ADVENTURES IN MICROSLEEP - COOPERS STORY
Mysterious Experiments was a small but impressive party, with some big names in psytrance and world-class production. I can’t quite remember how many doofs and dance parties I’d been to before this one, but I probably could have counted them on one hand. To be honest, I instantly fell in love with the doof scene. I didn’t touch anything harder than alcohol and weed for at least my first year of partying, but I loved the music and the crowd.
As an invincible 17-year old, I felt experienced in partying and was certain that I knew all the risks and how to navigate them. This belief was far from the truth – I didn’t know shit, which I imagine would be the case for most self-assured teenagers. As it happened, my own naivety led to me putting the lives of my close friends and myself in danger. My case was different, however, because intoxication had hardly anything to do with it.
We’d heard about the party from some older people we knew, and the impressive lineup convinced me and 4 of my closest mates to pile into my car and head into bush. What followed was a surprisingly tame (for the area), but high vibing one-night party.
I drank a bottle of red wine and smoked some bud throughout the night, and in the early hours of the morning I squeezed in about 90 minutes of sleep in the car. I was aiming for at least 3-4 hours but was woken up by my friends, who were seeking refuge from the early morning cold. After that, I didn’t think to try and get any more sleep before the drive home - it just wasn’t something I was thinking about at all.
“I DIDN’T WANT TO SEEM WEAK OR SOFT IN FRONT OF MY FRIENDS, BUT AS A RESULT, I PUT THEIR LIVES IN DANGER...”
We just wandered around the party taking it easy in the morning, and decided to make tracks in the early afternoon. I had smoked a joint earlier, probably 5 hours before driving. Although still somewhat affected, I really wouldn’t personally consider this an unacceptable state to drive in, particularly back then. Looking back though, I’m willing to accept it may have played a role in what happened next.
When we got into the car, I felt great, buzzed but relaxed. Everyone was in a great mood, talking about their night. I don’t even remember feeling that tired. About 15 minutes after we’d left, after the conversation had died down, I fell into a microsleep. The momentum of the car spinning out woke me up instantly, and I was luckily able to gain enough control to veer back to my side of the road.
If we weren’t on a wide road with lots of space either side, things could’ve gone seriously bad. The car had spun 180 degrees and came to a stop a couple of metres from a tree. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the car wasn’t damaged, but it remains one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. After stopping to power nap at a park on the side of the road, we safely returned home.
I wanted to share my story to highlight how important it is to keep track of your own exhaustion levels before you start driving and while behind the wheel. These days, most partygoers tend to think about intoxication and driving, both in terms of safety and in avoiding police drug tests on the way home. However, sleep deprivation and exhaustion aren’t given anywhere near enough consideration.
I think the final factor in this accident was the increased social pressure, real or perceived, that is present in groups of young people. My friends wanted to go home, so it was time to drive home – that was the logic. I didn’t want to seem ‘weak’ or ‘soft’ in front of my friends, but as a result, I put my friends lives in danger, not to mention my own. Looking back, I don’t think they would’ve minded staying an hour or two longer for me to sleep.
No harm no foul, right? Not true. Driving aside, being exhausted and sleep deprived is not good for your general health and wellbeing. It can also make the comedowns from party drugs worse. Knowing what I know now, I tell everyone the same thing: if your driving home, make sure you’ve had at least 3-5 hours sleep in the last 24 hours, for your passenger’s sake if not your own. I also now know how to recognise the signs of fatigue, like heavy eyelids and yawning, and I don’t drive back from a party unless I’m 100% rested.
Looking back at my years of partying in the area, I honestly can see just how dangerous the scene was. At the time, me and my mates just laughed it off as being ‘heaps loose’. Flicking through the mental photo book, however, I’ve come to realise how close people in the scene were to death or serious injury. We all are a lot safer in our partying now thankfully, and I’m going to be doofing for years to come - you won’t catch me ending up as another statistic!