'I'm a sleep expert and one Channel 4 TV show gets me to sleep every night'
A sleep expert has revealed that a classic Channel 4 show helps him drift off every night. Despite being a globally-recognised sleep guru with a viral TikTok channel dedicated to sleep advice, James Leinhardt admits he personally struggles with his sleep due to his ADHD.
The founder of Levitex – a foam he invented to improve sleep quality - said: "I've helped thousands of people to improve their sleep quality by optimising their sleep posture and have helped thousands of people wake up pain free and well rested, all through education about sleep posture. But I still personally suffer with my own sleep, largely due to my ADHD."
James confesses that he's always had a difficult relationship with sleep, often surviving on just a few hours a night. However, as he got older, his needs started to change, reports Plymouth Live.
"I survived on just a few hours of sleep a night for years. Then when I got into my forties, my body started begging for sleep, and by the end of the week my cognitive function was impaired," said James.
After exploring different options for managing sleep alongside his ADHD, James stumbled across a surprising solution: The Inbetweeners. "One night when I couldn't sleep, I just put an episode on and played it through one headphone to distract me. Before I knew it, I was asleep."
"It was something about the familiarity of the show that helped my body to relax. The familiar jokes, the voices, and subconsciously knowing what was going to happen just seemed to help my brain switch off. There's also no sudden extreme sensory changes when I watch it, which you might get when you're scrolling through your phone or doing something else to distract yourself, like when your phone is put face down on the side table. So, watching TV whilst I try to sleep distracts my brain just enough to let my body win.
"Now I drift off to a different episode every night, and somehow, it works", James said. James, who has also delivered a Top 10 TEDx talk on achieving better sleep, emphasises that everyone's sleep hygiene varies and it's about discovering what suits you.
He said: "Some people, and maybe even some other sleep experts, will think I'm crazy for using TV shows as part of my bedtime routine – and that's fine! But for some, the stimulation of watching a familiar TV show could act as a real comfort and be just what you need to help your brain relax. So, it's just about trying different things to make you feel more relaxed.
"I'm not recommending that everyone should recommend their kids watch TV at bedtime or put TVs in their bedrooms. But I do think people need to be mindful that blanket rules – like no TV at bedtime – don't work for everyone. Sleep is unique for all of us, so we need to take the time to work out what works for each of us, individually."
It's not just telly classics James suggests either. For individuals with ADHD, he explains medication and physical activity are vital for improved rest.
He said: "As someone with ADHD, I'd say it's crucial to take your medication super early. That stimulation of the medication is going to keep you wide awake, so it makes sense to take it as early as possible, so your sleep isn't disrupted. I find I need to work out every day too – ideally first thing in the morning.
"I also walk everywhere, and I have to do 15 to 20 thousand steps a day minimum. I find it really helps to get rid of all the pent-up energy in my body." And what about a late-night scroll?
James declares it's completely off-limits. "For someone with ADHD, sleep is really boring – so be really disciplined and limit using your phone," he said.
"Do not take your phone to bed with you, because the second you get into that TikTok hole, you will not be sleeping. Social media platforms like TikTok are designed to be addictive, and can be even more challenging for people with neurodiversity, so I try to avoid them before bedtime."
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