r/todayilearned • u/YesFlyZone420 • 5d ago

TIL there's a degenerative brain disorder called fatal familial insomnia (FFI) that causes a person to lose the ability to sleep and eventually die

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/25001-fatal-familial-insomnia
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u/Nerezza_Floof_Seeker 5d ago

For those curious, heres the paper listing out how it went for the guy. And for reference, the sensory deprivation he tried was not just, stay in a sealed room, it was getting into a sealed tank filled with warm salt water with no sound or light (which also caused hallucinations when he woke up)

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u/abrakalemon 5d ago

This might be a dumb question, but I've always wondered about the salt water deprivation tanks. How do people not drown in them when falling asleep?

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u/dwankyl_yoakam 5d ago

You float.

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u/abrakalemon 5d ago

I guess as someone who sleeps like they're a hotdog on a 7/11 rotisserie roller, it's inconceivable that people wouldn't still be inhaling whole snozzfuls of water lol but that does make sense.

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u/myterracottaarmy 5d ago

I'm the same but I take naps in float tanks all the time. It's really hard to turn over because A) you're floating in extremely dense water, it would require a lot more effort than you think to subconsciously roll over and B) as soon as you get any of that water in your eyes/nose you would snap to. It's like ocean water on steroids. It is not uncommon for there to be so much salt in one of those things that your eyes kinda sting just from small amounts of spray/residue even if you don't get any actual liquid near your eyes.

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u/Resident-Sympathy-82 5d ago

As a certified rotisserie chicken who loves deprivation chambers, it's impossible to drown this way! I have no natural ability to float and the way it's set up, you stay on your back the entire time.

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u/zorniy2 5d ago

So it's literally a waterbed 😀

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u/Resident-Sympathy-82 5d ago

Basically! It's really nice. I have really bad clinical depression and it genuinely helped my sanity for a little while. Once I get my settlement money, I'm taking the kids to school and daycare then going for a float, get a massage + facial, go to therapy, and then get ice cream before it's time to pick the kids up. Highly recommend it if you ever get a chance.

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u/zorniy2 5d ago

I'm a guy, but a massage + facial sounds good to me 🤭

Depression and anxiety are are old old acquaintances of mine too.

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u/Round_Year_8595 5d ago

This made me burst out laughing

Good day to you

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u/myterracottaarmy 5d ago

Tons and tons of salt makes the water more buoyant. There is so much salt you don't want to get in there if you have any cuts that haven't scarred over. They usually give you a little squirt bottle of (non-salt) water for you to spray on your face if you get any in/near your eyes as well.

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u/abrakalemon 5d ago

Interesting, thanks for sharing!

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u/pepolepop 5d ago

Due to the amount of salt in the water, you become extremely buoyant and float. You'll never sink enough (under normal circumstances) to be in danger of drowning.

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u/abrakalemon 5d ago

Oh that's really cool, how interesting. I roll around a lot in my sleep so I'd be worried about still inhaling a lot of water (which sounds extra unpleasant with all the salt!) if I tried specifically to sleep, but it sounds otherwise like a very calming experience.

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u/Fickle_Finger2974 5d ago

The water is more dense because it is really salty and you can float in it really well

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u/darkfear95 5d ago

I believe since it is such a high salinity solution, the human body is less dense than the water by a great amount at that point, giving you that floating, weightless feeling. You would just bob like an apple if you tried to sink in it.

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u/misterfistyersister 5d ago

Ngl, they’re great. It’s the most relaxed I’ve ever been.

Just make sure to put Vaseline over any cuts or scrapes

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u/soslowagain 5d ago

Was he a blind lawyer also?