An 81-year-old man from Vietnam claims he has not slept for over 60 years, revealing a rare condition that has puzzled scientists, doctors, and those familiar with his case.
Thai Ngoc, residing in a village in Vietnam’s Quang Nam province, attributes his inability to sleep to a severe fever he experienced around the age of 20 during the Vietnam War.
Ngoc asserts that he has never had a moment of sleep since then, despite numerous attempts with medications, traditional remedies, and even resorting to alcohol to induce fatigue, all to no avail.
Expressing envy towards others who can sleep, Ngoc remains active by utilizing the extra time gained from his condition to work on the fields, tend crops, and craft homemade rice wine.
Despite his lack of sleep, Ngoc appears to function normally outwardly, as confirmed by American YouTuber Drew Binsky who spent a night with him in 2023, witnessing Ngoc’s continuous alertness and activity even during late hours.
Ngoc’s daily routine involves strenuous activities such as farming, carrying heavy loads, working on his land overnight, and maintaining habits like smoking and drinking, which many experts would presume to exacerbate the effects of sleep deprivation.
Although local doctors attest to his overall good health, the root cause of Ngoc’s sleeplessness remains unexplained. Some speculate that past traumatic events, including war experiences and illness, could have triggered or worsened his insomnia, though no formal psychological diagnosis has been established.
Others consider his condition a rare neurological anomaly, yet without comprehensive sleep studies or hospital monitoring, Ngoc’s assertions remain scientifically unverified.
While this case deviates from typical sleep disorders, chronic lack of sleep usually results in significant physical and mental deterioration. If Ngoc indeed sustains minimal sleep, it challenges conventional understanding of the essential role sleep plays in human biology.