This Morning host Josie Gibson opens up on ‘horrible’ hidden heath condition
JOSIE Gibson let slip her “horrible” hidden health condition during a candid admission on This Morning.
The ITV presenter, 39, was fronting Wednesday’s episode of the daytime series with Craig Doyle, 53.
As they wrapped up the news review with a health chat, Josie opened up on the secret medical issue that troubles her at night.
She told her This Morning co-stars: “I get weird dreams but I also get sleep paralysis which is even weirder.
“You can’t move – you’re awake but you’re still asleep.
“You can’t scream or anything. It’s horrible.”
Sleep paralysis is scary because there is not much a person can do during the period of paralysis.
An estimated one in 12 people will endure sleep paralysis at least once in their life, according to the Sleep Foundation.
But for approximately 10 per cent of sufferers, it can become a frequent problem that could prevent them from going to sleep out of fear.
It causes breathing to repeatedly stop and re-start when a person is asleep.
It comes as the brain is conscious, but the body is unable to move.
People then experience feelings of being unable to speak and a sense of choking or suffocation.
Earlier this year, the former I’m A Celeb contestant opened up on undergoing surgery for another medical issue.
She underwent a laser procedure in London after suffering ongoing issues with her tonsils.
In a candid Instagram post Josie wrote: “Every time I get run down, I end up with tonsillitis.
“I ended up in hospital in December [2023] and over the years my right tonsil has been getting bigger… well no more my friends… bye bye ball bag tonsil.”
What is sleep paralysis?
THIS Morning host Josie Gibson suffers from sleep paralysis - yet what is this condition?
Sleep paralysis is scary because there is not much a person can do during the period of paralysis.
An estimated one in 12 people will endure sleep paralysis at least once in their life, according to the Sleep Foundation.
But for approximately 10 per cent of sufferers, it can become a frequent problem that could prevent them from going to sleep out of fear.
It causes breathing to repeatedly stop and re-start when a person is asleep.
It comes as the brain is conscious, but the body is unable to move.
People then experience feelings of being unable to speak and a sense of choking or suffocation.
Historically it has been described as an “evil presence” and “night demons”.
Sleep paralysis is described by the Sleep Foundation as a “brief loss of muscle control, known as atonia, that happens just after falling asleep or waking up”.
It is a “mixed state of consciousness”, whereby someone experiences elements of sleep and wakefulness at the same time because they are not moving through the stages of sleep seamlessly.
This gives rise to distressing symptoms. Usually, when we are asleep, we are not aware of our inability to move (atonia).
But during sleep paralysis, we can still be in a dream-like state while being aware there is nothing we can do about it.
This may help explain why sleep paralysis typically involves elements that directly induce fear. Although the exact mechanisms are not clear.
Sharing videos of her doctor from inside the clinic, she then explained she was using laser technology instead of a full tonsillectomy, which she “didn’t have space in the diary to recover from.”
“I’m sharing this because I’ve been looking into it for years,” Josie wrote.
Shortly after the procedure – which she claimed only took 10 minutes – was done, Josie shared a picture of the machine, which was now lined with a yellow substance.
Hilariously set to James Blunt’s ‘Goodbye My Lover’, she explained: “That’s my vaporised tonsil using laser technology.”
Meanwhile, back on This Morning, she addressed “gip” over her weight issues.
She recently showed off her weight loss after shedding six stone in a year.
Yet on Wednesday’s episode she said she was still preoccupied by images showing her stomach “rolls” while presenting live.
Josie says she often wishes she had sat up straighter on the This Morning sofa to hide what she said are her “rolls.”
She addressed Titanic actress Kate Winslet’s comments about embracing her curves and added: “It [the comment] has made me feel better.
“When I see pictures of myself and I see the rolls. Sometimes I get gip for wearing clothing that is too tight for me.
“As you get older, you have more respect for your body.”
She was then supported by co-host and pal Craig who called her “gorgeous” and said his family “loved her because she is natural.”