I could have been sleeping. I needed to sleep. But I had a paper to write. Two weak eyes and a dazed look later, I’ve done it.
With the help of my good friends, caffeine pills and coffee, I will survive.
Probably.
Update: I’m still here almost 48 hours later. I stayed awake through all my classes with the invaluable help of a 16oz coffee, avoided noticeable hallucinations, only doubted the existence of one teacher (and then briefly), and had the good sense to keep myself from doing the astonishingly stupid thing I thought about doing.
Attentive readers will have noticed that “almost 48 hours” means it’s a little earlier in the day now than it was when I first posted. Psychic readers will realize it’s five in the morning here, which is usually a sign that I’m fast asleep. Curious readers will wonder why tonight is an exception, and inductive readers will decide it’s probably for the same reason: my studies. If you’re an inductive reader, give yourself 100 points.
There’s probably an old saying which goes something like this: “He who crams and crams away, lives to cram another day.” Right now I’m somewhere between cramming and cramming away, and I hope to have crammed away before any of my classes start.
Update 2: It worked, and it was easier the second time around. I’ll manage over 70 hours of non-consecutive uptime, split by less than twelve hours of sleep and aided by under a gram of caffeine.
I’ve hypothesized lately that the next significant increase in the average lifespan will come indirectly. If the need for sleep could be reduced by unconventional sleep cycles (such as Ubermann’s, which I hope to try sometime) and safe stimulants, people could lengthen their waking lives without damaging their health. Some drugs are useful to a limited extent, but I’m not aware of any which are safe and strong enough for long-term use. I expect scientists will create an excellent sleep-replacement pill in the future, but that future may be quite far away.
Meanwhile, waves of exhaustion are coming more frequently, making it even harder for me to focus. I’m too tired to figure out why that’s happening, so I think I’ll just go to bed.
