Weighted blankets have soared in popularity over the past decade and they often promise better sleep. What exactly dose the evidence say and for what practical purposes can these products be useful? In this episode, we will:Review the nervous system pathways for perceiving touch and pressureDescribe how pressure has a calming effect on the body via parasympathetic system activationExplore the origins of more widespread weighted blanket use in the autism and sensory integration communitiesWeigh the available research concerning weighted blankets and sleep/insomniaDiscuss theories on why weighted blankets might exert their effectsTouch upon other conditions that weighted blankets might help treatProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

A simple piece of cloth over the eyes can have a powerful effect of the quality on an individual's sleep. The evolution of the sleep mask has been profound and the available literature of their effectiveness, particularly in the hospital setting has be extensively studied. In this episode we will:Outline the effects of sleep masks on sleepReview the large body of evidence supporting the use of sleep masks in hospitalized patientsList the specific medical populations that have been shown to benefit from eye masksExplore the positive impact of eye masks of circadian sleep disordersExamine a study linking eye masks and episodic learning/memoryDiscuss the improvement of sleep in pregnant women who wear sleep masksDifferentiate the various types of masks that are available for individuals to choose fromProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Picking the right mattress and pillow is important. Choosing the right material that goes over your mattress is equally essential. Bedding materials come in many forms and they can make a difference in your sleep experience. In this episode we will:Look at the research about bedding and disease modificationUnderstand the temperature-regulating properties of various fabricsExplore cotton as a bedding material and how the addition of performance fibers can enhance the cooling properties of the materialEvaluate linen as a bedding material and learn how newer forms can help is become a cooler fabric while retaining the properties that make if feel more upscaleProvide an overview of polyester, perhaps the fabric with the biggest quality range in the bedding spaceConsider silk and how it might be the best fabric for sensitive skin or for people with certain dermatological conditionsDiscuss the cooling nature of bamboo and its low impact on the environmentLargely ignore flannel as a bedding abominationTouch upon Tencel and its unique textural propertiesProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

It's hard to find insomnia without a healthy dose of fear or anxiety. Few individuals make an appointment to see a sleep specialist only to let them know that the situation is no big deal and frankly enjoyable.  Fear not only plays a huge role in the development and worsening of insomnia, it also offers an insight into a potential solution. In this episode we will:Review the incidence of anxiety in this country and the percentage of individuals diagnosed with anxiety who also have insomniaDefine anxiety and how it works in insomniaLook at the role fear plays both in insomnia and how it functions as a central target in CBTiConsider how some aspects of CBTi can often create fear as well as alleviate itLook at the insomnia cycle within social media and popular media and how it creates its own fearUnderstand the role of fear and the fear response amplitude within our neural circuitry as a potential risk factor for developing insomniaProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The research on sleep and cell phone use is negative and there is an overwhelming amount of it. The negative impacts on sleep affect all age groups and demographics. While the impact on mood, memory, and attention is clearly sizable, the impact on sleep exists independently from these effects.  In this episode we will:Examine the effects of cell phone use in three populations: adults, college-age students, and adolescents/school-aged childrenDetermine the scope of cell phone use at bedtime and beyondMeasure the impact phone use has on sleep, including sleep onset, sleep quality, and sleep amountList the features of phone use at night that may explain the detrimental effectsReview the impact curtailing cell phone use at night can have one sleepProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

While brain fog has been described in many contexts, its incidence has soared since Covid. While the existence  of brain fog is clearly real, its lack of clear definition and delineation from similar disorders does inject diagnostic and therapeutic confusion into the clinical setting. In this episode we will:Offer elements central to the definition of brain fogTouch upon the demographics and incidence of the disorder, with particular attention to CovidReview the history of the disorderLook at theories related to the pathophysiology of brain fogEvaluate the interplay of sleep and brain fogDiscuss the development of a brain fog assessmentList some potential brain fog interventionsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

If catathrenia (Episode 30) is the parasomnia that bothers everyone except the sleeper, exploding head syndrome (EHS) is the parasomnia the only bothers the sleeper, and very much so at that. Imaging being awakened by a sound so loud and dreadful that you awaken certain that you are about to die. In this episode we will:Define exploding head syndromeReview the key characteristics of the parasomniaExplore the history and legend of EHSExamine the demographics of the disorderUnderstand the incidence and age range of the parasomniaMention theories that might explain its underlying causeDiscuss potential treatment optionsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

