What would happen if you stopped sleeping?
(CBS News) We all know you need to sleep. It's a necessary luxury -- but what would happen if you didn't sleep? Like, scientifically, what would your body do if you just never slept? Would you actually die? Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown of AsapSCIENCE explain what would happen if you stopped sleeping in their latest informative YouTube clip. Learn something new today, by watching the video above.
According to these Asap guys, who making science and learning fun, the longest recorded time that a person was documented for not sleeping was 11 days, and while that person was confused and woozy, they did not suffer any long-term medical damage. Rats, however, die after two weeks of not sleeping (though it could be due to the stress of being constantly woken). Poor tired rats.
There is a rare disease that causes insomnia that people can die from called Fatal Familial Insomnia, though there have only been 100 cases reported. So, rest easy, you probably shall live through the night. The moral of this story is simple: If you want to look and feel your best, strive for that ideal 6-8 hours a night. But don't sleep too much, cuz that can kill you too. Sleep tight!