Grey’s Anatomy Star Justin Chambers has spoken out for the first time about his battle with exhaustion, describing his condition as "a biological sleep disorder".

The 37-year-old actor checked himself into Los Angeles’ UCLA Medical Center in January (08) for treatment after a period of getting only one hour of sleep each week.

Chambers tells American magazine People, "I suffer from a biological sleep disorder. Your body is tired but your mind keeps racing. You lie down and then you get up and pace, and then you lie down but you can’t fall asleep.

"It’s like a dog chasing its tail. You get to your wits’ end. I went a good two months without really sleeping.

"So a specialist I had been working with referred me to UCLA. They gave me (medication) in a private room with a connection to the outside, and I slept. Two days there was perfect."

But the low-key father-of-five found himself splashed all over the tabloids when pop superstar Britney Spears was admitted to the same hospital days later in a media frenzy.

He adds, "It would have been private had Britney Spears’ spotlight not spread on me. It’s enough to handle with my family. I don’t need people speculating about issues I’m dealing with."

Following his hospital stay, Chambers is now getting a lot more sleep: "I get six or seven hours of sleep a night. I’m not someone who requires a lot of sleep."