Living Without Sleep
It is 5.30am. I'm awake. This is not unusual. An ironic yet appropriate
time to write about the Sleep Control test methinks.
In short, this experiment was designed to see if, following 48
hours of sleep deprivation, we were able to switch rapidly between
high alertness and deep sleep.
Before we began we each had a set of electrodes glued to our scalp.
These were, in turn, fed into packs which would record our sleep
patterns in between the subsequent vigilance tests. This cunning
little machine would also indicate whether any of us had secretly
snoozed during the 48 hour period, (for which we would be penalised.)
These were not the most comfortable of devices to carry around.
Fortunately we had all been issued with handy 'over- the- shoulder-
stylishly- fashioned- in- mock- acrylic' bags, in which to carry
everything.
Throughout its duration we were required to stay, for the most
part, in one room. It was painted white, brightly lit, clinical
in appearance and sparsely furnished. We had access to a kitchen
and bathroom. The kitchen was stocked with enough food for a small
army. Our 'white room' was filled with board games in case we were
bored and a television with videos, (including a copy of 'Insomnia!'
- oh how we laughed.) Most importantly, we had been given THE latest
copy of OK magazine. Forty-eight hours, no problem, easy peasy lemon
squeezy!
To maximise our chances of keeping awake, we decided from the onset
to structure our time. We gave ourselves 'treats' of some sort every
hour. These included food, exercise, food, an expert art lesson
from Rachel, food, Scrabble (it's official - I'm rubbish), food,
videos and a weird but surprisingly enjoyable movement workshop,
again from Rachel. We also sang.
We sang the entire score of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Joseph'. We
debated over Roger Whittaker's second verse of 'Streets of London'.
We murdered Meatloaf. 'Chicago' had a lucky escape but Sweet Charity's
'Big Spender' wasn't so fortunate.
We tried harmonies - I was very trying. I didn't care how I sounded.
It was the most fantastic, enjoyable and liberating experience.
I can now cast my mind back to the eternal humiliation of having
to perform solo in singing lessons (yes I had them - 'Take That
Look off Your Face'). Yet, there I was going on national TV and
having no shame at all in sounding like THE banshee out of Siouxie's
group.
Before many of the tests for Superhuman, we had to undergo medicals
and a variety of health checks. The Sleep Control test was no exception.
We filled in numerous forms about our sleep patterns. Rachel and
I happened to complete ours next to each other. I, (by means of
surreptitious glances) saw her answers.
The questions were basic and never-ending: How many hours do you
sleep during the night? Do you wake often? Do you feel refreshed?
Do you have bad dreams? Do you wake easily? Do you have periods
of insomnia? Rachel's answers of eight, no, yes, no, yes and never
were entirely the opposite of mine.
It was at that point that I realised that my sleeping pattern was
not normal. I don't fall asleep easily, I wake on average four times
a night and in the mornings I rarely feel refreshed. It was then
that I knew that my ability to function efficiently with very little
sleep on a daily basis could prove to be an advantage in this particular
test.
The 48 hours passed, and the repetitive vigilance tests were in
the final section of the experiment.
It is now 7.15am. I glance over and see my recently acquired book
entitled 'Beating Insomnia' which lies beside my bed. I stayed awake
all last night to read it.
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