Vietnamese man goes for 33 years without sleep

As songbirds awaken the early risers at dawn on the farm, one resident is already up; in fact, he never slept – not once in the past 33 years. You’d think going without sleep for that long may have its drawbacks, but not for the man in central Quang Nam province who has never been ill after decades of insomnia. His inability to sleep has not only made him famous, but also represents a “miraculous” phenomenon worthy of scientific study. Sixty-four-year-old Thai Ngoc, known as Hai Ngoc, said he could not sleep at night after getting a fever in 1973, and has counted infinite numbers of sheep during more than 11,700 consecutive sleepless nights. “I don’t know whether the insomnia has impacted my health or not. But I’m still healthy and can farm normally like others,” Ngoc said. Proving his health, the elderly resident of Que Trung commune, Que Son district said he can carry two 50kg bags of fertilizer down 4km of road to return home every day. His wife said, “My husband used to sleep well, but these days, even liquor cannot put him down.” She said when Ngoc went to Da Nang for a medical examination, doctors gave him a clean bill of health, except a minor decline in liver function. Ngoc currently lives on his 5ha farm at the foot of a mountain busy with farming and taking care of pigs and chickens all day. His six children live at their house in Que Trung. “I have tried sleeping pills and Vietnamese traditional medicine but nothing helps, even to sleep for a few minutes,” he said. Creature of the night Ngoc often does extra farm work or guards his farm at night to prevent theft, saying he used three months of sleepless nights to dig two large ponds to raise fish. Neighbor Vu said Ngoc volunteered to help beat a drum during the night and guard the house for the relatives of the dead during funeral ceremonies so that they could take a nap. Vu also said when the commune was planting sugar cane, several people also asked Ngoc to awaken them at midnight to go to work, since he was up anyway. On Ngoc’s prolonged insomnia, Phan Ngoc Ha, director of the Hoa Khanh Mental Hospital in Danang said sleep disorders often cause anorexia, lethargy, and irritability. But, in special cases, some people can handle it and still live and work normally, although this was a very small ratio among insomniacs, Ha added.

Source: http://www.thanhniennews.com/feature...0&newsid=12673


Quite interesting, although I feel the article could use more scientific backing. If it really isn't a hoax, then just imagine what might happen to the world if the pharmaceutical industry comes up with a "cure for sleep with no side effects" pill. Hmm, 33 years ago, 1973. The Vietnam war raged until 1975, although the official withdrawal of U.S. troops took place back in 1973. Why does "experimental warfare gone wrong" come to mind?

Well, as soon as I saw the date of the time he stopped being able to sleep I thought it might be something along those lines, but if it is, then its certainly better than Agent Orange Syndrome.

I wish I could do what he does. I stayed up all night and I'm ready to pass out.

Longest I've ever been without sleep was 6 days

I've seen this already so I'm gonna shout "OLD!".

Amazing thing to do, 33 years without sleep. What does he do when he gets tired out? In fact, can he actually get tired out?

Just imagine that, workers who can work 24/7 without having to stop...

This sounds like B.S. to me. I thought not sleeping = death.

It's only mentioned twice on google news, and one of the sites appears to have removed the story.

There is a disorder which makes you unable to sleep until you die. I believe I heard one fellow went without sleep for 6 months until he passed away. I was under the impression sleep was a requirement .

It usually is...unless you drug yourself awake.

Wouldn't you just hate to be an Insomniac? Sure, if you can handle it, you can do everything you've planned to do (put up some shelves, 4 posts a day on Zelaron, get more than 5000 posts in the WRT)...but what about if you're afraid of the dark? The lighting bills would be murder!

Doesnt the lack of sleep start to destroy your brains after like 48 hours?

I'm pretty sure not sleeping leads to a heart attack eventually too. I remember reading about Everquest addicts who played for so long and deprived themselves of sleep to the point that their hearts gave out from not getting any rest and being overworked.

You're right. Certain key neurotransmitters are created only during deep sleep. Failure to sleep would at least eventually litteraly turn you insane from your brain's inability to work properly. For this to be true, he must have a disorder that causes them to be replenished without sleeping.

Asian people make everyone else look like noobs I guess.

Asian people make everyone else look like noobs I guess.

It's true...if you're walking down the street and see an asian, ask him what 965,872.34597x6,870.2765 is and he will be all, "What?!? You think just because I am Asian, I am going to know the answer is 6635810080.517560705?"

And actually sleep isn't required, but the main functions of the body happen when your breathing and heart slow down...Your hair, nails, and body grow. Your metabolism slows down, or speeds up or something. The brain has alot less to do when you sleep, so it entertains itself with dreams, which triggers imagination and inspiration. All sleep is, is a time of day when your body can relax, unwind, and pull itself together for the next time it needs to be used, kinda like in that movie Bicentenial Man, when he would plug himself into the wall...

As for the people spending months on WoW without sleep and dying, there are many things that could cause that. Blood clots that form in your legs, travel to your heart; lack of nutritious foods or nutrients period. Heck, even waiting 'til the last second to use the bathroom is bad for you, because you poison your bladder.

It seems logical to me. Especially because he is an insomniac. You can imagine that during the first couple months or so, he was a very cranky person...

I ain't a scientist though....so I could be completely wrong...

(put up some shelves, 4 posts a day on Zelaron, get more than 5000 posts in the WRT)

Zelaron is a big part of your life, I see....
At least someone is thinking about keeping Zelaron active during the wee hours of the night....while the rest of us are tucked away, catching some Z's, in our tempurpedic beds, where not even a helicopter crashing at the foot of our bed would stir us from our slumber...

I was just throwing the odd thing in.

Then again, I do make an effort to get my 4 posts a day in. Gives me something to do and a goal to aim for.

At least someone is thinking about keeping Zelaron active during the wee hours of the night....while the rest of us are tucked away, catching some Z's, in our tempurpedic beds, where not even a helicopter crashing at the foot of our bed would stir us from our slumber...

What do you think I do every day? I'm online when the rest of you are sleeping. At this moment in time the only two members online are Chruser and I...probably because we're both European.

I could say the same about you Americans, keeping Zelaron active in the wee hours of the night whilst I'm tucked up in my own bed.

Doesnt the lack of sleep start to destroy your brains after like 48 hours?

Not if you're an undead zombie guy, LOL!

Thanks for kicking ass.