Experience:4 Days Sleep Deprivation - Progression of Sleep Deprivation Visuals Over Time

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Experience reports - Sleep deprivation

  • Date: Summer 2015
  • Gender: Female
  • Weight: 45 kg / 100 lbs
  • Age: 19
  • Etc: Upon sudden discontinuation of marijuana, I experienced sleep deprivation extended over the course of 4.5 days, or around 100-110 hours. I was not on any stimulants, so stimulant psychosis was ruled out as the cause of the visual effects I was experiencing.

Report

4 Days No Sleep - Progression of Sleep Deprivation Visuals Over Time

Day 1

1 - 24 hours No Sleep
This is the first day where I had no sleep. Other than feeling lethargic at night, I received a second wind of energy when the sun came up and was able to go about my day to day activities normally. When I retired to bed that night, I hoped sleep would come and dosed on 10mg melatonin to hopefully induce sleep. This was futile.

Although I had gone a full day without sleep, I felt functional even through the night and no visual effects were present at this stage.

Day 2

24 - 48 hours no sleep
At the 24 hour mark, upon rising from bed I felt a noticeable body and mind sleepiness. Despite this sedation, I got my third wind of energy when the sun came up and I was able to go about my normal day without much interference. By the end of the night, near the 36-48 hours no sleep mark, I had begun to experience peripheral vision distortion and noticeable decreases in my thought capacity.

At this point I decided to dose on 50mg diphenhydramine to hopefully sedate myself into sleep. This was futile.

Day 3

48 - 72 hours no sleep
Upon waking up I felt drained. The diphenhydramine did not put me to sleep but rather gave me an increased dry mouth. I find going about my day to day tasks cumbersome and my memory is starting to lapse.

It is at this stage that more prominent visuals begin to appear. If I stare at a rug it begins slithering around on the floor like a snake. If I stare at a lamp post it bends into different positions. When I take a quick glance back at these visuals, the object that was being distorted is normal again. When I stare harder, it begins to bend and morph in a somewhat unpredictable fashion. At this state I know that I need to get sleep soon before the visuals get worse.

In another attempt to get sleep, I dose on 50mg diphenhydramine and 30mg DXM to try to induce sleep. This is also futile.

Day 4+

72 hours - 108 hours no sleep
This is the home stretch from sleep deprivation into psychosis. No combination of sleeping medications had the ability to knock me out and I felt like a zombie wandering through life. There were times of perspective shifts where my environment would suddenly change around me - I do not think there is an effect in the effects index that can describe this. I would be walking along the street and suddenly my environment would change, if only for a moment. A street with a park on one side and busy cars on the other would suddenly switch into a different environment at around the 90 hour mark.

The 3-Dimensional drifting increased to a point where microwave doors would open and close on their own and cups would slide on tables. I felt an sense of impending doom at nightfall and knew that I had to get some sleep soon or sooner rather than later the famous shadow people would make their appearance. I could already see some light posts morph into shadow people in my peripheral vision as I was being driven along a street at night. I dosed on 100mg diphenhydramine and thank the god this had me out by the 108 hour mark.

Effects analysis

Day 1

  • Sleepiness - At night, I was tired, but I was unable to go to sleep due to tossing and turning brought on by marijuana withdrawal.
  • Anxiety - I felt apprehension that I would not be able to get to sleep the coming night.

Day 2

  • Sleepiness - At night, I was tired, but I was unable to go to sleep due to tossing and turning brought on by marijuana withdrawal.
  • Anxiety - I felt increased apprehension that I would not be able to get to sleep the coming night that seems to build as time goes on.
  • External hallucination - At this state, this only appeared when staring intently at a wall. The pattern of bumps and lumps on the wall would be exaggerated and morph in my visual field.
  • Peripheral information misinterpretation - At this stage, these only appeared as visual distortions at the corners of my eyes and were mild.
  • Thought deceleration - Approaching the 48-hour mark my mental capacity is noticeably reduced.
  • Cognitive fatigue

Day 3

  • Sleepiness - At night, I was tired, but I was unable to go to sleep due to tossing and turning brought on by marijuana withdrawal and by pure insomnia as the withdrawal was fading. The DXM and DPH did not aid in getting me sleep but just kept me up mildly inebriated.
  • Anxiety - I felt increased apprehension that I would not be able to get to sleep the coming night that seems to build as time goes on, this was beginning to morph into paranoia around the 72-hour mark.
  • 3-Dimensional drifting - At this stage, this appeared with objects in my peripheral vision and increased when I stared at these objects. The movement of the objects was not controllable and increased the longer I looked at the object. " If I stare at a rug it begins slithering around on the floor like a snake. If I stare at a lamp post it bends into different positions. When I take a quick glance back at these visuals, the object that was being distorted is normal again. When I stare harder, it begins to bend and morph in a somewhat unpredictable fashion."
  • Thought deceleration - Approaching my mental capacity is noticeably reduced to the point of rendering me unable to perform some everyday tasks.
  • Cognitive fatigue
  • Physical fatigue - This was especially present waking up in the morning and did not appear before the 72 hour mark.

Day 4+

  • Sleepiness - At night, I was tired, but I was unable to go to sleep due to tossing and turning brought on by marijuana withdrawal and by the powerful effects of insomnia. The DPH that I took finally put me to sleep.
  • Paranoia - I was becoming increasingly paranoid that my visuals would get spooky and that shadow people would appear, especially in dim lit areas or night time environments.
  • Peripheral information misinterpretation - This is where the famous shadow people would make their appearance nearing the 100+ hour mark, peeking around corners as they seem to like to do.
  • 3-Dimensional drifting - At this stage, this appeared with objects in my peripheral vision and increased when I stared at these objects. The movement of the objects was not controllable and increased the longer I looked at the object. Objects became animated and started moving on their own: "..microwave doors would open and close on their own and cups would slide on tables"
  • Thought deceleration - My mental capacity is noticeably reduced to the point of rendering me unable to perform everyday tasks.
  • Cognitive fatigue - This rendered everyday tasks almost impossible to complete.
  • Physical fatigue - This rendered everyday tasks almost impossible to complete.
  • Thought disorganization - This rendered everyday tasks almost impossible to complete.
  • Memory suppression - I was often unable to recall what I had done only hours before.
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