3.
“Fatal familial insomnia—a rare, inherited disease that causes progressively worsening insomnia and is ultimately fatal. The symptoms can include hallucinations, confusion, cognitive decline, and other neurological problems.”
“My doctor thought I might be developing this in college, when I was in my early twenties. After brain scans, bloodwork, and a multitude of other tests, it turned out to be some kind of random, bizarre hormonal imbalance.
I don’t have the disease, but the experience did give me some insight into the effects of sleep deprivation. I can tell you this: the disease is worse for the people around you than it is for the person suffering from it. After maybe five days, you’re not really aware of what’s happening around you anymore. It doesn’t actually hurt, and you no longer feel confused or frustrated. You lose the ability to understand just how jumbled your perception is or how confused your responses have become.
Granted, you’re probably speaking nonsense in a perfectly normal voice and answering questions that nobody asked, but to you, it just feels like you’re lightheaded, tired, and slightly off. To everyone else around you, however, you’re a rambling mess with no normal reactions or sense of self-preservation.”