Rip Van Winkle can't sleep
A US man named Rip Van Winkle is seeking medical attention - for his insomnia.
Mr Van Winkle, 37, of Corvallis, Oregon, admitted: "I went to the doctor's office and the irony is incredible. My name is Rip Van Winkle, and I can't sleep."
He says his father and grandfather were both nicknamed Rip, after the fictional character who fell asleep for 20 years.
His father decided to name his son Rip officially as he didn't want to delay the inevitable, reports the Corvallis Gazzette-Times.
Mr Van Winkle says his name has prompted many bad jokes and incredulous reactions down the years - including one man he met in a bar who bet him $35 it wasn't his real name.
But he says he wouldn't change it: "It's cool, because you get a chance to be yourself," he said, adding that there were plenty of Johns and Sams out there. "How many Rip Van Winkles do you meet?"
-Nova
