It’s believed we need sleep because of a waste product called adenosine builds up in our brains while we’re awake. When we’re unconscious the waste stops building up and the CSF in the brain gets rid of it. Adenosine is a CNS depressant and works on the same receptors as sleeping pills so wouldn’t it be like the idea of holding your breath until you die, you’d just involuntarily pass out (as if you’d been given anaesthesia) and the problem would solve itself? I’m imagining a CNS depressant would cause unconsciousness long before it got to lethal levels.
I think once you have been awake past a certain point your brain becomes sort of desensitized to sleepiness and it gets easier to keep staying awake. Or at least that is how my brain is, things get weird but I will feel like I can keep going when I really shouldn’t.
Stayed awake for 4 days once. This was the case. After day 2 it was much easier.
I have a similar experience keeping this waking state of mind, but the breadth of my vocabulary takes a steeep dive after a few days of only getting a few hours sleep (each night). I pretty much lose some capacity to form coherent speech, and when it happens in front of people, I try to blow it off like I just need
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