agility tests. Those who scored most poorly on the tests had to face off in a live challenge, with the loser being kicked out of the contest.
• The face-off challenges always occurred between 2a.m. and 4a.m. when the body craves sleep the most. They included such things as a soothing facial massage; cuddling a giant fuzzy teddy bear; listening to a bedtime story read by a grandmother; sitting in a warm chair watching paint dry; counting sheep on TV; and listening to a boring lecture.
• One contestant walked out after 75 hours due to her psychological state. Four others were disqualified when they fell asleep.
• The remaining players were put in a downy soft bed and told that the last one to fall asleep would win the contest. They would be disqualified if they spoke, turned their face away from the camera, covered their face, or closed their eyes for longer than ten seconds. Clare Southern, a 19-year-old police cadet, was the winner, staying awake for 178 consecutive hours. She won £97,000.
• She later revealed she stayed awake in bed by stretching her feet until she got foot cramps, and by refusing to go to the bathroom, so she had an uncomfortably full bladder.
• The producers had promised sequels, but it turned out that the show was actually boring.
