How lack of sleep has affected ‘I’m A Celeb’ stars in the jungle

A sleep expert has revealed the adverse effects that a lack of sleep could have on this year’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here contestants as they struggle to get a good night’s shuteye in the Australian outback.

As this series comes to an end this weekend, stars including Boy George, Chris Moyles and Matt Hancock, will really be feeling the effects of sleeping in the jungle – and coming to terms with the inconveniences that go along with it.

The contestants spend their nights on uncomfortable bunks and inside swinging hammocks, while having to fend off a multitude of pesky critters – from cockroaches to beetles and noisy crickets, as well as adjusting to sleeping outdoors and in the company of unfamiliar people.

Silentnight’s Sleep expert Hannah Shore explains how the jungle environment has impacted celeb’s sleep over the past few weeks.

Hannah said: “Failing to get the right amount of sleep at night, or not getting good quality sleep, can take its toll in a variety of ways. When this happens over prolonged periods of time, like our jungle celebs, it can really impact our mood, concentration, and productivity.

“Quality of sleep is important, its not just about the amount of time we spend asleep, but the type of sleep we get. There are two main types of sleep REM and non-REM sleep and we need a good mix of both in order to boost recovery and wake up feeling ready to take on the whatever the outback has instore.

“But the sleeping environment in the jungle is far from ideal for achieving this type of sleep. Our celebs are sleeping on hammocks, with very little comfort and contending with the sounds of the jungle, as well as the sounds of their other campmates, take Mike Tindall’s snoring for example!

“The environment in which we sleep is so important. We sleep best when we feel safe, for our celebs who have been sleeping in unfamiliar environments for the last few weeks, they will have only been able to achieve the lighter form of sleep, which means they are at risk of being woken easily and will find it difficult to get truly comfortable.

“All this will have had an impact on their mood. We all feel irritable the next day after a bad night’s sleep and that’s because we haven’t had enough of that all-important REM sleep. We need REM sleep for emotional processing, if we don’t get enough of it, we become moody and in an already stressful environment that can really impact how we interact with others

“That’s why something as simple as an issue over a towel, like we saw with Boy George and Sue Cleaver can be blown way out of proportion and become more of a bigger deal than it would have been in everyday life.

“Lack of sleep will have also impacted our celeb’s hunger levels. One of the hormones involved in hunger is Ghrelin and when we have a lack of sleep, our bodies can produce more Ghrelin than usual. This is because, when we sleep, we restore our energy levels and when we don’t have enough sleep, our body needs to find energy from other sources such as food.

“In the jungle, our celebs have been living off rations of rice and beans, which is not nearly enough to restore their energy levels. They will have found themselves wanting to catch up on sleep more due to lack of sleep, feeling hungry due to lack of sleep and then restriction in food sources will lead them to feel hungrier. This vicious cycle will have also led to a further decrease in their mood.

“As well as new time zones and jetlag, celebs will have also had to contend with the natural light of the jungle, which will have impacted their natural circadian rhythms, which prompt the body to sleep and wake.

“Light is a significant factor in the sleep process, as morning light prompts the body to wake, with evening light, which is darker, prompting our body to sleep. With no access to artificial light, their bodies will have re-set to be more in tune with nature, meaning that as they come out of the jungle and try to settle back into their usual sleep routine they may struggle.

“Even though they will be extremely fatigued and have a hotel bed to look forward to, they may find a change in surroundings and the adrenaline of leaving the jungle has a negative impact on their sleep.

“They’re likely to experience difficulty in nodding off and their body clocks will be used to waking up with the natural light of the jungle, so they’ll wake up earlier than usual, meaning less time spent sleeping.”