In 2023, the Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an 82-page advisory entitled, "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" and it details the health consequences of social isolation and lack of social support. In the report, sleep was specifically highlighted as an aspect of health affected by social isolation. This highlights an important connection and potentially and avenue of insomnia treatment. In this episode we wilLDefine loneliness and social isolationExamine the scope and trajectory of the problemList contributors including Covid and personal electronics/social mediaUnderstand the role of social isolation in insomnia and how data supports the linkEvaluate the role of work/workplace environment on sleep through the lens of social isolationProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Happy new year! It's 2024 and with a new year comes resolutions to join a gym and get into shape. The podcast has explored exercise and sleep relationships before, but is there a benefit to lifting weights? In this episode we will:Touch on current gym use statisticsRevisit the impact sleep has on weight training, recovery, and athletic gainsDetail the impact on specific strength training exercises and sleepUnderstand the impact of weight training on sleep quality and depression indicesLook at research showing sleep apnea improvement in individuals who weight trainProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Another year calendar year of the Sleep Unplugged podcast has come to a close. With the escalation in podcast popularity soaring, the 2023 Sleepy Awards seem all the more important and exciting.  It's fun to sing the praises of these special sleep colleagues as 2023 comes to a close. Join me as we celebrate some of the brightest stars within the field of sleep.The 2023 Sleepy Award winners are:Social Media Warrior                    Dr. Funke Afolaby-Brown (@restfulsleepmed) Sleep Outsider Award                  Tommy Tucker (@ttuckerwwl) Sleep Vanguard Organization   MyFitnessPalSleep Sports Organization          Oklahoma City Thunder Sleep Podcast of The Year          Talking Sleep (AASM/Dr. Seema Khosla)Best Insomnia Advice                    Dr. Jade Wu (@dr_jade_wu)Book of the Year                               Sleep To Heal: 7 Simple Steps to Better Health                                                                                            Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante)                                                                     Charlotte Jensen (@author.char.jen)                  Sleep Crusader Award                 Julie Flygare  (@remrunner)Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Throughout the podcast, we have shone a light on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, but the lesser known (and less common central sleep apnea) has gotten little attention. In this episode, we will: Define central sleep apnea Differentiate central apnea from obstructiveUnderstand the mechanisms that create central apneaDescribe how obstructive and central apneas differ both physiologically as well as how they are differentiated diagnosticallyContrast the forms of central sleep apnea seen in adults and childrenList the various types and causes of central sleep apneaReview the treatments of central sleep apneaProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Sleep trackers are everywhere and depending on the voice you are listening to, they are either the secret to hacking your sleep or worthless pieces of plastic on your wrist. The world of consumer sleep trackers is vast and confusing. In this episode we will:Discuss the basics of monitoring sleepUnderstand the role of surrogates in the measurement of sleepExamine the history of research actigraphy devices and their evolution to become the first generation of sleep wearablesFollow the development of second generation devices and the expansion of the parameters they measuredOutline the uses for these devicesDive into the strengths and limitations of these devicesLook at what current research has to say about these devicesList the problems with this technology in the marketplaceProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Apple TV (not Max as stated in my episode) has a new show about two friends with Insomnia called Still Up. It is another example of the media portraying sleep disorders, but how accurate is the depiction, More to the point, is it a helpful perspective or does it simply perpetuate harmful ideas and stereotypes? In this episode we will:Consider the role media plays in illustrating, explaining, and sensationalizing insomnia.Explore the use of sleep disorders like insomnia and narcolepsy for comedic effect. Examine the role media plays in terms of disseminating good diagnostic and treatment information for sleep disorders.Review research that evaluates trends in narcolepsy portrayal in the mediaDiscuss Still Up in terms of accuracy and helpfulness in terms of a insomnia portrayal.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Within the world of sleep disorders, there is often confusion surrounding disorders that feature nocturnal food consumption. These disorders share many similarities, but their distinctions are worth understanding. In this episode we will:Describe the disorders of nocturnal eatingCharacterize the incidence of these conditionsList the comorbid diagnoses often seen with these disorders including eating disordersDefine nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NSRED) and night eating syndrome (NES)Differentiate these disorders based upon consciousness/volitional eating and the characterizations of the eatingReview the diagnostic criteria for eachTouch upon theories behind these disordersList treatment optionsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The Sleep Unplugged podcast is here to ease your holiday shopping stress with some of my favorite sleep product companies. In this episode, we will explore a host of sleep-themed gift ideas and product recommendations. many with unique discount codes for their purchases. In this episode, we will feature the following products:Ayo circadian lightingBeadgear pillows and linensBearaby weighted blanketsEberjay pajamas Hest travel pillowLumi cold water recovery tankManta sleep maskQuietOn sleeping earbudsSaunaBox home wet/steam saunaSleepys pillows and pillow insertsSwanwick blue-blocking glasses and lighting solutionsThe Sleep Solution/The Rested Child booksWithings ScanWatch Horizon sleep/fitness watchzDen personal/pet sleep environment*I have no financial relationship with the companies listed above but may have received products to trial/demo. I am a paid consultant for Mattress Firm which owns Sleepys.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

It can be hard to wake up. For some people, it is almost impossible. Sleep inertia is the medical term of an inability to awaken in the morning. In this episode we will:Define sleep inertiaDescribe how sleep inertia interacts with our homeostatic and circadian drivesUnderstand the occupational hazards of sleep inertiaPostulate what function sleep inertia might serveReview the symptoms of sleep inertiaList the causes of sleep inertia Touch upon the Sleep Inertia QuestionnaireLook at potential sleep inertia treatmentsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

A relatively new frontier of medicine is the exploration of the gut microbiome and its relationship to our body's functioning, health, and susceptibility to disease. The gut-brain axis represents a relatively strong relationship between the gut microbiome and our body's ability to function properly, and it has been proposed that this relationship influences sleep and risk for insomnia. In this episode we will:Define the gut microbiomeExplore the beginnings of its suspected role in neurological functioning and sleepList the three proposed pathways by which the gut microbiome interacts with the nervous systemEvaluate the role that the gut microbiome plays in terms of regulating our circadian rhythm via gene expression of the gut biome's own circadian patternsDiscuss metabolic linkages between the gut microbiome and why disruption can increase the chances of metabolic syndromeLook ahead toward gut biome-based therapies for insomniaProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Saunas and cold-water tanks are everywhere in their personal fitness and recover space. These modalities have also been linked to improving sleep parameters, but is there any science behind the claims? In this episode, we will:Examine the use of sauna therapy and cold-water immersion (CWI) in elite athletics, and the relative adoption rate for both.Discuss the literature linking sauna/heat therapy with improved health and longevity, particularly in the cardiovascular space, but also emerging in the cognitive health space.Define hormesis and link it to these therapiesExplore the role of sauna therapy as an exercise mimetic, and how that can act to explain the health benefits as well as the sleep benefits of sauna therapy.Link sauna therapy to inflammatory and immune modulationTouch upon other potential pathways that sauna therapy could benefit sleepClarify the confusion about cold water therapy timing and sleepReview evidence from research showing CWI therapy earlier in the day improving slow wave sleep and reducing sleep latencyProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

