Teen YouTuber breaks record after staying awake for 12 days amid expert's 'fatal' warning
YouTuber Norme livestreamed himself during his attempt to stay awake for 12 days, which could have a disastrous affect on his health according to health experts
A teenager's record-breaking attempt to keep himself awake for 12 days has drawn condemnation from a medical expert who branded the stunt "utter madness."
Australian YouTuber Norme, who has 1.2million subscribers in the platform, tried the risky stunt that saw his followers alert police amid concerns for his welfare. The 19-year-old appeared drowsy throughout the stream but managed to break the record by staying awake for 264 hours and 24 minutes.
Toward the end of his attempt, Norme said in a August 11 X/ post that YouTube had suspended his sleep deprivation livestream. "I got banned from YouTube. Literally 12 hours from goal istg [I swear to God] crying rn [right now]."
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Norme is bac/Rumble)As of August 12, The Mirror found Norme's YouTube profile was still active, although the stream could not be found. The Mirror has contacted YouTube for comment.
Toward the end of the stunt, ambulances and police cars remained at the ready outside his home. But he has since drawn condemnation from medical experts who believe the stunt went too far.
Dr Deborah Lee, of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, told The Daily Star: "I think this is utter madness. If you want to kill yourself, this is a miserable, protracted way to do it. There is a very rare, genetically inherited condition called fatal insomnia.
"Once insomnia sets in, the average life expectancy is three months to three years. There is no cure. Why would anyone of a sane mind want to put themselves through something similar? After all, what's nicer than climbing into your lovely bed every night and snuggling down and drifting off to sleep? It's not just a necessity, it's one of life's pleasures."
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Medical experts have repeatedly said that sleep deprivation can pose a serious risk to a person's health. According to the Cleveland Clinic's Dr Michelle Derup, sleep is vital to an individual's well-being.
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She said going just 24 hours without sleep is comparable to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1 per cent, which is above the legal limit in the UK. People who stay up for that length of time risk the following complications:
- Reduced reaction time.
- Slurred speech.
- Impaired judgment and decision-making.
- Diminished memory and attention.
- Irritability.
- Impaired vision, hearing and hand-eye coordination.
- Tremors and muscle tension.
Shockingly, people that stay up 72 hours compromises their ability to accurately perceive the world around them. "You’ll be irritable, anxious, depressed and struggle with executive functioning and thinking," Dr Derup said. "You might also start to hallucinate: to see or hear things that aren’t there.”
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Dr Lee told the Star sleep is vital for everyday body functions. Without it, your body could end up in rude health.
She concluded: “Getting enough sleep is crucial for good health. Adults should have seven hours of good-quality sleep per night. Even short periods of sleep deprivation make you feel tired, groggy and lower overall performance. Sleep is just as important as other basic functions such as breathing, eating and drinking."
Randy Gardner once held the record for the longest amount of time a human went without sleep after the then 17-year-old stayed awake for 11 days and 24 minutes between December 1963 to January 1964. Guinness World Records no longer keep records of voluntary sleep deprivation amid concerns participants can suffer adverse effects.