An elderly man from Vietnam has made an extraordinary medical claim that has left doctors and scientists worldwide utterly perplexed. Thai Ngoc, 81, asserts he has not slept a wink for over 60 years, a condition he says began following a sudden and severe fever in his youth.
A Lifetime of Sleepless Nights
Ngoc, who resides in a village in Quang Nam province, traces the onset of his relentless wakefulness to a period around the age of 20, during the Vietnam War. He reports that after recovering from a high fever, the ability to sleep simply vanished. For six subsequent decades, he insists he has never experienced even a moment of slumber, defying one of humanity's most fundamental biological needs.
"Seeing others sleep, I envy them," Ngoc has confessed, adding that "sitting still is unbearable." His family corroborates his story, stating they have never witnessed him asleep. In a desperate bid for rest, Ngoc has tried everything from prescribed medication and traditional folk remedies to consuming alcohol, but nothing has ever induced sleep.
An Exhausting Yet Productive Routine
Remarkably, Ngoc appears to function normally despite his alleged chronic insomnia. He has channelled his endless waking hours into immense productivity. His daily routine is gruelling: farming by day, carrying heavy bags of fertiliser, tending his land through the night, and even maintaining regular habits of smoking and drinking.
In 2023, American YouTuber Drew Binsky spent a night with Ngoc to observe him firsthand. Binsky reported that the octogenarian remained fully awake and active throughout the entire night, further fuelling the mystery. Local doctors who have examined him say he appears healthy, yet no medical professional has been able to provide a definitive explanation for his condition.
The Scientific Mystery Deepens
This case presents a profound challenge to scientific understanding. Prolonged sleep deprivation typically leads to severe physical and mental deterioration, including cognitive impairment, weakened immunity, and hormonal imbalance. If Ngoc's claims are accurate, his ability to maintain a seemingly normal life into old age is unprecedented.
Researchers have proposed several theories. Some speculate that long-term trauma or extreme stress from his early life, compounded by war and serious illness, may have triggered a permanent and severe form of insomnia. Others suggest he may possess a rare neurological anomaly that allows his brain to rest or recuperate in a way that does not involve conventional sleep.
However, without controlled sleep studies or extended hospital observation, Thai Ngoc's astonishing claims remain scientifically unverified. His story stands as a stark reminder of how much we have yet to learn about the essential, yet enigmatic, realm of sleep.
