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Shattered reality game show

What happens when a group of people try to go without sleep for a week?

A television game show offered £100,000.00 to the winner who could stay awake and keep going through challenges, tests and very little sleep.

The group began to rewrite the text books as time in the television laboratory showed how the contestants behaved.

In everyday life going without sleep can impair body senses sufficient to cause accidents, memory loss and loss of judgment.

Some sleep was given to the group in small amounts on medical grounds as some members began to hallucinate, become deluded or paranoid. In the outside world this behavior would be considered a problem with serious consequences, unless you were on a stage show when the performance would become entertainment.

Strangely the final three showed a remarkable ability to concentrate on counting time but had practice all through the week during the daily tests.

The ability to stay awake is essential in some sports such as the round the world single handed sailing challenge. Performers in many spheres have to endure sleep loss.

One documented result is the effect of falling asleep at the wheel of a car.

What has been shown is how the effects of pressure to perform and sleep loss may have long term consequences to the body systems following exhaustion at extreme levels.