Al Herpin (January 1, 1862The sources are contradictory on the birth year: the 1904 ''New York Times'' article said 1862, but the 1947 article said 94 years (corresponding to 1853). in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
– January 3, 1947) was an American known as the "Man Who Never Slept".
Al Herpin, who lived in
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.are not aware of it.
A piece in ''The New York Times'' on February 29, 1904, reported 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. Not withstanding this, he is in perfect health, and does not seem to suffer any discomfort from his remarkable condition.
Al Herpin died on (January 3, 1947), reportedly at the age of 94. His obituary in ''The New York Times'' read:
Death came today for Alfred E. Herpin, a recluse who lived on the outskirts of the city and insisted that he never slept. He was 94 years old and, when questioned concerning his claim of "sleeplessness", maintained that he never actually dozed but merely "rested".
No other person with total insomnia has lived for such a long period of time. It was likely that he died for other reasons, not sleep deprivation, as his insomnia did not seem to have any effect on his health.
See also
* Paul Kern, Hungarian soldier who supposedly never slept after gunshot to the head
*
Sleep state misperception
Sleep state misperception (SSM) is a term in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD) most commonly used for people who mistakenly perceive their sleep as wakefulness,Minecan, Daniela, and Antonio Culebras. http://www.medlink.com ...
*
Fatal familial insomnia
Fatal insomnia is an extremely rare genetic (and even more rarely, sporadic) disorder that results in trouble sleeping as its hallmark symptom. The problems with sleeping typically start out gradually and worsen over time. Eventually, the patien ...