A 42-year-old man from Rajasthan’s Nagaur region in India has been nicknamed the “real-life Kumbhkarna,” the fabled figure from the Ramayan known for sleeping uninterrupted for six months. He sleeps 300 days a year.
Due to a unique condition called Axis Hypersomnia, Pukharam must sleep for 20–25 consecutive days at a time after a nap.
Since receiving this diagnosis 23 years ago, Pukhram’s daily life has been impacted because it is more difficult to wake him up after he has fallen asleep.
A chronic neurological sleep disorder known as axis hypersomnia causes daytime sleepiness and/or excessive sleep duration of more than 9 to 10 hours per day.
Studies have shown that variations in the brain protein known as TNF-alpha are the cause of axis hypersomnia.
Due to the disease, Purkharam can only run his grocery store five days a month and occasionally nods off in the course of his duties.
Even his daily tasks, such feeding and bathing, are carried out by his family members.
Although there is currently no treatment for Pukhram’s illness, his mother Kanvari Devi and wife Lichmi Devi wish for him to quickly recover and resume living a normal life.
