After a decade of tear-jerking makeovers, cultural conversations and unwavering authenticity on Netflix’s Queer Eye, Jonathan Van Ness is turning toward a new chapter, one rooted in community, wellness and a little bit of much-needed rest. As the beloved series comes to a close, Van Ness is wasting no time diving into his next project: a digital wellness special titled “Sleep with JVN,” debuting exclusively on Patreon this Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
The special marks Van Ness’s first long-form premium release on the platform, which already serves as the home of their popular podcast, Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness. That show, known for its mix of humor, heartfelt honesty and expert-backed self-improvement, continues to attract a dedicated audience, but Sleep with JVN aims to go even deeper.
Addressing the Wellness Challenges So Many Face
In the new special, Van Ness brings together three wellness professionals to explore an issue that affects nearly everyone, but especially those navigating the stress of the holiday season: sleep. After years of filming, touring and balancing multiple creative projects, Van Ness has been candid about their own challenges with getting enough rest and nurturing their body.
The goal? To create a free, accessible resource focused on community support, practical tools and small shifts that can make a big difference.
Van Ness stated, “This episode of our Patreon, this special, is about sleep. It’s about how we can connect to sleep better. If we’re not getting good sleep, we’re not going to show up in the world the way that we want to. Sleep is just such an important part of our overall daily wellness journey that we don’t focus on a lot, or at least I don’t.”
The special features expert guidance from a behavioral sleep specialist, a sound and meditation practitioner and a reiki and yoga instructor. Van Ness learns and practices techniques in real time, methods viewers can use to better their own routines.
Some of the top tips teased ahead of the release include:
- Reserve your bed for the three R’s: rest, relaxing and “rolling in the hay.”
- Try a sensory underload: tools like eye masks, sound baths and ambient frequencies can calm the mind and help prepare the body for sleep.
- Treat yourself in bed: upgrade pillows, try cooling sheets and consider a weighted blanket, typically ideal at about 10% of your body weight.
A Wellness Journey Rooted in Radical Transparency
Van Ness has long been open with fans about their wellness journey, from living with HIV to rebuilding life after addiction. More recently, they’ve spoken about GLP-1 treatments and how those therapies have supported their relationship with their body.
This special continues that tradition of honest, accessible conversation. Through humor, curiosity and vulnerability, Van Ness uses Sleep with JVN to explore the tension many people feel between “trending” wellness advice and information that’s truly useful.
Van Ness admits, “There is so much good information in things that are trending, and also, there’s just too much trending stuff. It’s hard to dissect what’s worth spending my time on and what’s not worth spending my time on. I’m getting better and really trying to create a space where people aren’t worn out by learning, but are empowered by information and use that information to make themselves better.”
Building a Community, Not Just an Audience
Van Ness’s Patreon community has grown steadily, offering supporters exclusive vlogs, bonus podcast episodes, behind-the-scenes content from Queer Eye and JVN Hair, live Q&As and candid conversations with leaders in politics, wellness and entertainment.
“It’s a community where I’m focusing on learning to do things better, whether that’s work-life balance, finances, mental health, physical health, [or] understanding the world around me,” Van Ness explains.
With Queer Eye concluding, Sleep with JVN signals a new phase, one that gives fans deeper access to Van Ness’s personal growth and evolving interests. It also arrives at a perfect moment, as many people search for ways to manage holiday stress and set intentions for the new year.
The special will be available Nov. 21 at 9 p.m. ET on Patreon, with Van Ness hinting that more wellness-focused digital projects may follow. For longtime fans, Sleep with JVN offers something familiar yet new: the same heart, humor and humanity, this time aimed at helping everyone get a better night’s rest.
