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Randy Gardner

264 hours

Longest documented time awake (11 days, 1963-64)

Confirmed Strength and endurance · Verified 2026-10-30 · WWV-PE-004

Over the turn of 1963 into 1964 a California high-school student, Randy Gardner, stayed awake for 264 hours (11 days) for a science fair project, while sleep researcher William Dement of Stanford looked on. He later recovered with normal sleep.

Guinness no longer tracks sleep-deprivation records because of the health risks. Do not try this.

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