London Man's Psychotic Episode After Sleep Deprivation Leads to Sleep Coaching Career
Tommy Graves, a 32-year-old from Bermondsey, London, once performed a cartwheel with a beaming smile, convinced he was entertaining millions on live television. In reality, his only audience were the nurses in a psychiatric ward, where he was being treated after a severe psychotic episode triggered by eight days without sleep.
The Descent into Psychosis
Mr Graves' ordeal began while he was working tirelessly on a project to raise funds for a homeless charity. 'I just got really excited about it and worked tirelessly on it,' he recalled. 'The more I worked, the more stressed I became, and the harder I found it to sleep. My brain wouldn't switch off.' As the days passed, his ideas grew increasingly extreme, evolving from a goal of raising £100 to an elaborate plan for £66 million.
By day six of sleep deprivation, he had lost touch with reality, believing he was living a life akin to Jim Carrey's character in the 1998 film The Truman Show, where a man's entire existence is broadcast without his knowledge. 'I thought I was in a television studio,' Mr Graves said. 'My family sent me to a mental health hospital in an ambulance because they knew something had gone wrong. I was extremely coherent but not making sense.'
Hospital Stay and Recovery
Admitted to a mental health unit, Mr Graves spent four weeks in a state of psychosis, convinced the facility was a TV set. He sang, danced, and performed cartwheels for the surveillance cameras, aiming to 'earn an Oscar' for his performance. 'One of the nurses told me I would get an Oscar if I carried on like this,' he noted. 'Most people would have seen that as sarcasm, but I thought "I'd love to get an Oscar."'
Doctors diagnosed him with a manic episode accompanied by psychosis, attributed to stress and severe sleep deprivation. Medication eventually allowed him to sleep, beginning a slow return to reality. 'I completely left planet earth,' Mr Graves described. 'I had no sense of what reality was, hearing and seeing things that were not real. They managed to finally put me to sleep after giving me all sorts of medication.'
Transformation into a Sleep Coach
Upon discharge a month later, Mr Graves faced a life in tatters and a stark warning from his doctor: learn to sleep properly or risk losing his sanity again. 'When I was discharged, I felt so sad. My life had just been blown to bits,' he admitted. 'My doctor said I needed to learn how to sleep or I could risk losing my sense of reality again.'
Determined to change, he spent two years mastering sleep hygiene and qualified as a sleep coach in April 2025. Now, he maintains a strict bedtime and wake-up schedule, avoiding late nights even on weekends. 'I'm on a mission to make it cool to have a bedtime,' he declared. 'It's not about having less fun; it's about doing it at a time that doesn't make you exhausted.'
Mr Graves runs workshops for businesses and communities, educating on the critical link between sleep and mental health. 'I want to spread awareness that sleep is connected to every main mental health condition,' he emphasized. 'Having a consistent bed time and wake time is pivotal. Around one in three people suffer from insomnia in the UK.'
The Dangers of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation can have severe consequences, as highlighted by experts:
- Within 24 hours, hormone changes can increase blood pressure.
- By day two, glucose metabolism is impaired, leading to carbohydrate cravings.
- Extended deprivation may cause hallucinations, memory issues, and immune system compromise.
While no human has been reported to die directly from insomnia, studies on rats show fatal outcomes after prolonged sleep loss. Randy Gardner holds the record for the longest period without sleep—11 days and 25 minutes in 1964—during which he experienced speech problems and hallucinations.
Poor sleep is linked to numerous health issues, including cancer, stroke, and infertility. Insomnia, affecting up to 14 million Britons, can stem from stress, anxiety, or lifestyle factors like alcohol and shift work. Simple measures, such as maintaining regular sleep hours and creating a restful environment, can improve sleep hygiene and prevent crises like Mr Graves'.