One of the most common questions I am asked about sleep is, "What are the adverse health consequences of inadequate sleep?"  While I am quick to answer something related to cardiovascular or cognitive health, physical injury is not one that comes to mind immediately, but new evidence suggests it should. In this episode, we will:Discuss sleep mechanisms that might relate to increased injuryInvestigate how inadequate sleep may influence the immune system and inflammatory processes of the bodyFocus on cognitive changes, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, that might lend to an increased risk of injuryTouch upon concentration and focus impairments as supplemental aspects leading to increased injury riskReview data within athlete, adult, high school, and juvenile populations that show increased injury risk in sleep deprived individualsOutline steps that can be taken to address sleep and injury risk factorsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Perhaps the most common sleep disorder in the world is sleep talking. It most likely affects at least half of all individuals at some point in their life. With the condition being this common, there are still many misunderstandings about sleep talking. In this episode we will:Define sleep talking as a parasomniaReview the incidence of sleep talking, the hereditary nature, and how it changes over timeDifferentiate it from taking during REM sleepList the risk factors for somniloquyCategorize disorders that may lead to sleep talkingTouch upon treatment for somniloquyProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The perinatal sleep experience is often talked about in less than glowing terms. It's often a situation that is cannot be helped, it simply must be endured.  In this episode, we will:Look at the common changes that occur during the pregnancy period, trimester by trimesterReview the incidence of sleep disturbances in all pregnant individualsContrast the incidence of sleep disturbances in women with psychiatric diagnoses versus women without psychiatric disordersExamine how increased sleep as well as decreased sleep during pregnancy can be predictive of depression and psychotic episodes respectivelyEvaluate some common perinatal sleep mythsEpisode Written by Maeve WinterProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that we have discussed frequently on this podcast. It's also a disorder that can have its origins in other sleep and medical disorders.  Many disorders can masquerade as simple insomnia, and knowing the true underlying cause can be the difference between solving a medical mystery and suffering needlessly. In this episode, we will:Differentiate between primary and secondary insomniaReview the medications that often disrupt sleepBreakdown the reasons sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy can confound medical providers as it pertains to insomniaTouch on paroxysmal disorders like epilepsy/seizures and migraine and how they can be mistaken for insomniaSpotlight menopause and pregnancy as an insomnia pretenderLook at the sleep consequences of neurocognitive disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseaseShowcase pain and itching as unusual causes of insomnia-like behaviorTalk about gastrointestinal disorders like gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowl syndromeSprinkle in several other medical problems that can behave like insomniaProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The promise of youth eternal is ubiquitous, and is often related to some new sleep intervention. When it comes to dialing back the years, what is fact and what is fiction? In this episode we will:List the sleep variables most commonly manipulated to improve health and longevityUnderstand the relationship between the sleep, testosterone, and cortisol and its impact on insulin and endocrinological healthRevisit exercise and sleep as it pertains to longevityTouch upon lighting and how it relates to sleep and longevityReview digital technology's role in sleep and healthFinish with the relationship between deep sleep/slow wave sleep and longevityProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

We have touched upon REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) in many episodes of the podcast, but it's never been the star. An individual acting out their dreams can be distressing, and understanding the disorder has many layers. In this episode we will:Describe the features of RBD and what it clinically looks likeList the characteristics of the disorder and how it fits into the parasomnia familyReview the incidence based upon ageDifferentiate primary (idiopathic) from secondary RBDTouch upon conditions that mimic RBD and why differentiating these is importantReview treatment optionsDiscuss the relationship between a diagnosis of idiopathic RBD and its predictive value related to neurodegenerative disordersOutline how clinicians should handle the sensitive nature of this condition when speaking to patientsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

It's that time of the year again...football season. With the excitement building as rivalries renew both at the collegiate and professional level, it seems an appropriate time to look at the sleep through the lens of the sport of American football. In this episode we will:Preface the episode by considering the first athletic trainer in history, James Robinson of HarvardExplore some of the early research looking as sleep and football player/team performanceDissect the controversy regarding the actual risk of sleep disordered breathing in American football playersDifferentiate the differences between professional football sleep and collegiate sleep both in and out of seasonTouch upon the evidence for increased injury in underslept playersLook ahead to innovative programs designed to manage the sleep of football players both active and retiredProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

