Martin Kemp swears by simple sleep trick every night that helps him drift off

Wales Online

22-04-2025

Martin Kemp swears by simple sleep trick every night that helps him drift off
The ex-Spandau Ballet star opened up to his son Roman about how he battles sleepless nights – and it's a trick he swears by to this day
Martin Kemp's secret to dozing off every night involves reading a monologue
(Image: Shane)
When it comes to sleep, getting the proper amount is crucial for maintaining both mental and physical health. The NHS recommends that the average adult should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night, though some individuals may require more.
However, many find it challenging to fall asleep and persistent sleep difficulties can begin to affect one's social interactions and personal relationships.
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With that in mind, Martin Kemp has shared his unique method for nodding off – reciting a monologue. He disclosed this technique on the FFS! My Dad is Martin Kemp podcast, following his son Roman's admission of being "too stressed" to sleep.
The ex-Spandau Ballet bassist said: "What you need to do Ro, is learn something like a poem or a monologue. This is what I do, every single night when I go to bed, I will get in my bed and close my eyes and say this monologue I had on stage when I was acting.
"It was from a play I did called Million Dollar Quartet, about Elvis, and there's a monologue I have which is two minutes long on stage, and I will say that every night."
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Roman quipped that it "must have been a boring play", to which Martin humorously agreed, saying "it was", implying that it put the audience to sleep. However, he quickly clarified: "The play was really good. It was a musical all about Elvis. It was good."
The Million Dollar Quartet is a depiction of an impromptu recording session that brought together Elvis Presley with fellow icons Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash at the Sun Records Studios in Memphis in 1956. This unexpected gathering led to the creation of a series of collaborative tracks.
Martin revealed his hack after Roman, right, admitted to being "too stressed" to sleep
(Image: Jim Dyson/Redferns via Getty Images )
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NHS guidance on sleep health
The NHS acknowledges that sleep issues can be quite common, often triggered by shifts in our personal or professional lives. While sporadic sleepless nights are "nothing to worry about", it becomes problematic if it persists, reports Surrey Live.
The health service warned: "Longer stretches of bad sleep can do the opposite and have a negative impact on our physical and mental health or wellbeing. Not getting enough sleep is sometimes described as being sleep deprived, or called 'sleep deprivation', 'sleeplessness' or 'sleep inefficiency'."
To enhance sleep quality, the NHS recommends six strategies:
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