An 81-year-old farmer from Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, named Thai Ngoc, has amazed people around the world by claiming that he has not slept for even a single minute in more than 60 years.
According to Thai Ngoc, he lost the ability to sleep after suffering from a severe fever in 1962. Since then, he claims to have remained awake for approximately 63 years.
Despite his alleged insomnia, he continues to work actively on his farm during the day. He is reportedly strong enough to carry 50-kilogram sacks over long distances. While others sleep at night, he spends his time looking after his crops or making rice wine.
Doctors who have examined him have reportedly found his heart, blood pressure and brain function to be normal. What makes his case particularly unusual is that he does not appear to suffer from many of the health problems normally associated with long-term sleep deprivation.
However, experts believe that it would be virtually impossible for a human being to remain completely awake for decades. One possible explanation is that his brain may experience extremely brief periods of rest or microsleep, even while his eyes remain open.
In such cases, the brain may temporarily rest for a few seconds while the person still feels as though they have remained awake.
Some have also suggested that psychological trauma, possibly connected to the Vietnam War era, could have contributed to his unusual condition.
Thai Ngoc has reportedly said that he feels jealous when he sees other people sleeping peacefully. Although several foreign medical teams have allegedly offered him free examinations and treatment, he has refused to leave his village because he does not want to live away from his home.
A YouTuber Spent a Night Monitoring Him
In 2023, American travel writer and YouTuber Drew Binsky reportedly spent a night at Thai Ngoc’s home to observe him.
During the night, Thai Ngoc remained active, working and making rice wine instead of sleeping. According to the observation, consuming a large amount of alcohol sometimes caused him to enter a temporary dazed or unconscious state for one or two hours—but this did not appear to be normal, restorative sleep.
Hospitals and medical institutions from different parts of the world have reportedly expressed interest in examining him and offering treatment free of charge.
However, Thai Ngoc has maintained: “I feel healthy. I don’t need treatment.”
He has therefore refused to leave his village.
Nevertheless, he has not hidden his desire to experience what others enjoy every night—the simple ability to fall asleep peacefully.
His extraordinary claim of living without sleep for more than six decades remains one of the most mysterious and scientifically puzzling human stories.