It's hard to have a full conversation about insomnia without bringing up the topic of anxiety, the most common psychiatric diagnosis in the world.  Treating insomnia often means addressing anxiety. In this episode, we will:Introduce the concept and history of anxiety and sleepList the factors that along with anxiety, often influence sleepThink about the underlying mechanisms that relate sleep to anxietyDissect the bidirectional relationship between sleep quality and anxietyReview the initial sleep interventionsExplore the use of novel mechanisms for refractory anxiety/insomniaProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The link between sleep and memory has been a compelling area of research for many years. New theories about the specific relationship between sleep and memory have recently emerged that reveal much about the roles that sleep plays in this process. In this episode we will:Touch upon the history of sleep and memory studiesReview the discovery of the glymphatic system and how it is not only involved in cognitive health but also influenced by sleepLearn how slow wave sleep/deep sleep primes our brains to learningDifferentiate the solidification/activation of memory by deep sleep versus the linkage and solidification of sleep by REM sleepContrast declarative hippocampal memory storage via slow wave sleep and implicit memory stored outside the hippocampusExplore various rodent and human models for studying memoryIntroduce the technique and science behind Targeted Sensory ReactivationProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Within the field of sleep science, there are few questions asked more frequently than, "How much sleep do we need?" While the answer eight hours seems to make the rounds in the media (and anything less would appear to be cause instant harm or even death), what is the answer? Is the question even answerable? In this episode we will:Evaluate how age is constantly influencing sleep needList other factors affecting sleep amount for an individual including sleep quality, activity level, previous sleep deprivation, pregnancy and illnessExplore the inherent difficulties in applying epidemiological sleep data to individual sleepersLook at the data rejecting the idea that 8 hours is the ideal amount of sleep for adults Define the "J curve" commonly seen in studies exploring optimal sleep amountsUnderstand how sleep behaviors need can be easily mislead in terms of indicators of average sleep needTouch upon how individuals who can get by better with inadequate sleep may misinterpret this as being a healthy practiceProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Information and advice about better sleep comes from more individuals and sources than can be counted. In our current era of "fake news," it can be difficult to determine is the sleep advice or science behind what you are seeing or reading is legitimate. In this episode we will:Differentiate between misinformation, disinformation, and bullshitLook at examples of each and work towards understanding their motivations and how they can be spotted and correctedExplore the consequences of the spread of bad/harmful information, and how current media factors can accelerate the dissemination of false informationList the characteristics of information that spreads quicklyApply epidemiological tools to social media and the spread of bad informationEvaluate the factors that lend themselves to the spread of bad medical informationConsider how intuition and deliberation affect our ability for comprehensive reasoning and detection of bad informationReview remedies to help improve the situation and reduce the spread of incorrect medical informationProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

One often overlooked strategy to improve sleep and manage insomnia is to employs bedtime rituals. While most think of these as activities designed to help kids go to sleep easier, their science is deeply rooted in our sleep health. In this episode we will:Revisit the idea of circadian rhythms and why they are important for sleep health and sleep timingDefine the concept of a zeitgeber and how they work to strengthen the effectiveness of our circadian rhythm and its predictive abilityUnderstand the concept of weak and strong zeitgebers and how they relate to the actions that make up our bedtime routinesExamine common bedtime rituals and their relationship to known zeitgebersTouch upon light as historically the strongest/most influential zeitgeberDifferentiate the health (and sleep) benefits of exercise from the circadian benefits and understand how evening exercise could capitalize on both in a bedtime ritualEvaluate stress (and alleviating stress) as an unexpected zeitgeberRevisit the concept of temperature as a zeitgeber and how its mechanism in humans is not entirely clearIntroduce the food entrainable-oscillator (FEO) and how it relates to food as a zeitgeberEnd on more unusual potential zeitgebers like music, and the research supporting themProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The phenomenon of dreaming is an endless fascinating topic for many individuals, and the concept of lucid dreaming is a never-ending source of interest. What is lucid dreaming and what potential does it hold? In this episode we will:Define the concept of lucid dreamingExplore the history of the practice from its roots in ancient Hindu and Buddhist practices, to its first description by AristotleFollow the changing characteristics that define lucid dreaming from its first scientific description in 1931 (when the term lucid dreaming was coined) to the presentTouch upon seminal research exploring ways of communicating and studying the lucid dreamer and their worldList the various techniques for inducing lucid dreams including reality testingReview research studying befits of lucid dreaming applicationProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Over the last several decades, there has been a heightened interested in alternative therapies for sleep disorders, and the practice of yoga as a sleep solution has been frequently investigated. In this episode we will:Define yoga and outline its fundamental philosophyExplore why yoga might be uniquely situated to improve sleep parametersReview research studies exploring yoga and enhanced sleep parametersSubdivide sleep studies exploring yoga nidra or the practice of yogic sleepLook at research exploring yoga in the /pregnant/prenatal populationOutline yoga practices within the elderly/institutionalized populationEvaluate yoga as a pain-mediating intervention and determine what that means in terms of sleepTouch upon yoga as a technique for mitigating restless leg syndromeMention yoga as a therapy within the cancer treatment spaceProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

An important subset of parasomnias is sexsomnias--sexual behaviors that arise at night with little or no memory reported from the person involved. In addition to being disruptive to sleep, these behaviors bring with them heightened physical, emotional, and in some cases legal consequences. In this episode we will:Introduce and define sexsomniasExplore the relative short history of this behavior in medical literatureCharacterize was types of behaviors are seen in sexsomniasList the groups of individuals who are at risk for these behaviorsExamine the unique features of sexsomniasDescribe the numerous medical risk factors for sexsomniasProvide solutions and tips for individuals struggling with sexsomniasProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

