In honor of World Sleep Day 2025, Hollywood, Health & Society and Project Sleep hosted an exciting panel discussion at the Writers Guild of America West, “Sleepless in Hollywood? Anxiety, Insomnia & the Truth About Sleep Disorders.”
The conversation on March 13th, 2025, included hearing from sleep specialists, people living with sleep disorders, and industry professionals who have thoughtfully featured sleep disorder portrayals on TV including Brent Miller, Executive Producer of Amazon’s hit show Clean Slate (which features sleep apnea) and Al Jean, Executive Producer of The Simpsons (which featured narcolepsy).
TV writers and industry professionals were so engaged and fascinated to learn more about sleep and sleep disorders. We look forward to continuing our efforts to educate and inspire Hollywood toward crafting accurate and authentic storylines involving sleep and sleep disorders.
Brent Miller is the CEO and founder of A House on Brame Productions. Previously, Miller spent over a decade as Norman Lear’s producing partner, which included executive producing an animated version of the iconic Good Times for Netflix, and most recently Clean Slate for Prime, which premiered in February 2025.
Christopher Allen, MD is a pediatric neurologist, sleep medicine specialist, and person living with sleep apnea. Diagnosed at 23 after recognizing the symptoms in medical school, he is passionate about patient education and advocacy; specializes in treating sleep disorders in adults and children; CEO of Quality Sleep and Neurology.
Michael Grandner, MD, is a clinical psychologist, director of the Sleep and Heath Research Program at the University of Arizona, and the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson. His work focuses on how sleep is important for health, like diet and exercise. Dr. Grandner also serves on Project Sleep’s Expert Advisory Board.
Lauren Thomas is a patient advocate living with narcolepsy and cataplexy. She was diagnosed with narcolepsy at the age of 29 after 14 years of misdiagnosis, and is passionate about sharing her story; she has been involved with Project Sleep for the past five years, and serves on its board of directors.
