What is the longest you've gone without sleep and what happened to you?

Was awake for a couple hours short of 5 full days. Was hearing and seeing things that weren't there by the third day. It was about 11pm on the 4th day, I was driving to my friends house to grab a phone charger that i thought I left there. Hallucinateld all sorts of things on my way out there. Including stopping my car for a giant 3 story buffalo. I got there and they weren't home just yet, but were on their way. Was sitting in my parked car when I fell asleep for about 30 minutes. I woke up and just started driving back home. Fell asleep driving 15 minutes down the road. I hit 17 metal poles and then went way off the road and hit a bolder. Causing one of the metal poles to somehow smash through the windshield and stop just inches from my face. I was on a country highway when it happened so luckily no one else was involved in the crash. Called my friend and started just crying. Got it together enough to call the cops shortly after. Spent about 45 minutes in 10 degree fahrenheit weather without a jacket flagging down a car. Someone finally stopped and let me sit in thier car until the cops showed up. The cops and my friend showed up about 20 minutes later. Worst thing was the phone charger was in my back seat the entire time.

I feel lucky to be alive after that moment. I also learned how dangerous it is to drive while tired or sleep deprived. I never drive if I'm too tired anymore because I don't want to put my life, or someone else's life at risk. I'm glad that my insomnia is nowhere near as bad anymore and when I have an episode I'm awake for only about 2 days at a time. Hardly ever have auditory or visual hallucinations either.

/r/AskReddit Thread