At some point in their lives, most people have experienced sleepless nights. Insomnia can keep you awake for a day or two, but it is not caused by worries about life or other factors. Li Zhanying has been unable to sleep for 40 years and the reason behind this is quite intriguing. Interestingly, she is not the only one in the world who has experienced this. A Vietnamese man named Thai Ngoc has claimed that he hasn’t slept since 1962. An American named Al Herpin has also claimed that he has never slept.
Li Zhanying was only five years old when she last had a proper night’s sleep.
Li Zhanying Was 5 Years Old When She Had A Proper Night Sleep
Li Zhanying is a Chinese woman who hails from the Henan province in eastern China. She made it to the spotlight after it was reported that she last had a proper night’s sleep when she was 5 years old. After which, she has remained awake for about 4 decades.
Out of curiosity, Li Zhanying’s neighbors tried to find a way to validate her claim. Some of them came by her house to play cards with her all through the night. True to her words, Li was able to stay awake while some of her neighbors either fell asleep on the table or decided to return home.
Instead of Sleeping, She Uses the Night Period to Clean Her Home
Liu Suoquin is Li Zhanying’s husband and he has confirmed that he has never seen his wife sleeping throughout the period they were married.
Also, he said that rather than resting, his wife would decide to clean the entire house every night. Bothered about his wife’s inability to sleep, Suoquin decided to purchase sleeping pills for her to treat what he presumed to be insomnia. However, the pills did not work. The couple also sought medical help but for several years, got no explanation for her condition.
A Beijing Sleep Centre Confirmed that She Sleeps for About 10 Minutes Everyday
After several years of seeking medical help, Li and her husband approached a specialist sleep center in Beijing where she was diagnosed. The doctors confirmed that Li does sleep but in a very unconventional way.
While speaking with her husband, Li’s eyes would droop and she would continue the conversation while dozing off according to sleep experts.
Also, a test with a brainwave monitor showed that her eyes were never closed for more than 10 minutes a day. According to the doctors, Li’s condition is similar to how the body of a sleepwalker is active while the brain is asleep. In those 10 minutes, her body remains fully functional while she technically sleeps. This makes her feel like she hasn’t slept for the past 40 years.
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Here are Other People Who Have Experienced Sleeplessness for Several Years
Thai Ngoc has not slept for about 6 decades
While Zhanying’s mysterious sleep condition has left so many people baffled, she is not the only one who has had this experience.
Thai Ngoc, 81, has also claimed that he has been awake for about 60 years. According to Thai, who hails from Vietnam, he lost his ability to sleep during his childhood after he experienced a fever.
Curious to validate the truth about Ngoc’s condition, Youtuber Drew Binsky traveled 2 days from Arizona to a small village in South Vietnam where Ngoc resides. After meeting with Ngoc, Drew stayed up all night with Ngoc and confirmed that he did not sleep at all.
Meanwhile, there hasn’t been any diagnosis that explains in clear terms Ngoc’s condition. At best, it is believed that he is suffering from a permanent case of insomnia. Moreover, Drew has alleged that one of the reasons why Ngoc has not been able to sleep may be due to a Post-traumatic stress disorder inflicted by the Vietnam War which ran from 1955 to 1975.
Al Herpin is popularly known as the ‘Man Who Never Slept’
In 1904, a man named Al Herpin made headlines for claiming that he had never slept. His story caught the attention of many, including newspapers. The New York Times published an article on February 29th of that year, detailing how he had not slept a single wink for several years. Despite skepticism from some, Herpin’s claim garnered widespread interest and fascination.Although there is a recognized medical consensus that every human being needs some considerable hours of sleep, Herpin’s sleeplessness did not affect his health in any way.
He died on January 3, 1947 (aged 94). According to reports, he never dozed but merely rested every night. Also, it was likely that he died for other reasons and not sleep deprivation or Insomnia.
