Help! We need some sleep
Insomniac Eamonn Holmes and his snorer wife Ruth Langsford are on a kipping mission…
Like two-thirds of the population, Eamonn Holmes and his wife Ruth Langsford have sleep problems. While Ruth snores, Eamonn reckons he hasn’t had a good night’s kip in decades.
Worryingly, there’s also evidence that suggests how sleep deprivation can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and even dementia.
‘On average, I’ll only get around three hours of continuous sleep a night and I often wake up feeling very tired,’ says Eamonn. ‘I can’t remember the last time that I had a relaxing, restorative sleep.’
Ruth adds, ‘I worry about the strain that the lack of sleep is putting on our marriage, not to mention our health.’
In their new two-part series, the couple try to find cures for their sleeping disorders. After testing out a luxurious bed that costs a whopping £42,000, they head to a sleep clinic in London’s Harley Street, where a sleep practitioner suggests Ruth should try to improve her posture and cut down on drinking wine.
Finding a cure
The pair also meet chronic insomniac Sam Hunter and Britain’s loudest snorer, Jenny Chapman, whose night-time rumbles are as loud as a low flying jet.
After testing a number of common gadgets and anti-snoring devices,
Ruth slowly stops snoring and the quality of her sleep improves, but will Eamonn ever get more than three hours of kip a night?
‘My mind buzzes, I dream, I think of things and disturbed sleep has just become a way of life for me now,’ he says. ‘I’ve still got a lot to learn, but any improvement would be welcome.’