Nights From Hell (ITV1): IF you thought sleeping next to a snorer was bad, then think again. Jackie Mallon's husband, Hugh, is so disturbed by his dreams that he often lashes out in his sleep, leaving her terrified that she'll get hurt.

Alan Wheatley regularly sleepwalks and dismantles and reassembles the bedroom blinds, much to the bemusement of his wife.

Simon Hall regularly sits up in bed and screams "baby, baby baby" in a high-pitched voice, while toddler Amy Owers stops being the perfect child and turns into a monster while asleep.

For someone who could sleep on a washing line and regularly gets nine hours uninterrupted pleasant dreaming time, Nights From Hell was a revelation.

Experts tried to explain what goes on in these people's heads when they are asleep but I was more interested in the way their partners reacted - talk about sleeping with the enemy.

The funniest reaction came from the partner of nursery nurse Alex Brownswell. We saw Alex getting up in the night, looking for a child behind the curtains and using language Gordon Ramsay would be proud of.

And what did her partner do? Hardly stirring, he glared at her before turning over and putting his head under the duvet and going back to sleep.

But maybe he had the right idea - it is widely believed it can be dangerous to try to wake a sleepwalker - a fact which was used as defence in an unusual murder case detailed on the show.

American Scott Falater claimed he was asleep when he stabbed and drowned his wife and said he was not even awake when he tried to cover his tracks by washing himself and hiding his clothes.

His explanation was rejected by the jury and he was jailed but watching what some people get up to in the night, you can understand why the case gripped America's imagination.

So next time your partner steals the duvet, snores and tries to roll you out of bed, just be grateful that's all they're up to.

Published: 18/06/2004