One of the biggest misunderstandings in medicine is the differences between sleepiness and fatigue. Add to this poorly defined terms like "tired" and "exhausted," and you have the makings for not only utter confusion, but also the basis for misdiagnoses and treatments that miss the mark completely. In this episode we will:Provide a research background examining the confusion between the terms sleepy and fatiguedAttempt to define sleepiness and fatigue and provide a physiological and behavioral foundation for their characterizationsEvaluate the misuse of the term fatigue in literature regarding excessive daytime sleepinessUse research to characterize the unique intermediate positioning of the word "tired" in scientific explorations of sleepiness and fatigueLearn how the lack of a "gold standard" for fatigue evaluation has contributed to the problemRevisit the Epworth Sleepiness Scale as the de facto standard for quantification of sleepiness and its intrinsic shortcomingsDiscuss ways in which failure to properly characterize sleepiness or fatigue can lead to diagnostic and treatment delays and errorExpand upon the multitude of fatigue causes and how primary medicine often stops far short of an exhaustive search for an underlying cause of an individual's fatigueLink specific sleep and psychological factors to elements of sleepiness and fatigueProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The five senses are our brain's main way of collecting information about our immediate environment. They have a powerful effect on our moods, cognition, and the way we experience the world. They are also integral to the way we sleep and deal with insomnia. I recently met Gretchen Rubin and read her latest book Life in Five Senses. In this episode, we will explore heightening and honing our five senses as a portal for improving our sleep and managing insomnia. In this episode we will:Discuss visualization and rehearsal as a means to relax and combat insomniaExplore the creation of an Auditory Hypnotic playlist and how curating music/songs that relax you can be a helpful tool to set the stage for improved sleepReview the current data on white noise and its effects on sleep outcomesDiscuss smell and olfaction as a tool for sleepEvaluate different novel smells and their relative effects on sleep and insomniaRevisit tart cherry juice and other pre-bedtime drinks as a way to establish routine via tasteIntroduce the concept of "sleep-touch" and review a recent study about how it effects the sleep of couplesProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

There has been an explosion of research looking at relationships between one's proximity to nature and sleep. During the Covid pandemic, this research seemed more pressing than ever and rates of disordered sleep and mental health problems soared. In this episode, we will:Review the research linking improved sleep parameters and access to nature/green spacesList the potential sleep related benefits being in or around nature may createEvaluate the categories of benefit related to nature exposure proposed by Markevych: reducing harm, restoring capacities, and building capacitiesHighlight CO2 reduction as a harm reduction method for improving sleepConsider tress and canopy exposure as a separate harm reduction pathwayExplore the role of nature on mental health and its interplay with sleepTouch upon the ways in which green spaces can facilitate physical activity and social cohesionLook specifically at green space research as it relates to children and teensProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Perhaps the biggest single influence on your sleep is the surface that you sleep on. Choosing a mattress is a process that combines personal preference, but also an emerging body of science. In this episode, we will talk to our first guest and producer of the show Maeve Winter about her quest to find the perfect mattress for her and her boyfriend. In this episode, we will:Discuss how one uses their current sleep experience to inform how they choose their mattressIdentify what factors matter in terms of mattress selectionReview the research about firmness and temperature and how they can improve overall sleep qualityTouch upon other factors that may be important to individuals buying a mattress: construction, materials, size, and motion-suppression , and costSummarize the process of going to a Mattress Firm locally, and how the uniformity of working with a Sleep Expert allows two individuals in different locations to "shop" together.*Dr. Winter has a financial relationship with Sleep.com and Mattress Firm. The content, opinions, and views in this podcast reflect his own opinions and not those of Sleep.com or Mattress Firm. Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The 2023 SLEEP meeting just concluded in Indianapolis where the greatest sleep minds come together and share the amazing academic and scientific projects and research they have been working on. I was on the ground in Indianapolis and wanted to share with you some of the more noteworthy research and data that is came out of the meeting. In this episode we will:Look at research related to the subjective impression of sleep quality and how it relates to sleep stagesExamine how circadian misalignment in kids tends to predict more food consumption even when sleep time is held constantFind out how lucid dreaming could be utilized as a potential treatment for nightmare disorderDetermine how factors related to male college students and sleep might be predictive of other problematic behaviors like alcohol useReview associations between sedentary behavior and insomnia severityTouch upon the role of sleep hygiene and couple dynamicsExplore equity and discrimination as a factor leading to poor sleep health and qualityAnswer the questions as to whether or not it is better to athletically train in the afternoon or evening as a young athleteReflect upon what we have learned from the pandemic in terms of sleep, working from home, etc.Look ahead toward hybrid models for clinical CBTi delivery and how they may hold the key to improving patient outcomesProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

