Everyone who's stayed up past 3, put your hands up! (Sorry, it's just in all the songs nowadays)
Anyway, anyone who has staved off the need to sleep will know that everyone has a point where they go "cuckoo". It is a point beyond where irritation would usually set in. As in not being conscious of the words that you use, wondering why life is life, and speculating what would happen if you microwaved ping pong balls.
The combination of one or a few of these events has been termed LOSS (Lack Of Sleep Syndrome).
My first memory of noticing LOSS was spending a Saturday night in hostel with 2 friends at LOSS hours. We watched Kick Ass, giving all sorts of reaction to the blood, sex and action. The movie became the catalyst for our topics to talk about and LOSS started setting in, making us share what we thought without the bother of a firewall. And apparently we all decided to turn gay. (watch the movie to understand)
The feeling of LOSS is similar to the feeling of being drunk, without the urge to throw up. Think of it as dreaming without being asleep. SO HOW DO I SPOT THIS!!? Sleepy looks don't cut it. Most people look that way at 3. Slow reaction time is a distinct sign of LOSS. People would suddenly have their "blur" masks on and find it extremely difficult to focus on anything worthwhile. Wanting to do stupid things is another. Take the video my friends and I made at 4 am trying to make an entrance for a wrestler using classical music. While dumb, it turned out to be a fond memory.
So why bother about LOSS? For one, it's effects. Being LOSS is a surefire way to have some uninterrupted fun. Uninterrupted? Yea, cause when you can't do anything substantial, you end up doing stupid things. And you haven't lived till you've changed your birthday on Facebook just to see how many people wish you.
Some of LOSS's effects can be quite unnerving. In this state of mind, it is as if all locks in the brain have been broken. These effects are multiplied when in a group of friends. Within this sensitive platform, many succumb and secrets will spill. What you might consider as sacred information during the daytime, would become "I need to share it with the world" during LOSS.
LOSS can also be quite addictive. I have never tried drugs but being LOSS can probably be compared to being high and tired at the same time. The sheer calmness the mind experiences makes it such a delightful experience. All the chains placed during un-LOSS hours are cut off. So many adolescent's nowadays are punishing their keyboards in the middle of the night, gaming, chatting, facebooking or god forbid - blogging, while feeling the mystery that is LOSS. While it may not be as serious as taking drugs, not getting enough sleep has been found out to shorten lives.
As with most disorders, this one also has some cures. Coffee would probably be able to solve most cases of LOSS (temporarily). Another would probably be to do some form of exercise. Another way is to think of something useful to do and a good reason to do it so that you won't get distracted, maybe studying for an exam or doing an assignment which is due tomorrow.
Of course, if all else fails, just go to sleep.
