There isn't one definitive "longest sleep" record due to medical complexities, but notable cases include Wyatt Shaw, a 7-year-old who slept 11 days (possibly due to seizures) and recovered, and Peter Powers, a hypnotist who put himself in a hypnotic sleep for 8 days in 1959, though this isn't natural sleep. For natural sleep, cases like Kimberly Dowd sleeping 19 days (possibly Kleine-Levin Syndrome) highlight prolonged episodes, but records are hard to verify without medical conditions or hypnosis involved.
The Guinness World Records office has confirmed that eleven days is the record for the lengthiest period of continuous sleep.
Sleep needs can vary from person to person, but in general, experts recommend that healthy adults get an average of 7 to 9 hours per night of shuteye. If you regularly need more than 8 or 9 hours of sleep per night to feel rested, it might be a sign of an sleep or medical problem, Gamaldo says.
The koala is famous for sleeping around 20-22 hours a day, which is about 90% of the day, due to their low-energy diet of eucalyptus leaves that requires extensive digestion. Other extremely sleepy animals include the sloth (up to 20 hours) and the brown bat (around 20 hours), with some snakes like the ball python also sleeping up to 23 hours daily.
Another study suggested that performance begins to degrade after 16 hours awake, and 21 hours awake was equivalent to a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent, which is the blood alcohol limit for drunk driving in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.
Gen Z stays up late due to a combination of technology (blue light, endless content), significant stress and anxiety (FOMO, financial/global worries), biological shifts (natural teenage circadian rhythm), and "revenge bedtime procrastination," where they sacrifice sleep for personal time, often in bed, scrolling social media. This digital-heavy, high-stress lifestyle creates overstimulation and a misalignment with natural sleep patterns, leading to chronic sleep deprivation, notes the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Health Foundation.
While a good night's sleep is important for overall health, an occasional night of lost night does not do any harm. However, when all-nighters become a common occurrence, then sleep health can be compromised.
The longest time a human being has gone without sleep is 11 days and 25 minutes. The world record was set by American 17-year-old Randy Gardner in 1963. When the experiment ended, Gardner had been awake for 264 hours and 25 minutes.
The answer is “probably.” Research has shown that many animals experience a sleep phase similar to humans known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is closely associated with dreaming. This phase is characterized by increased brain activity and is when most vivid dreams occur.
Dogs will usually sleep 12-14 hours spread throughout the day, with puppies clocking in even more hours of slumber. In fact, it's not uncommon for a dog to sleep up to 20 hours a day in their first few months of life. Sleep allows the body to recharge and repair, so it's important to let your pet enjoy their downtime.
On average, Japanese sleep about 7 hours and 20 minutes a night, - the least among 33 OECD member countries. And the number of insomniacs is growing. But even as more people suffer from insomnia, help can be hard to find.
Yes, the Navy SEAL sleep trick (an 8-minute power nap with elevated legs) is a real technique for quick rest, popularized by former SEAL Jocko Willink, that helps improve alertness and reduce fatigue, though its effectiveness depends on individual relaxation skills and it's not a substitute for full nighttime sleep. The method involves lying down, elevating your feet above your heart (on a chair or couch), relaxing facial muscles, dropping shoulders, and clearing your mind for about 8-10 minutes to promote relaxation and blood flow, preventing grogginess.
Signs of poor core sleep (deep, restorative sleep) include waking up foggy, daytime fatigue/energy crashes, poor concentration, irritability, frequent illness, memory issues, and mood swings, indicating your brain and body aren't fully repairing and consolidating memories. You might also experience increased sugar cravings, slow muscle recovery, and a weakened immune system.
Cory Cavin holds the record for the fastest time to fall asleep on stage during a live performance. He achieved this unique feat in 17 minutes and 50 seconds. Cavin set the record at a RecordSetter LIVE!
Specifically, sleeping on the side or back is considered more beneficial than sleeping on the stomach. In either of these positions, it's easier to keep your spine supported and balanced, which relieves pressure and enables your muscles to relax and recover.
Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS).
KLS makes you sleep for an unusually long time. People with KLS often sleep for 16 to 20 hours a day during an episode. This is very rare.
The rarest type of dream is often considered to be the lucid dream, where you are aware you're dreaming and can sometimes control the dream's narrative, with only a small percentage of people experiencing them regularly, though many have had one spontaneously. Even rarer are dreams with specific, unusual content, like dreaming of doing math, or experiencing rare neurological conditions like Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome, where people lose the ability to visualize dreams.
Koalas are thickset arboreal marsupials with a thick grey fur. Found only living in Australia, they mainly live in the eucalyptus trees and spend around 22 hours of their time sleeping (90%).
Dogs say "I love you" through actions like leaning on you, making soft eye contact (releasing oxytocin), following you around, bringing you toys, licking, gentle tail wags, and cuddling, all signs of trust, affection, and bonding that show they feel safe and happy in your presence.
There is individual variability in how much sleep we need. Most adults need about 7 to 8 hours of good-quality sleep per night (good quality means the major sleep episode does not have frequent arousalsa and is long enough for the individual).
Whether you prefer a cold drink or a warm bedtime drink, here's our list of the best drinks before bed to help you drift off.
The 3-2-1 sleep rule is a simple wind-down routine: stop eating and drinking alcohol 3 hours before bed, stop working/mentally stimulating activities 2 hours before, and turn off screens (phones, TVs) 1 hour before sleep, helping you transition to rest by reducing stimulants and preparing your mind and body. It's often part of a larger 10-3-2-1-0 rule, which also adds no caffeine 10 hours prior and no hitting snooze (0) in the morning.
Gen Z stays up late due to a combination of technology (blue light, endless content), significant stress and anxiety (FOMO, financial/global worries), biological shifts (natural teenage circadian rhythm), and "revenge bedtime procrastination," where they sacrifice sleep for personal time, often in bed, scrolling social media. This digital-heavy, high-stress lifestyle creates overstimulation and a misalignment with natural sleep patterns, leading to chronic sleep deprivation, notes the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Health Foundation.
The unhealthiest sleeping position is generally considered to be sleeping on your stomach (prone position), as it forces your neck to twist and flattens the natural curve of your spine, leading to neck, back, and shoulder pain, numbness, and poor sleep quality. An overly curled fetal position is also harmful, causing joint stiffness and restricted breathing, while sleeping on your back can worsen snoring and sleep apnea for some individuals.