While we discussed sleeping pills on episode 11 of the podcast, there is a lot of unfinished business here. A recent conversation with a distinguished and highly educated colleague about sleeping pills made me question my practice and the practices of many providers.  In this episode we will:Examine the role of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia patients who do not have the resources, time, or interest in participating in the therapyExplore the differences in sleep clinics in terms of the demand for these medications. Are these drugs mainly a tool for primary care doctors or do sleep medicine specialist rely on them as a part of their insomnia toolbox?Review the data on the newest family of hypnotics, the orexin receptor antagonists, in particular their effects on sleep latency and decreasing wake time after sleep onset (WASO)Discuss the absolute lack of evidence linking any changes seen in sleeping pill sleep use and improved health/performance in their usersTouch upon the proper/ethical ways in which hypnotic data should be shared with patients who are using these drugs. If a drug is helping someone who "cannot sleep" to sleep through the night, what does it mean to withhold this data?Accepting that these medications may change sleep in very small but statistically meaningful ways, how are we as providers supposed to square these changes with the very different problems our patients bring to our clinic.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The media loves to talk about sleeping naked. The topic carries just enough taboo to make it irresistible to readers. Given that up to a third of adults sleep in the buff, is there any real science to supports its sleep and health benefits? In this episode we will:Examine current research about the metabolic effects of sleeping in cooler temperatures and how being naked might support these theoriesPostulate how sleeping naked/in a cooler environment could increase brown fat composition leading to increased metabolism, weight loss, and better glycemic control/lower diabetes riskRevisit the sleep benefits of colder temperatures (from Episode 25)Push back on the direct relationship between sleeping naked and healthier skinDiscuss the role of oxytocin on sleep, stress, and sleeping skin to skinTouch on the role of sleeping naked on vaginal healthDive into the idea that sleeping naked improved sperm counts and fertilityExplore the ways in which sleeping naked could lead to heightened self-esteem and body acceptanceDetermine if there is in fact evidence that sleeping naked promotes intimacyBriefly review potential cons of sleeping nakedProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Chronic pain is a disabling problem that could affect as many as 1 out of every 5 adult Americans. It is a costly and tragic collection of disorders that often has limited and disappointing treatment options. Could sleep be a central mediator of chronic pain?  Could it be a pathway for treatment? In this episode we will:Contrast the relationship between pain causing disturbed sleep with the condition of disturbed sleep itself causing painExamine study numbers showing the high incidence of disturbed sleep in patients with chronic painConsider that while many patients with disturbed sleep have concurrent depression, a much higher cohort complains of disturbed sleepRevisit a 2006 study I highlighted in my first book that shows increased pain indices following relatively trivial reductions in total sleep and REM sleepExtend this concept as it relates to high incidence of chronic pain in military veterans with sleep disorders/disturbancesView the relationship through the lens of a 2022 Harvard study confirming a relationship but stopping short of endorsing causationList ways in which sleep considerations could be utilized to improve pain conditionsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Now that lettuce water and melatonin spray has had their moments, mouth taping seems to be the latest sleep social media trend that everyone is talking about. What does the evidence say about the practice? Is it legitimately helpful? In this episode, we will:Examine the functions of the nose in the respiration process (filtering, humidification, etc.)Attempt to quantify the scope of nocturnal mouth breathing, both in the sleep apnea and non-sleep apnea populationRank to incidence of mouth breathing based upon sleep stageContextualize the role in increased nitric oxide via nasal breathingEvaluate the scope of sleep apnea and snoring improvement based upon mouth taping and how it relates to other treatmentsDiscuss the role of mouth taping and CPAP complianceTouch upon the role of mouth taping and oral healthBreak down the relationship between ADHD and mouth taping, and the influence of sleep-related breathing disturbances in this proposed relationshipGo through the list of considerations related to the practice of mouth tapingProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

It would be tough to argue that one of the most important factors that influence your sleep is right under your nose (literally, depending on what position in which you sleep). Our pillow plays a big role in our sleep comfort and quality. In this episode we will:Touch upon when kids should begin using pillows for their sleepLook at evidence suggesting that few people give deep consideration to their pillow and of those who do, the majority may still be making the wrong choiceList the various pillow fillings (feather, wool, latex, etc.) and their relative strengths and weaknessesDetermine which pillow types tend to create the most spinal supportLay out the factors that go into pillow fittingUnderstand the supportive and comfort goals of a well-fit pillowDive into the factors that tend to influence pillow purchasesDiscuss other uses of pillows besides head supportGo through some disorders that can be improved with proper pillow selection.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Our identity as either a good sleeper or a bad sleeper plays an outsized role in the development and persistence of insomnia in individuals. In this episode, we will:Explore the origins of our sleep identityList the common ways individuals decide whether or not they are "good sleepers"Introduce the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep (DBAS) Scale, and how its components offer insight into the dysfunctional thinking that often characterizes insomnia Contrast the use of the DBAS with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)Consider how the ESS helps to identify drive to sleep and what that means to have a high, or a low drive. Strategize how to use elements of the DBAS and the ESS to begin to construct a new foundation for sleep identity, an identity that is one of a good sleeper.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Maybe the Rush lyric should have been, "I've got no time for sleepin'" because a huge population of people in this world participate in some form of shift work, and it takes a heavy toll on sleep, health, and the bottom line of their employers. In this episode we will:Examine the inherent sleep deficit that comes with shift workDetermine how much sleep the average shift worker is losingDebunk the idea that staying on night shift actually creates a true biological adjustmentExplore the work-related consequences of shift work sleepinessHighlight the unequal 'double burden' women engaged in shift work assumeList the medical consequences of shift workDefine the medical disorder Shift Work DisorderEvaluate the countermeasures and interventions that can lessen the impact of shift workProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Everyone wants slow wave sleep, commonly referred to as deep sleep. It's the sleep of youthfulness. It's the sleep of performance. It's the sleep of recovery. It's the sleep through which growth hormone flows. Lots of things promise a deeper sleep, but what really delivers? In this episode we will:Revisit the reasons deep sleep is so important for optimal healthExamine the research behind exercise and deep sleepExplore the links between mindfulness and meditation and sleepDetermine if hydration plays a role in slow wave sleep enhancementLook at the surprising link between lavender and deep sleepUnderstand the role temperature plays in this process and why exercise my actually be utilizing body temperature as a pathway for its enhancement of deep sleepUntangle the complicated research looking at alcohol and its role as both an enhancement and degrader of deep sleepProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

In Episode 5 of the podcast, we explored the confusing entity of mild/borderline sleep apnea and the treatment confusion it causes. In this episode we look at the other end of the sleep apnea spectrum...severe sleep apnea where the only confusion is, "Why didn't your primary care doctor order a sleep study sooner?" In this episode we will:Define sleep apnea and learn how the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) helps us classify an individual's sleep apnea severityBriefly touch upon other metrics being considered to grade the severity of sleep apneaLook at sleep apnea through the lens of a recent patient who averaged 155.8 significant breathing disturbances/hour and understand what that means in terms of health and medical risk factorsExamine the process by which one slowly develops sleep apnea and ask the question, "Why, in the midst of elevated weight, high blood pressure, and/or diabetes do more doctors not order home sleep studies to screen for sleep apnea when it is a modifiable risk factor with massive potential for health benefit?"Understand how the concept of CPAP therapy "working" or "not working" needs to be clearly defined as different therapy modalities are considered.Examine Inspire therapy, understand what it entails, who is eligible, and how there is much more to consider than their advertisements seem to indicateCompare sleep apnea therapies and their strengths/drawbacksNote: I let an f-bomb slip in this episode…sorry to those offended by this.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

