Albert Herpin VS Kumbhakarna: On World Sleep Day 2022, We Explore Extreme Patterns Of Sleeping

By: Sukhada, Shrishaila

Published On: March 18, 2022

Ever heard the story of the man who never slept? Albert Herpin from Trenton, New Jersey was a man who claimed to have never slept in his entire life. A piece on him in The New York Times read that: 

“Albert Herpin, born in France in 1862 and for fifteen years a hostler in the employ of Freeholder Walter Phares of this city, declares that he has not slept a wink during the past ten years. Notwithstanding this, he is in perfect health, and does not seem to suffer any discomfort from his remarkable condition.”

 

Albert Herpin allegedly did not sleep, some even accused that he slept in secret. But we might never find out if he did or did not as there was no proven medical prognosis yet. 

 

Al Herpin died on January 3, 1947, at the age of 94. Was he superhuman? Well, the supposed cause for his sleeplessness is unknown but scientists claim he suffered from a condition in which a human being is asleep but is not aware of it. After all, every human being requires sleep for proper functioning. So, what is the importance of sleep in a person’s life? How long can we handle ‘no sleep?’ 

Here’s what happens to our health when we are deprived of sleep:

  • Memory Issues: Lack of sleep can negatively affect short-term as well as long-term memory. Your concentration, creativity and problem-solving skills get severely affected.

  • Mood swings: Sleep deprivation makes you quick-tempered. It may escalate your anxiety and depression.

  • Weak immunity: Not taking proper sleep decreases your body resistance and makes it more prone to diseases such as common cold and fever. 

  • Problems with blood pressure: Too little sleep affects processes that maintain blood pressure, sugar levels, and inflammation control and therefore, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

  • Issues with bodyweight: Insufficient sleep can affect hormones. It can also trigger the release of insulin. Thus, there is a risk of increased fat storage, changes in body weight, and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

 

 

Albert Herpin VS Kumbhakarna

Now imagine a case contradictory to this. Remember Kumbhakarna from Ramayana who used to sleep continuously for 6 months? Let’s assess this mythological story in a scientific way. What would happen to us had we slept the Kumbhakarana way? Surprisingly, the effects of oversleeping are very much similar to that of sleep deprivation. Meaning, both are equally harmful.                   

                                                        

Finding the balance




World Sleep Day is an event organised every year on the 18th of March by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society. This day is dedicated to advocating and raising awareness for sleep health by organizing a World Sleep Day activity in local communities. The theme for this year’s World Sleep Day is Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World. Sleep is the golden chain that ties body and health together. Thus, it is a day of promoting awareness regarding physical and mental wellbeing. How can you contribute? 


Promoting mental well being 


Sufficient sleep is very important as it facilitates the brain’s processing of emotional information. During sleep, the brain assesses our thoughts and memories. Thus, lack of sleep can cause harmful effects to the positive emotional content. This influences our mood and emotional reactivity thus giving rise to mental health disorders such as anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and also suicidal ideas or behaviours.  


Read: Is Mental Health Still a Taboo?


Financing a day full of sleep awareness


To raise awareness on sleep health and its repercussions on our health, around the world various events and seminars are organized. In fact, after reading this you might want to organize one. Along with a great idea and campaigning theme, starting an awareness campaign requires funds. So, how do you raise funds? It's simple. A fundraiser!



Starting a fundraiser is easy 


You can start your own fundraiser in these simple steps to finance a day of awareness activities. 


  1. Choose a crowdfunding platform: There are various online crowdfunding platforms in India such as ImpactGuru that aid thousands of people in raising funds for their medical, social and personal causes. All you have to do is, visit their site and fill in your information.

  2. Start your Fundraiser: For example, if you want to raise funds to increase awareness by starting a workshop on technology-induced insomnia, you could start a fundraiser for it by backing it up with relevant documentation to induce credibility and urgency.

  3. Share on social media: Social media platforms such as Instagram

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