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When I go over the 24 hour mark I start getting peaks and troughs of triedness and alertness. This was something that other people I know have talked about too. The peaks and troughs seem to last about 3 hours around the 24-36 mark and get longer to about 4-6 hours after the 36 mark. I have no idea why it happens like that.
I've never really done 70 hours I think the best I've done was around 55 to 60 hours. That was only because I decided to attend lectures (no thinking required) after finishing a major project, then when I got home I wasn't tired (one of the alert periods) and parents wanted me to fix some computer problem.
I found that after 48 hours it's better to catch 2-4 hours sleep before going another 48 hours if you're trying to do work. Best I've done with catnaps inbetween was 9 days with about 12 hours of sleep spread out sporadically between those days.
This was back in the days where I thought every assignment and project was a life and death matter.
Actually the most memoriable experience wasn't the staying awake, it was the confusion after waking up. Once I had been working hard on an assignment for a couple of days and skimping on sleep, the assignment was actually due in 3 weeks, but the next two weeks were booked up with different assignments. Anyway I had finally gotten home and had the assignment completed and had a warm glow of knowing it was in 2 weeks early. I wasn't tired so I was copying files off a cd and it said 15 minutes till completion, so I decided to lie down for a little bit because my joints ached (the problem with skipping sleep and having to be mobile).
So I looked at my clock because I was waiting for that cd to complete. Then I opened my eyes wondering why it was suddenly dark. So I turned on the light, wondering why my head felt fuzzy and my eyes felt sticky. Then I looked at the clock and noticed 6 hours had gone by. So I went, oh must have dozed off for 6 hours. thought it was pretty strange because I assumed if I crashed it would have been longer than that.
So I went to the computer and the CD had finished copying, then I did stuff for about another 4 hours like finish installing the program I had started installing before I dozed, eat, brush my teeth, and then I went to check the TV guide to see what was on tonight before going off to sleep properly because I was still a bit tired. It was then that I noticed there was a serious discrepency with the tv guide and the shows that were on. So I accused my dad of leaving the old tv guide lying around again and commented that by leaving the old tv guide he had gotten my hopes up on watching a particular movie. He then told me I was looking at the wrong day since it was actually Saturaday night not Friday.
I didn't think I believe him, so I went to look at my watch (I keep it in my drawer when I'm at home) and it said Saturaday, so I sort of shrugged decided this was too weird and went back to bed. I think it was only until Sunday morning and mum came back with her purchases from the flea market that it actually sunk in that it was now Sunday.
I finally figured out I had slept for 30 hours straight. I lost an entire day and then some, I was quite upset because according to my plan I was supposed to have started my next assignment on sunday, so it felt like I didn't get to have a break between assignments.
The reason why it didn't sink in that I had slept for 30 hours straight is because my parents didn't make a single comment about the fact I was missing for 30 hours. Also the computer that I had been copying the cd off was left exactly as it was when I accidently dozed off and that was in the family area. I would have thought my parents would have turned the computer off if they noticed it running with nobody touching it for a day. Then the fact I was still tired enough to sleep normally for another 8 hours after eating and stuff. Also when I woke up my I was lying across the shorter part of the bed with my legs hanging off the side with all my clothing on. Exactly the same position that I accidently dozed off in. I also figured my parents would have put me into bed properly if they noticed me missing and saw me half lying on the bed (was still fairly young back then).
It seemed that nothing changed during the 30 hours I was conked out, and so it felt like someone had fast forwarded an entire day when I really needed that day to do something other than work before starting my preparation for a lab session on Monday.
I guess my parents didn't even realise I was back because for the last two weeks I had only been coming back home at odd hours for food and cat naps. Although my mum should have realised the last trip she made was taking me home, since I didn't have a drivers license at the time so they were the ones driving me to and from university.
I've never really done 70 hours I think the best I've done was around 55 to 60 hours. That was only because I decided to attend lectures (no thinking required) after finishing a major project, then when I got home I wasn't tired (one of the alert periods) and parents wanted me to fix some computer problem.
I found that after 48 hours it's better to catch 2-4 hours sleep before going another 48 hours if you're trying to do work. Best I've done with catnaps inbetween was 9 days with about 12 hours of sleep spread out sporadically between those days.
This was back in the days where I thought every assignment and project was a life and death matter.
Actually the most memoriable experience wasn't the staying awake, it was the confusion after waking up. Once I had been working hard on an assignment for a couple of days and skimping on sleep, the assignment was actually due in 3 weeks, but the next two weeks were booked up with different assignments. Anyway I had finally gotten home and had the assignment completed and had a warm glow of knowing it was in 2 weeks early. I wasn't tired so I was copying files off a cd and it said 15 minutes till completion, so I decided to lie down for a little bit because my joints ached (the problem with skipping sleep and having to be mobile).
So I looked at my clock because I was waiting for that cd to complete. Then I opened my eyes wondering why it was suddenly dark. So I turned on the light, wondering why my head felt fuzzy and my eyes felt sticky. Then I looked at the clock and noticed 6 hours had gone by. So I went, oh must have dozed off for 6 hours. thought it was pretty strange because I assumed if I crashed it would have been longer than that.
So I went to the computer and the CD had finished copying, then I did stuff for about another 4 hours like finish installing the program I had started installing before I dozed, eat, brush my teeth, and then I went to check the TV guide to see what was on tonight before going off to sleep properly because I was still a bit tired. It was then that I noticed there was a serious discrepency with the tv guide and the shows that were on. So I accused my dad of leaving the old tv guide lying around again and commented that by leaving the old tv guide he had gotten my hopes up on watching a particular movie. He then told me I was looking at the wrong day since it was actually Saturaday night not Friday.
I didn't think I believe him, so I went to look at my watch (I keep it in my drawer when I'm at home) and it said Saturaday, so I sort of shrugged decided this was too weird and went back to bed. I think it was only until Sunday morning and mum came back with her purchases from the flea market that it actually sunk in that it was now Sunday.
I finally figured out I had slept for 30 hours straight. I lost an entire day and then some, I was quite upset because according to my plan I was supposed to have started my next assignment on sunday, so it felt like I didn't get to have a break between assignments.
The reason why it didn't sink in that I had slept for 30 hours straight is because my parents didn't make a single comment about the fact I was missing for 30 hours. Also the computer that I had been copying the cd off was left exactly as it was when I accidently dozed off and that was in the family area. I would have thought my parents would have turned the computer off if they noticed it running with nobody touching it for a day. Then the fact I was still tired enough to sleep normally for another 8 hours after eating and stuff. Also when I woke up my I was lying across the shorter part of the bed with my legs hanging off the side with all my clothing on. Exactly the same position that I accidently dozed off in. I also figured my parents would have put me into bed properly if they noticed me missing and saw me half lying on the bed (was still fairly young back then).
It seemed that nothing changed during the 30 hours I was conked out, and so it felt like someone had fast forwarded an entire day when I really needed that day to do something other than work before starting my preparation for a lab session on Monday.
I guess my parents didn't even realise I was back because for the last two weeks I had only been coming back home at odd hours for food and cat naps. Although my mum should have realised the last trip she made was taking me home, since I didn't have a drivers license at the time so they were the ones driving me to and from university.
It's fun to read about what happens in Sparta from all these different perspectives. 
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