"I can't shut my mind off at night" is a very common refrain among insomnia patients. Is this a real phenomenon and if so, how does it relate to the disorder of insomnia.  In this episode we will:Review the cognitive role of mental hyperarousal in insomniaExplore how mental de-arousal is an integral part of managing insomnia Learn how insomnia patients raise their level of arousal as they approach bedtime and are often cued to do so by their sleep environment.Differentiate poor sleepers who often view their racing thoughts or inner monologue as an impediment to their sleep versus normal sleepers who do not. See mindfulness as the countermeasure to our culture's propensity to stress mental escalation while ignoring techniques for de-escalationList some methods, including the use of biofeedback devices, for practicing how to manage a racing mindTouch upon the idea that the "racing mind" is something to embrace, not fearProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Sleep tips are everywhere and the more 'surprising' the advice is, the better. While the majority of what is out there is helpful at its core, over time, these tips can distort the actual goal individuals have to develop not only healthy sleep practices, but a deeper understanding and sturdier relationship with sleep. To that end, it's important to dissect these ubiquitous instructions and figure out what they are really telling us. In this episode, we will: dive into why we are constantly ordering people to never be in bed awake, and how it can erode the positive feelings and impact resting can have in our lives.push back against techniques that promise faster sleepdispel the myth of fluid restriction at night and why hydration restriction is not only unhealthy, but also largely ineffectiveevaluate the idea that delaying caffeine intake scientifically reduces a mid-afternoon 'crash' and overlay his theories on the two-process model of sleep/wakefulnesslearn how going to bed at the same time every night might be unhelpful over timeexplore the idea of not watching television 2 hours prior to bed and why that is an impractical notion for most peopleunderstand why sleep hygiene alone is not likely to fix a significant sleep problembriefly touch upon the current fad of mouth taping, it's like of rigorous scientific backing, its academic opposition, and how medical trends (sometimes dangerous ones) are perpetuatedProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

In episode 26 of the podcast, we began a discussion about narcolepsy...what it looks like, how it's diagnosed, and why it's so often overlooked. Diagnosis is just the first hurdle as many patients are unaware of or simply not offered the best therapies for the disorder. In this episode, we will: touch upon theories of treating narcolepsy include non-medication therapieslist the major pharmaceutical therapiesdifferentiate the mechanism of actions among these medicationsoutline the drug strategies for managing narcolepsy symptoms including excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexylearn why so many patients are denied optimal therapy because of doctor's ignorance or insurance company denials/red tapebriefly touch upon the obstacles involved specifically in narcolepsy careProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

