Students dancing to this year's IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon theme "Within Reach" will not find a resting place within reach for at least 48 hours.

When Jenny McCarthy (senior-human development and family studies) was a dancer in Thon 2000, lack of sleep actually caused her to see fireworks after about 34 hours on her feet.

"I didn't know who or what I was. I needed someone around to pinch me to make sure I was real," McCarthy said.

McCarthy said she wasn't worried about her deprived sleep going into Thon and was never really tired. She said her body was responsive throughout the dance marathon, but her emotional state wasn't quite as steady.

McCarthy recalls being emotional and "lots of crying." She remembers hallucinating and seeing fireworks going off in Rec Hall.

"The consequences of not getting enough sleep are the effects of cognitive functioning, memory, ability and absorbing information," said Pat Britz, program director for the National Sleep Foundation.

The lack of sleep also affects mode and injuries because sleep-deprived people tend to not follow instructions as well, Britz said. "It may also lead to violence."

People from teenage to college-aged years need about nine hours of sleep a night, Britz said.

Jenna Bartz (sophomore-letters, arts and sciences) is a dancer preparing for Thon 2001. Through her preparation, she is giving up caffeine and carbo-loading to keep up stamina. She is also working on her sleep.

"Starting this weekend, I will get eight hours of sleep until Thon," Bartz said.

Although the 48-hour stretch at Thon will be demanding, Bartz has some experience staying up late. She once stayed awake 42 hours to finish a chemistry lab.

Britz advises Thon dancers to take a nap that is no longer than 45 minutes the afternoon Thon begins. Anytime after that will affect the rapid eye movement and make the dancers more sluggish when they are awake, she said.

After Thon, dancers should try to regain their sleep gradually by sleeping a little longer each day, Britz added. They should avoid a long slumber all at once, she said.

When Thon ended last year and the dancers were allowed to sit down, McCarthy said she fell asleep right away.

"Someone woke me up when they announced the total. Then I was awake for about two-and-a-half hours to shower and eat and meet up with friends. After that, I slept for 15 hours," McCarthy said.

McCarthy, unlike some of her friends, only took two-and-a-half days to fully regain her sleep.

Despite the lack of sleep, McCarthy sees her dance marathon experience as extremely positive.

"Dancing in Thon completed my Penn State career," she said.