[jimcola]

Finally got some temp employment. I have to stay awake for 48 hours this weekend. Is that hard to do? I have never tried it before. I bought mountain dew. I have high blood pressure so I am scared to try any of those stackers and things.

 

[Horse]

Its hard to do for the first few times. The key is to keep your mind going. What type of work? Can you have something like a puzzle book with you? Drink TONS of water so you have to always pee works for some.

I too don't like too much of the big hitters etc, but sometimes there is no replacement for caffiene.

 

[jdub]

I have done 3 16 hour shifts. Like go in at 3pm and get off at 0745am, be back at 3pm the same day. Do that 3 days in a row. Umm, it rapes your sole. But, its doable.

 

[Guest]

I got hooked on Panzer General II and played it for 69 hours-- straight! I slept for 18 hours after that. Just don't do anything dangerous, like run a drill press or go for a drive after about 36 hours, get's a little dangerous.

 

[nexus/mk.7]

Yeah, you will have some LSD flashbacks, but other than that and a pot of coffee, you'll do fine. :goof:

 

[Q-gunner2]

If you have high blood pressure, get it treated. Risk of stress-induced complications are higher with long shifts and especially with a lack of sleep. Also, most blood pressure medicines are on the $4/30 or $10/90 day supply list, so the medications are cheap too.


I've only spent about 30 hours awake (no sleep) before, it wasn't too bad, but I'm bracing myself for facing what you're going to be doing in the future when in medical school and residency. My best tips are to try to eat healthy, drink water, and stay alert. Things like Spike, Stacker 2s, etc. are amphetamine prodrugs, the body metabolizes them into the active drug, they are bad for you in general but especially if you have high blood pressure.

 

[dead_eye]

Sounds dangerous to me :roll:
The problem will be when the sugar and caffeine runs out you'll crash hard. You can drink more but eventually you'll just hit a wall.

 

[jimcola]

Thanks fellas.

Let me restate that. I take medicine for high blood pressure. It is under control. But I don't want to take anything that would mess with that. The idea of a stroke scares the hell out of me.

I like the drinking alot of water thing too. I am bringing a gallon jug with me. I did this last night and got alot of mosquito bites. Hope I don't get sick. Forgot what TN summers were like. Bringing deep woods off with me.

I like the keeping my mind busy thing. I may try to make a game out of the sounds I hear.

No equipment work. Just gotta watch a parking lot.

 

[SergeK]

I have done 36 hours a few times, but 48 only once. It was HARD. I do 24 regularly. Once you hit the 30 hour mark you start to feel kinda buzzed or drunk, and you kinda start getting clamy. Not sweaty but like, a light coating of sweat. Around the 48hour mark you will start seeing and hearing shit. Hope you are gonna get paid good!

 

[wptemple]

I have gone 56 hours due to work issues once. 24 hours was pretty easy but like above, your reactions and awareness after about 36 hours is like being slightly drunk, and you can get auditory issues.

If you are not used to going at least 24 hours expect to fall asleep at some point. Most people cannot do a full 48 hours.

 

[Apache]

Imagine you're in Vegas, the first time I was there I was up 72 hours before I realized I hadn't slept. I was also 20 years younger, LOL ...

 

[fullmedaljacket8]

Did 72 hours a few times in Iraq.

 

[Norinco QBZ-95]

I do it now and then. It's not pleasant. My most recent time was back in April when I made the mistake of mixing a crap ton of caffeine with a crap ton of tequila. That combined with the fact the girl in bed next to me purrs in her sleep (she seriously does) kept me awake all night.

 

[MotorcityMan]

Watch out with that mt dew, high in sodium, bad for your blood pressure. Also Mt. Dew (hillybilly piss) has straight vegetable oil in it, yummy....Not. Read the ingredients. I used to drink a two litre a day back in the day untill someone told me what was in it, I was addicted to it. As far as staying up multiple hours, I suggust you eat a healthy meal every meal and don't rely on Caffine untill the 30 hour mark, I use those four hour energy shots, they work great. Back when I used to work for the county plowing snow I would be up for three days straight plowing snow, after the 36 hour mark it's not that bad, but remember to eat and eat a good healthy meal, a nice portion with salad and all the trimmings, you need the energy that food provides. You should eat every five hours.

 

[Stottman]

I have done it a few times as well..
The key is to keep your mind and body active after the 24-30 hour point......If you do, you will feel fine.. Even get a "2nd wind"..

 

[Desdicado]

Finally got some temp employment. I have to stay awake for 48 hours this weekend. Is that hard to do? I have never tried it before. I bought mountain dew. I have high blood pressure so I am scared to try any of those stackers and things.

Forgo the dew. All that sugar means you'll crash hard. Try Vitamin B-12 supplements and black coffee, it's always worked for me. When you start to get tired, do jumping jacks.

 

[Remy1492]

ahh PZGII, awesome music in that game.

The 5HR energy shots at the quickie mart, red and yellow label, are pure B12, GREAT stuff with no crash, I swear by them, drink half, then half later. Id stop all supplements about 5hrs before you get off, so you can sleep once you're off shift.

 

[j-rod]

I can go forever if I keep busy. If I stop, I crash...

I regularly go well over over 30 hrs on my "Friday" at the end of my work week, but the key is to keep moving. 16-18 hr day surrounding work (pre/post Graveyard shift stuff), couple hrs at the gym, then several hours of "errands and chores" (on top of everything else in-between) to free up the rest of my weekend - but if I sit down and "veg" more than an hour, I'm through...

Keep moving and be active.

My longest was 79 hrs = Pre-Ranger school, 7th SFG Ft Bragg, NC :grin:

 

[JoeMomma]

The longest I"ve ever stayed awake without "help" is a shade over seventy two hours. I"ve done it longer, but was eating ephedra like M&Ms.
Don"t try this at home....

 

[USMCE4retired]

j-rod,
Looks like you are still doing "hell week" my man. If you can handle it , are young enough, and the pay is good, go for it.

As for the original post,
I agree with what has been said about proper nutrition, not spiking you system with sugar and hard core energy rushes.

Concerning the straight 48-72 hour walking dead-thing... can be done and I have been there. All you can do is move forward (if you can remember where forward is). But be aware that there will come a time when you may experience a real pscych breakdown if you do this too often.
By saying too often I mean that it takes three weeks to adjust to a new sleep pattern. In this respect swing shift is a killer, so staying up for extended periods has got to be worse for you. You'll have to seek out a way that works best for you.


note: when you start to hallucinate it's time to back off. I'm not talking any kind of drug involvement. Over time with sleep deprivation you can have some really weird shit happen to you. Been there. Had an Officer of the Day disappear while walking towards me at a distance. I thought that he was a hallucination so I closed my eyes to nod for just a second. When I opened them he was two inches from my face and had a string of questions for me.
Just saying that if you get close to this point you are also putting others in danger. You don't want to be driving home through a School Zone in that state of mind. No amount of money is worth that kind of greif.