What was supposed to be a simple evening rest quickly morphed into a medical mystery after a 51-year-old Sharjah resident fell into a peculiar sleep for over 32 sleepless hours. Doctor’s explanation of the scenario suggested that had it been untreated, it could have become life-threatening.
Following a long day at work, Alex (name changed upon request) returned to his studio apartment feeling mentally drained along with overwhelmed by work. “I was exhausted. A voice told me just to take a short nap,” he recalled. Alex, still in his work clothes, tossed and turned expecting to fall asleep by 8:30 PM and wake feeling refreshed fully restored a few hours later.
Weeks later be Alex and medical experts shared their peculiarity together.
“The next thing I remember, I woke up groggy and confused. I glanced around the room trying to understand where I was. I looked at the clock – 4:30 – but something felt off. Then it clicked I wasn’t in the present. It was the day after,” said Alex.
As subsequent examinations revealed, Alex surprised everyone by entering into the state of uncontrolled ‘sleep’ which is somewhere between deep comatose and slumber, likely brought about by extreme fatigue, dehydration, and a disease in the body that remained unnoticed. Experts emphasize the dire need of heeding to the body’s sign.
In the words of one of the doctors treating the patient, “This was not typical exhaustion. It was concerning. He was in a critical state, and had he not woken up when he did, things could have taken a turn for the worse.”
Under monitoring and various testing procedures, Alex shared with the doctors his hope that his case would provide, in both spirit and wakefulness, a reminder to be cognizant of the risks that come with unchecked levels of fatigue.