Streamer Stayed Awake 12 Days to Break Nonexistent World Record

An Australian livestreamer, Norme, faced a ban from multiple platforms after attempting to stay awake for 12 days to break an old Guinness World Record. At 19, Norme sought to surpass the longest time without sleeping, a record set by Robert McDonald in 1986, who managed to stay awake for 18 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes. Norme aimed for 12 days because it represents the longest duration without using stimulants.

It’s worth noting that Guinness World Records stopped tracking this record in 1997 due to the health risks associated with sleep deprivation. They stated that even small amounts of missed sleep can significantly impact mental and physical health. Despite this, Norme decided to take on the challenge, but his journey wasn’t smooth. He encountered numerous issues, including being removed from YouTube and getting banned from livestreaming platforms Twitch and Kick.

Norme, who has about 1.21 million subscribers on YouTube, documented his endeavor on X and during his livestreams at the beginning of August. To fend off sleep, he watched videos, spent time with friends, ate McDonald’s, interacted with his chat members, and played with Elmo and Kermit the Frog dolls. His friends took 12-hour shifts to ensure he stayed awake. Norme even tackled skepticism from online users about whether his lack of sleep affected his reading and consciousness. After 207 hours awake, he humorously responded to a comment, writing, “This is mislinformation i regainec my abilility toread.”

The trouble started on August 11 when YouTube abruptly cut off his stream, and Kick banned him. To make matters worse, Norme got “swatted”—a hoax call led law enforcement to his home. He eventually reached the 12-day mark by switching to another platform, Rumble, to finish his stream. Upon completing his goal, Norme noticed an ambulance outside his home and expressed his disbelief in an X post.

After his 12-day sleepless stretch, Norme announced a new challenge: the “world’s longest sleep stream” on Twitch. However, the platform banned him just two days into the new challenge, prompting him to move to Rumble once again. Upon waking up from a 38-hour sleep stream, he noticed his skin peeling and mentioned his plan to visit the emergency room.

Sleep deprivation is associated with various health risks. According to the Better Health Channel, lack of sleep can increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. It negatively affects daytime functioning, resulting in poor concentration, reduced reaction times, and altered mood. Chronic sleep deprivation can harm brain, metabolic, and immune health. Adults aged 18 to 64 should aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

This isn’t the first attempt to stay awake for extended periods. In 1959, Peter Tripp, a radio DJ, aimed for the “sleeplessness” Guinness World Record. After 140 hours awake, his emotions became erratic, he experienced hallucinations and delusions, and he questioned his identity. Tripp accused doctors of poisoning him and had hallucinations on 90-minute cycles, leading doctors to describe his state as “nocturnal psychosis.” After 201 hours awake, Tripp eventually slept for over 13 hours. Other record-seekers have also faced severe neurological and mental issues, such as decade-long insomnia, brain fog, and weight loss.

Source: USA TODAY, Guinness World Records