The Trouble with Sleep

“A fascinating documentary. Shows the unbelievable antics sleep-disordered people get up to.” 

TV Times

director

1 x 60’, BBC1

Documentary exploring the lives of people who sleepwalk, experience night terrors, and act out their dreams. Teacher Susan wakes her husband up to six times a night. Able to perform complex tasks while fast asleep, her attempts at daytime dieting are sabotaged by nocturnal forays for chocolate and ice cream. Dentist Melvyn lashes out at his much-loved wife while defending himself against imaginary attack. Anita fears for her lorry driver husband after wrestling him to the floor to stop him fleeing from a fourth floor window. With the neuroscience of sleep still in its infancy, they all want to understand what happens when the lights go out.

“The footage makes for extraordinary viewing.” 

Radio Times

“Fascinating and disturbing…We found out how infinitely long-suffering a loving spouse can be. I was, I confess, touched.”

 The Guardian

“Disturbing and sometimes heart-rending. Those featured agreed to cameras in their homes to explore how their condition affects them and whether they can be trained to sleep normally. The evidence is as shocking to them as it is to viewers.” 

The Express

“Comical and alarming. For a phrase that can mean doing things on autopilot, sleepwalking can in fact be a very busy and varied activity if The Trouble with Sleep was anything to go by.”

Time Out

“Sleep can be a nasty business! Intriguing stuff.” 

The Observer

“If all your partner does is stroll in their sleep, you can count yourself lucky, judging by what we saw in The Trouble with Sleep.”

 The TimeS