I am moving home today and it is too late for proactive harm reduction like “get plenty of sleep in the days before the all nighter”. I tried to look for advice online, but just found loads of articles telling me how harmful and unproductive it is to go without sleep. I get it, I’m fucked. I’m not in this situation by choice though, so now I just want to get through the day as well as I can. I have plenty of help, so I don’t need to do much physical exertion, but I will need to direct people and organise the last packing stages. Fortunately I don’t need to drive anywhere, but I do somehow need to survive this. By the end, I’ll have been up for around 48 straight hours, and I was pretty tired even before then (so tired that my R regular ADHD meds barely woke me up)
So I was wondering if anyone had tips that helps them when they’re exhausted beyond belief but still need to function. When you’re in a situation where you know it’s unhealthy to push through, but it’s too late to change that, is there anything that you find lessens the blow of the combo exhaustion at the end of it all? Staying hydrated is already on my list, as is getting some rest if you can (because even if you don’t sleep, some shut eye rest can be good); I’m getting an hourish rest after posting this question. I’m typically not someone who naps, because I wake up even groggier afterwards. I know I’m foolish for hoping for some neat trick or tip to make today magically tolerable, but I figured it was worth asking.
There are plenty of people who routinely go multiple days without sleeping. First responders, military, students. It’s doable. It’s not healthy long-term. But you can do it once or twice.
Stay active, avoid situations where you get bored or become calm. Use tremendous amount of stimulants. Zyn puches work, hot sauce, chew, energy drinks, coffee, lipping coffee grounds. If you have to wait for something, and you can’t stay active, do some exercise, run a little bit, jumping jacks. Anything to keep the blood flowing.
Your attention and reaction time is going to be reduced, don’t drive vehicles, don’t do anything that put you in danger if you fall asleep.
Recognize once you stop moving you’re going to sleep for a very long time. So get to a safe space and then crash
This is terrible advice.
Nobody goes “routinely” multiple days without sleeping. The only way military is doing that if necessary is methamphetamine, see German troops during WW2.
After 24-48 hours there will be an onset of psychosis, after 48 hours without sleep most people experience psychosis, especially in combination with drugs.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-do-medical-residents-stay-awake-during-long-shifts/
30 hours aren’t multiple days. Nonetheless it is completely reckless for this to occur in the first place, endangering both patients and staff.
Even then, taking some sleep during the breaks is preferable over going without any sleep.
30 hours is two days, two is more then one and thus multiple. Plus that’s just the expectation, even in that same article a doctor said their longest shift was 72 hours. What we want and reality often diverge. We have to acknowledge reality
I don’t disagree it’s bad, but it’s real. People do it all the time. First responders often have a 24 hour shift, throw in contingencies and it’s two days.
Soldiers on mission often don’t get to sleep and if your the unlucky bastard to pull sentry duty, sucks to be you. Deal with it.