What Happens When You Sleep Too Long – Man Sleeps For 25 Days Straight

Yes thats right! This man slept for 25 days straight. It gets even more interesting when you find out it isn’t a one off! We are uncovering the story of Purkharam – the man who sleeps for over 300 days in a year.

Who’s Purkharam?

Purkharam is a grocery store owner hailing from a small village known as Bhadwa, located in the State of Rajasthan, India. For Purkharam, sleep is a curse. Currently, in his mid-forties, he is diagnosed with a rare form of hypersomnia – a disease that affects an individual’s ability to stay awake.

He sleeps for over 20-25 days in a stretch. Purkharam’s version of normal life is restricted to 5-6 days a month, when he stays awake, runs his grocery store, and performs his daily tasks.

How’s Life For Purkharam?

According to Purkharam’s family, it’s quite challenging to look after him. There are days when he falls asleep at his shop, and his family has to drag him to the home. In the earlier days, he used to sleep for 7-8 days continuously. However, this got worse over time until it was impossible to keep him awake.

Before Purkharam was diagnosed, his family was always in a state of confusion about why he would sleep so much. Finally, his illness was recognized as an extremely rare form of hypersomnia.

HPA Axis Hypersomnia – Purkharam’s Rare Condition

Hypersomnia refers to a person’s inability to stay awake, remain alert, and be active despite getting an adequate amount of sleep at night.

According to reports, Purkharam suffers from HPA Axis Hypersomnia – a rare form of hypersomnia that causes changes to Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha. It is a protein responsible for activating immune cells in response to inflammation, injury, or tissue damage.

What are the Symptoms and Causes of Hypersomnia?

Some common symptoms of hypersomnia include hallucinations, difficulty waking up, frequent daytime naps, sleeping longer than average hours, irritation, and tiredness. Here’s a disclaimer: don’t confuse this disease with the feelings of tiredness that most of us feel when we don’t get enough sleep. It’s different.

Nonetheless, the bottom line is that it’s quite difficult to lead a normal life with hypersomnia. While the root causes of this disease are unknown, some can be related to alcohol intake, obesity, sleep apnea, or depression. Usually, one of the leading causes is related to psychology. If someone suffers from a head injury, tumor, or a psychological disorder, they might experience hypersomnia.

Is There Any Cure For Hypersomnia?

There’s no specific cure for hypersomnia. However, doctors only suggest several ways to improve lifestyle to reduce the effects of this disease.

Some preventive actions include taking antidepressants and non-prescription drugs, along with staying away from alcohol and caffeine. However, hypersomnia levels can vary from person to person. In the case of Purkharam, he suffers from a rare form – HPA Axis Hypersomnia, which causes him to stay sleepy most of the time despite taking medications.

Are There Any Hopes For Purkharam?

According to doctors, the effects of hypersomnia can be controlled by improving the lifestyle and using medications. However, Purkharam’s case is different since he suffers from a rare form of this disease that’s been unheard of.

Still, his wife and mother pray and hope that Purkharam gets well soon and enjoys the pleasure of life in reality instead of being in his dreams all the time.