Thai Ngoc

Thai Ngoc
Born	1942 (age 81–82) Trung Ha Village, Quế Sơn District of Quảng Nam Province
Nationality	Vietnamese
Known for	The claim of not sleeping for 41 years

Thai Ngoc, commonly referred to as Hai Ngoc (born 1942), is a Vietnamese individual renowned for his extraordinary claim of enduring over four decades without sleep. His condition, described by many as extreme and chronic insomnia, has been the subject of interest both within Vietnam and internationally.

Background

According to Thanh Niên, a reputable Vietnamese news agency, Ngoc has purportedly remained awake since 1973. This continuous wakefulness is believed to have started following a bout of fever. However, contrasting reports from the Vietnam Investment Review suggest that the onset of his condition had no discernible trigger.

Daily Life and Health

Despite his prolonged state of wakefulness, Thai Ngoc's overall health appeared largely uncompromised for many years. Notably, he demonstrated considerable physical strength and endurance, exemplified by his daily routine of transporting two 50 kg (approximately 110 lb) bags of pig feed down a road spanning 4 km (2.5 mi). Furthermore, according to initial reports, Ngoc's cognitive function and mental well-being remained unimpaired by his sleep deprivation.

However, as of October 2006, Thai Ngoc conveyed a decline in his overall sense of well-being. He likened his condition to feeling "like a plant without water," highlighting the profound and cumulative toll that the lack of sleep was exacting on his health.

Significance and Medical Mystery

The human body typically requires sleep for cognitive function, physical repair, and overall health. Prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to a host of medical complications, including cognitive impairments, mood disturbances, cardiovascular issues, and weakened immunity. Thai Ngoc's case is thus perplexing to both the public and medical professionals, as it challenges the conventional understanding of human physiology and sleep's role in health.

See Also

• Insomnia
• Sleep disorders
• Circadian rhythm
• Neurology
• Human physiology

External links

• Ngoc Thai: The Man Who Doesn’t Sleep, Leonardo Vintiñi, 16 Aug 2008, The Epoch Times