Randy Gardner (born c. 1946) is an American man from San Diego, California, who once held the record for the longest amount of time a human has gone without sleep.

Dec 28, 2022 · The world record for sleep deprivation is 11 days, but all it takes is 24 hours without sleep to start seeing dangerous side effects.

Feb 11, 2026 · The longest recorded time without sleep is approximately 264 hours, or just over 11 consecutive days.

Jan 17, 2023 · In 1997, we stopped monitoring the record for the longest time to stay awake. The record holder at the time was Robert McDonald, who went 453 hours 40 minutes (18 days 21 hours 40 …

Dec 24, 2024 · Students Randy Gardner and Bruce McAllister from San Diego, California, took on the world record for the longest period a human has voluntarily gone without sleep in 1964.

Apr 10, 2023 · In total, the teen managed to stay awake for 11 days (264 hours), breaking the record at the time and marking an end to the science experiment. After being taken to the naval hospital, the …

Jun 16, 2025 · In 1963, Randy Gardner, then only 17 years old, decided to break the world record by not sleeping for over 260 hours. After breaking the record, Mr Gardner slept for 14 hours and 45 minutes....

How long can you go without sleep? The longest time a human being has gone without sleep is 11 days and 25 minutes. The world record was set by American 17-year-old Randy Gardner in 1963.

Oct 25, 2023 · He set this record in 1986 by going 453 hours and 40 minutes (which is 18 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes) without sleeping [source: Guinness World Records]. The health risks of …

May 12, 2025 · In 1964, California high school student Randy Gardner set what would become the most famous sleep deprivation record in scientific literature. The 17-year-old remained awake for 264 …