Strictly’s Nigel Harman: I have to do my dance routine to get back to sleep

According to Nigel Harman, he often performs the weekly Strictly Come Dancing routine to help him go back to sleep when he wakes up in the middle of the night.

The lead actor of Casualty, who is fifty years old, is currently paired up with a professional dancer named Katya Jones for the newest season of the BBC One program.

Former EastEnders star Harman was questioned about his toughest challenge when participating in competitions. Harman stated that during the weekend, right in the middle of the dance performance, he usually wakes up at two in the morning, and this always occurs on a Friday night.

As you may already be aware, we typically awaken from our REM sleep in the morning following cycles of roughly four hours. During this time, I often find myself in the midst of dancing and struggle to return to sleep for approximately thirty minutes.

Essentially, I have to keep mentally rehearsing my dance routine until my body finally relaxes and accepts that I still remember it. Only then can I go back to sleep.

"So here's the deal, all I really want to do is catch up on my sleep when I'm not dancing."

Jones mentioned that Harman has texted her "a few times" to confirm the schedule, which helps him ensure he can go back to sleep after waking up during the night.

Harman expressed that they do not have bad dreams concerning the scoring of their performance as it is solely the responsibility of the judges. Harman recognizes that they are unable to have an impact on the judges' decisions and therefore focuses on executing their dance to the best of their abilities.

He also mentioned that he was taken aback by the kind and affectionate behavior of both the participants and the production team of Strictly.

Harman said: "There is a specific tension that comes with performing in this place since you are acquiring a new skill that you wouldn't typically gain."

In usual circumstances, I only take the stage after months of practice and years of experience. However, recently I have found pleasure in the fact that my nerves have been getting the best of me.

"I found that extremely interesting, and it's not that I feel scared, but rather I experience this thrilling sensation and rushes of adrenaline. Now, I am becoming accustomed to these feelings and there is a part of me that actually anticipates Saturday nights and the energy it brings."

I am very interested and enthusiastic about the impact of the show on my emotional and mental well-being. Meditating regularly has been a great help and it's one of the unexpected benefits of participating in the show. It gives you the chance to explore yourself more deeply and handle the challenges of being in an extreme environment.