Norme, an Australian YouTuber, recently attempted to break the world record for the longest time without sleep during a livestream. The effort, which involved Norme staying awake continuously, was marked by growing concern from viewers as he exhibited signs of extreme fatigue and health deterioration. Norme’s brother, Don, played a supportive role by using methods such as splashing water and encouraging him to stand to help maintain alertness.
Viewers voiced growing concern over Norme’s condition as the webcast went on. Norme started to exhibit nonsensical behavior, have hallucinations, and lose consciousness, according to reports. Many viewers flooded the chat room pleading with Norme to quit trying to protect his health. Some tried to find Norme so they could send help. The webcast went forward in spite of these worries.
Guinness World Records no longer formally recognizes this kind of record attempt because of the inherent health hazards and technological difficulties. Randy Gardner made the final confirmed attempt, staying up for 264 hours as a part of a science fair project. As a result, Gardner developed serious health issues and persistent sleeplessness.
Norme said on August 11 that his livestream had been blocked by YouTube around 12 hours before he was supposed to reach his target. With more than a million followers, Norme’s endeavor had been garnering notice on social media. His social media post, which included a picture of a computer screen showing the YouTube notification, served as confirmation of the restriction.
Norme’s path via streaming encountered several setbacks. He had been barred from Kick and YouTube because of the backlash against his effort. He persisted in trying to set a record on Rumble.
During his 264-hour and 24-minute stream, Norme experienced multiple disturbances. The police were called to perform a welfare check, which Norme referred to as “swatting.” An ambulance also arrived on the scene after the police.
I GOT BANNED FROM YOUTUBE 💔literally 12 hours from goal istg crying rn pic.twitter.com/qqObVGbI7R
— NORME (@NormeNorme) August 11, 2024
At the time of breaking the record, Norme had approximately 9,000 viewers on Rumble. Despite achieving the new record, he ended his stream after being awake for 264 hours and 56 minutes.
Since 1997, Guinness World Records had ceased monitoring this record due to its dangerous impact on health. Robert McDonald previously held the record with 453 hours and 40 minutes of wakefulness. Norme’s attempt was sufficient to surpass Randy Gardner’s 1964 record of 264 hours. However, McDonald and Maureen Weston have since surpassed 400 hours.
Unlike previous record attempts, which included medical professionals to monitor participants, Norme’s attempt lacked such oversight, raising concerns about his health. Norme plans to resume streaming on Twitch once he is well-rested.
