While there is no expectation for people to read the entire 24 hours of the readathon, it is a goal of many of the participants… me included!

There has only been one event that I have succeeded in staying awake and reading for the entire 24 hour period. It was the first readathon where I stayed in a hotel for the event, rather than trying to read with all of the interruptions of home. I usually have to sleep for at least a few hours during the event, if not a full 8.

As I am a night owl, and the spring and fall events start at 5am, I usually struggle to get enough sleep the night before. Because it’s important to me that I be awake for the kickoff, I’m usually starting out tired, which already sets me back, and I usually need a nap by mid-afternoon.

Right now my sleep cycle is completely out of whack, so I’m not sure how this is going to effect my 24 hour reading time. I have a couple of different sleep strategies in mind for the week leading up to the event so that I can start the event suitable rested and hopefully go all the way again, though I’ll be home this year (with all of the accompanying distractions), rather than in a hotel.

Have you ever stayed awake for 24 hours reading?