Sleep B*llocks is a podcast that helps you navigate the guff, bunkum, condwallop and baloney that is often spouted by sleep experts and brands. It will help you separate fact from fiction, and the myths and fads from the stuff that actually works.
Presented by James Wilson, one of the world’s leading sleep experts, who has probably worked with more poor sleepers than anyone else in the field, James sees the damage that Sleep B*llocks does to the 100,000’s of people’s sleep he has worked with, and how the fibs and
snakeoil we are sold by expertise and brands, often leads to use being parted from our hard earned cash, and leaves us sleeping worse.
Sleep well!
Find out more about James at https://thesleepgeek.co.uk/
In the final episode of this series, James talks about the inspiration for Sleep B*llocks, the inaugural winner of the Sleep B*llocks Awards 2024: the fadiest of fads, in fact you could call it Faddington Bear - it is Mouthtaping.
James discusses the celebrities like Erling Haaland and Gywneth Paltrow who advocate the use, despite the lack of evidence it helps sleep, and how a mouth taping brand, Myotape, was pulled from Dragon’s Den.
He talks about poor quality evidence, how this is manipulated by the brands who sell the tape, and the relationship between these brands and the breathwork companies who train breathwork practitioners, and create advocates for their brands along the way.
James mentions the Cleveland Clinic summary of mouthtaping and its risks. Read it here (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/mouth-taping)
James mentions Vik Veer in the episode - he is not a Respiratory clinician, he specialises in ENT.
Listen to the end, where James shares tips for improving snoring, and please, if you show any of the Sleep Apnea symptoms mentioned in the episode go and talk to your GP or Physician.
You can find out more about James’ work at www.thesleepgeek.co.uk (https://www.thesleepgeek.co.uk) and the work his company kipmate does with sports teams and organisations here www.kipmate.com (https://www.kipmate.com)
17 Jul 2025
School Start Time
This time James talks about school start times, and the poor quality of sleep education in schools in the UK, and how school start times have gotten earlier, and our teens have got fatter, and their mental health has suffered... is this a coincidence?
He discusses how later school start times have led to better exam grades, and physical and mental health in our kids, and why as a society we shy away from embracing a change that leads to better results and health.
In the episode James mentions one of his favourite books about sleeping better, Sleep To Win by James Maas, buy it here (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1481707248?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_D1TADSAD0DBBENDS3G33&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_D1TADSAD0DBBENDS3G33&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_D1TADSAD0DBBENDS3G33&bestFormat=true&previewDohEventScheduleTesting=C).
You can find out more about James’ work at www.thesleepgeek.co.uk (https://www.thesleepgeek.co.uk) and the work his company kipmate does with sports teams and organisations here www.kipmate.com (https://www.kipmate.com)
3 Jul 2025
Get Better Sleep You Idiots
This episode talks about how they believe that some experts have, that poor sleepers are stupid and they need to be scared into getting better sleep and why Matthew Walker's book Why We Sleep, is one of the main causes of poor sleep he works with.
He discusses how the sleep world needs to challenge damaging communication and misinterpreted research, and why the My Mate Matt Mafia are not helping the sleep industry or poor sleepers.
In this episode James mentions an article he wrote about how pop scientists are ruining our sleep for Sleep Review, which you can find here (https://sleepreviewmag.com/author/jwilson/), and in the Not Bollocks section he recommends the book How To Sleep Like a Caveman, which you can see here (https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Sleep-Like-Caveman-Ancient/dp/0008717613/ref=asc_df_0008717613?mcid=82fef28c9736365dbd09bfa654743460&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=11628028625191887127-0008717613-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11628028625191887127&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046334&hvtargid=pla-2281435176658&psc=1&gad_source=1).
You can find out more about James’ work at www.thesleepgeek.co.uk and the work his company kipmate does with sports teams and organisations here www.kipmate.com
19 Jun 2025
The Truth About Sleep Trackers
In this episode the topic is one of the biggest causes of Orthosomnia, sleep trackers and James looks at whether they are helpful to sleep, or just make people’s sleep worse.
Are they accurate? Do they focus on separating you from your money, or actually helping you understand your sleep better, and do they use marketing tactics that lack transparency, enabled by experts who have commercial relationships with the tracking brands? Give it a listen to find out.
