Asklemmy

In theory, it's fully under your control whether you experience this feeling or not. I have a degree in psychology and the best I can explain it is that the sleep deprivation alters your brain chemistry (kind of like antidepressants do) and it changes your perception of reality. The way I experience this effect so strongly, it almost changes me into a different person... an optimistic, happy, extroverted person. Maybe it's endorphins being released due to your body being overworked and going into an emergency mode. It sucks that I eventually have to go to sleep, where your cerebrospinal fluid washes your brain and "resets" it back to baseline. If I could only retain that sense of enlightenment and hopefulness I experience when stay up so absurdly long, I know I would be a better person. I really believe it's due to the altered brain chemistry, I just don't know exactly what it is. Maybe it's due to your sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the flight or fight (emergency) response that we have, which releases adrenaline, among other brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). Good luck in your pursuit of finding the answer, I'd love to know more about whatever this effect is.