Indian man sleeps for 300 days a year due to rare disorder

JAIPUR: A Indian man, 42, has gained popularity after becoming known for sleeping 300 days a year due to a rare disorder, Axis Hypersomnia.

The man named Purkharam, who is a resident of Bhadwa village in India’s Rajasthan state, suffers from Axis Hypersomnia, a rare sleeping disorder that occurs when there is fluctuation in the protein of the brain called TNF-alpha.

It emerged that Purkharam can sleep for 20-25 days at a stretch once he takes a nap as compared with the normal people which usually sleep for six to eight hours a day.

According to Indian media reports, Purkharam can only operate his grocery store five days a month, so the man is used to managing his daily life such as showering, working and eating while he sleeps.

He often slept while he was at work, and as soon as this happened he could not wake up, and all his family could do was take him home and feed him. The family confirmed that his illness was diagnosed 23 years ago, and it became clear that he had a rare disease.

Indian people are nicknaming the man a real-life Kumbhakarna in accordance with the ancient Hindu Mythology who used to sleep for six months at a time.

The media quoted medical sources that there is currently no known treatment for the rare condition, and the only treatment he tried over the years caused him side effects, such as severe headaches and fatigue.

Purkharam’s family, including his wife, also works in agriculture, which helps cover daily expenses, but she hopes he will recover soon and start living a normal life.