You can find out more about James’ work at www.thesleepgeek.co.uk and the work his company kipmate does with sports teams and organisations here www.kipmate.com
24 Apr 2025
Sleep Brands And The Fibs They Tell
In this episode James discusses the fibs that sleep brands tell about their products and services, and how they want you to believe that what they are peddling will solve your sleep problem, without even knowing what your problem is.
Whether it is the eye mask that claims to leave you never having to use botox, or the brain supplement, whose founder claims it, guess what, cured his insomnia, James asks can we trust what most sleep brands are telling us.
In the Not B*locks section, James recommends the podcast from Louise Berger who runs the Insomnia Clinic at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust. You can listen/watch her podcast here https://www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/saygoodnight
You can find out more about James’ work at www.thesleepgeek.co.uk and the work he does with sports teams and organisations here www.kipmate.com
10 Apr 2025
5AM Club
In this episode, James discusses the “5AM Club” - the idea, perpetuated by celebrities like Orlando Bloom and Mark Wahlburg, and influencers like Andrew Huberman and Robin Sharma, that waking early in the morning will make you successful.
James will explain to you why this is a load of BS< and having worked with everyone from CEO’s, to government ministers to international footballers, what approach and techniques he uses with the high performance people he works with.
In the podcast James mentions research around Athletic performance and sleep see a great piece of research on this subject here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40675-022-00243-4
In the Not B*llocks section, James recommends listening to the Sleep Unplugged podcast from Dr. Chris Winter. A great listen: https://www.youtube.com/user/wcwinter1
You can find out more about James’ work at www.thesleepgeek.co.uk and the work he does with sports teams and organisations here: www.kipmate.com
3 Nov 2023
What's a sleep dictator? And are you, your partner, pet or child one?
Often the poor sleep in a house can come from one person or animal and the sleep environment and routine they create causing everyone else to sleep poorly. They are a sleep dictator. I help you understand what one is, give examples of their behaviour and advice on how to address the issue.
For more info on James’ work go to www.thesleepgeek.co.uk
3 Nov 2023
Understanding sleep type: It's all about owls and larks, not bears, wolves or dolphins.
I explain what sleep type is, how to work yours out, and what sleep type means when it comes to your sleep. I also look at what happens if you're sharing a bed with someone who isn't the same sleep type. And I'll explain why it is about owls and larks and where we sit on the continuum between them, and why wolves, bears and dolphins are just not needed.
For more info on James’ work go to www.thesleepgeek.co.uk (http://www.thesleepgeek.co.uk)
3 Nov 2023
James, how do I sleep through the night?
One of the most common questions I get, but actually nobody sleeps right through the night. I explain why, and why waking in the night is not failure. I look at what might be triggering you waking up, how to drop off back to sleep, and how mindset is very important in dealing with waking in the night.
For more info on James’ work go to www.thesleepgeek.co.uk (https://www.thesleepgeek.co.uk)
3 Nov 2023
Pre-sleep rituals and what to do before bed
Falling asleep is quite easy, you just need to be relaxed and a little bit cooler, but actually doing this can be incredibly difficult. I explain how to create a pre-sleep routine that achieves this, what to do, what to watch, read and listen, along with a reminder to only go to bed if you are sleepy.
For more info on James’ work go to www.thesleepgeek.co.uk (https://www.thesleepgeek.co.uk)
3 Nov 2023
The power of mindset: You might be rubbish at sleeping but you are world class at being tired
I help you understand that genetically you might be a poor sleeper, but one of the most powerful answers to your sleep issues is changing the story you tell yourself around your sleep. I explain how you can can rest your mind when it comes to sleep, how to accept who you are as a sleeper, and how your ability to deal with tiredness is the superpower your sleep improvement will be built upon.
For more info on James’ work go to www.thesleepgeek.co.uk (http://www.thesleepgeek.co.uk)
3 Nov 2023
James, how much sleep do I need and how do I know if I have had enough?
I can't give you a magic number on this, but I can help you understand that sleep need is about how much and how good your sleep was last night; how sleep need differs for every individual and can differ for each individual every night; why tracking your sleep doesn’t tell you if you have met your sleep need; and how to “track” your sleep in a way that doesn't make your sleep worse.
For more info on James’ work go to www.thesleepgeek.co.uk (https://www.thesleepgeek.co.uk)
13 Sept 2023
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