Man stays awake for 11 days on tea and raw food diet » Health » 24dash.com

A man claimed a new record today by succeeding in his bid to stay awake for 11 days as part of his research into human sleep.

Tony Wright, 42, began his attempt on the 264-hour record at 6am on May 14 at the Studio Bar in Penzance, west Cornwall.

A qualified horticulturist, he relied on a raw food diet, including fruit, salad, seeds and nuts, to help keep him awake.

After setting the record just after 6am today, he said: "I feel pretty good but a bit shaky. It has not really sunk in yet that I have beaten the record.

"I do not feel tired yet, but there is a bit of adrenaline pumping around at the moment."

Mr Wright said he had no plans to break his own record.

He said his diet and intake of herb tea "seemed to make a big difference to my ability to stay awake and remain functional".

Mr Wright had the help of friends, chatting and playing pool, to keep him awake.

He has conducted 15 years of research into human sleep, and claimed each side of the human brain requires a different amount of sleep.

With appropriate preparation, it is possible to stay awake and remain functional for long periods, he said.

Before his record attempt, he had carried out more than 100 experiments with sleep deprivation lasting between two and eight days.

During his record bid he said he had one "near sleep experience" and found the most difficult thing to do was writing his website diary while sleep-deprived.

Around 30 friends saw him claim the record, and he said it was "likely but not guaranteed that I will now get some sleep".

"I might add another day to the record," he said.

Student Randy Gardner set the Guinness World Record in 1964 as part of a science project in San Diego, US.

Copyright Press Association 2007

Don't miss the 24dash.com audio bulletins for the latest news and information - http://www.24dash.com/podcasts