Doctors baffled by woman who claims to have not slept in 40 years

Variety 05:51 PM - 2021-09-08

Doctors are baffled by the strange case of a woman who claims she hasn't slept a single night since she was a child.

Sleepless Li Zhanying, from China's eastern province of Henan, told local media the last time she had a kip was when she was five years old.

Li's many wakeful nights have made her a celebrity in her small village after local media reported on the case.

Thinking her claims were nonsense, several years ago her neighbours tried to stay awake with her all night playing cards.

The villagers soon gave in to the appeal of sleep with one catching some shut-eye on the table and another returning home.

But, Li was still wide awake, reports say.

Li went to a sleep centre in Beijing who confirmed she does not close her eyes for more than 10 minutes each day

Rather than resting, Li cleans the home in the dead of night, he said.

Liu was concerned about his restless wife, and bought her sleeping pills to treat what he thought must be insomnia.

The pills didn't work either, he told local media.

Li's husband gave her sleeping pills to treat her wakefulness, which didn't work either

Li sought a medical explanation, which doctors were unable to provide, Chinese news site Bastille Post reports.

Eventually, she found her diagnosis at a Beijing sleep centre, where doctors explained that she does actually sleep, just in a very weird way.

When observing her speak with her husband, they noticed Li's eyes would slow down and she would actually fall asleep, despite still talking to him.

Another test with a brainwave monitor showed her eyes were never closed for more than 10 minutes a day.

The sleep centre explained the bizarre phenomenon was similar to how the body of sleepwalkers is active while the brain is asleep.

 

PUKmedia / Mirror UK