There is no chemical on the plant more tied to sleep disruption and wakefulness promotion than caffeine. As every research paper on the plant points out in the first sentence of the manuscript, caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world. The consumption of caffeine as spawned its own culture and massive business machine. In this episode we will:discover the history of caffeine research in sleeplearn about caffeine and the related methylxanthine chemicals theophylline and paraxanthineanalyze the antagonistic effects that caffeine has on adenosine signalingtouch upon the differential effects of caffeine based upon ageexplore the negative effects of caffeine on sleep including new research on its effects on REM sleepdetail the research looking at the timing of caffeine ingestion related to bedtime and how its effects may be more prolonged than most thoughtuncover the reality about the wakefulness effects of caffeine and the facts that predict it.break down the caffeine and performance findings of the International Society of Sports NutritionProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The explosion of both medicinal and recreational marijuana use (as well as its derivatives) has led to the obvious question: Does marijuana help an individual sleep better? If you pay attention to those who sell it, the answer seems to be a resounding yes...but is that true. In this episode we will:learn about marijuana and the chemical cannabinoids that are often proclaimed to be sleep-promotingunderstand that in many ways, using marijuana for insomnia is no different than other pills and its success leans heavily on how we measure sleep success...or how it "works"touch upon older research about marijuanalearn the differences between transient sleep effects and the sleep effects of long-term useexplore cultural conversations and myths about marijuana use, in particular that it's helpful in pregnancydiscover the misperceptions surrounding marijuana use in collegeuncover how the bottom line of some studies can be affected by pharmaceutical companies trying to develop novel sleep therapieslook ahead to potential therapies for conditions like REM behavior disorder and Restless Legs SyndromeProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Anyone who has traveled a significant distance has felt the effects of jet lag...the fatigue, the altered appetite, the sleep irregularities. The science of jet lag and sleep is topic of tremendous interest both scientifically and in popular culture. In this episode we will:Define jet lag and how it relates to the circadian rhythmExamine how jet lag can influence our general and cognitive health as well as cancer riskContrast the biological difference between eastward and westward travel and how they relate to circadian advances and delaysExplore the various ways jet lag can be mitigatedUnderstand the use of light exposure to lessen the impact of jet lag and how the timing of light relates to our body temperature curveLearn about the use of melatonin as a toll for jet lag mitigationTouch upon how caffeine and napping can be jet lag strategiesCharacterize the merits of hypnotics for travelDiscover the surprising relationship between fasting and jet lagConclude with the folly of alcohol as a jet lag strategyProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The link between cardiovascular health and sleep is beyond compelling and is probably the most researched topic related to sleep health. This has taken on greater meaning as studies show the cardiovascular health of all age groups is declining. Recently, the American Heart Association added Sleep Health to its 'Essential 8'--a collection of the meaningful steps individuals can take to improve their cardiovascular health and outcomes. But what constitutes the relationship between sleep health and cardiovascular health?  In this episode, we will:Introduce the American Heart Association's Essential 8, and how sleep health not only factors into the list, but directly affects the other seven items.Trace the long history of sleep being associated with coronary artery disease.Explore the relationship between sleep and stroke riskUnderstand the mechanisms of increased atherosclerotic plaque burden in people getting inadequate sleepLearn about the relationship between inadequate sleep and  elevated blood pressure/"non-dipping," and how sleep extension may improve those measurementsCharacterize the increased risk or arrhythmias in patients with sleep=related breathing disorders and their underlying mechanismsProbe the link between inadequate sleep and systemic inflammation and how these changes can be permanentTouch upon the topic of poor sleep and impaired glucose homeostasisConclude with looking at the confusing relationship between insomnia and cardiovascular diseaseProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Back sleeper, side sleeper, stomach sleeper...which is the best position for quality sleep? Body position is a popular topic in the media, but how much evidence is behind the recommendations? In this episode we will: Explore sleeping positions and our ability to perceive and control themBriefly touch upon considerations like facial wrinkling and glaucoma for which there is inconclusive evidenceRevisit how back sleeping in infants is thought about currently in the relationship to SIDS and infant sleeping safety (listen to episode 32 on co-sleeping for more information)Explore body position options for pregnant womenLearn about body position and joint painExamine the role that body position plays in GERD and the mechanism behind the recommendationsEvaluate the evidence for improved cardiovascular functioning based upon sleep positionCritique the 2015 study linking Alzheimer's disease risk to sleeping position and its relevance to humansTouch upon ways adults can improve sleep apnea, snoring, and GERD via sleeping position technology.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Clickbait title comments aside, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) is the scientific gold standard when it comes to insomnia therapy. It's effective and medical governing bodies and consensus statements lauding its benefits are too many to count...but what exactly is it? In this episode, we will:Learn about the overwhelming support for the use of CBTi for the treatment of insomniaList the various medical boards and governing bodies that support it and its overall efficacy ratesUnderstand why there is often reluctance to engage in the treatment and why the work involved often makes fad treatments seem appealingEvaluate why sleep education is generally felt to be the foundation of CBTiDefine cognitive restructuring and how thinking about sleep can reinforce positive and negative thoughtsLayout the tenets of stimulus control therapy and how they affect individuals with insomniaContrast the various methods of relaxation techniquesHighlight physician and clinicians with special training in CBTiProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

There are many controversial topics in the world of sleep. Not many spark more conversation and controversy than various forms of co-sleeping. In this episode we will:Define co-sleepingLearn about the various forms of co-sleeping: babies/children, pets, siblings, and spousesExamine the research about co-sleeping and SIDS as well as accidental deathLook at the various risk factors surrounding co-sleeping with babies Weigh the pros and cons of co-sleeping with petsTouch upon sibling co-sleepingConclude with the science behind couples co-sleeping and ways to mitigate the negative effectsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Perhaps no topic in sleep is more filled with more wild claims and unsubstantiated research than polyphasic sleep. The division of sleep into several distinct periods is not new. The question is, does it hold the key to enhanced health and performance? In this episode, we will:Define polyphasic and monophasic sleepLearn about the sleep of other animals and contrast their typical polyphasic sleep to the monophasic sleep of most humansFollow the history of polyphasic sleep through medieval times up through the Industrial Revolution.Explore specific types of polyphasic sleep including the Uberman Sleep Schedule and that followed by Buckminster FullerUnderstand how sleep cycles work and how increasing fragmentation can interfere with the health benefits of sleepConclude with the scientific recommendation concerning the health risks of polyphasic sleep practicesProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Individuals who moan or groan in their sleep are not uncommon...at least we think so. Catathrenia, the medical term for the disorder, is poorly studied and poorly understood. Despite the relative lack of public awareness, bedpartners everywhere are keenly aware of the disorder. In the episode we will:characterize catathrenia as a breathing disturbance (or parasomnia) distinct from snoring and sleep talking (somniloquy)revisit the initial description of the disorderconsider the consequences of nocturnal moaningdiscuss the qualities of the nocturnal vocalizations that distinguish catathreniaattempt to describe the characteristics of catathrenicslist the risk factors for and conditions associated with catathreniaevaluate potential treatments for the conditionProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Snoring is a common sleep problem that affects many individuals either directly or indirectly. There is a significant amount of confusion around the topic of snoring as it is often mentioned in the same breath with sleep apnea. Snoring is it's own entity with its own unique pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatments. In this episode you will:Glimpse at some historical perspectives of snoringLearn about the scope and demographics of those who snoreList the causes of snoring and where they exist anatomicallyExplore the risk factors for snoringEvaluate the numerous consequences both inside and outside of healthTouch upon the means of diagnosing snoringCompare the various treatments for snoringProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

In 1987, Arthur Spielman put forth a model for understanding insomnia that came to be known as the 3-P Model. It laid out the progression of the disorders in 3 steps: Predisposing factors, a precipitating event, and perpetuating influences. In this Insomnia Monday episode of the podcast, we expand the model to include 9 "Ps" and explore each. In this episode, you will:Learn about the original 3-P model including predisposing factors for insomniaUnderstand how caregivers can preindoctrinate (or parent) in a way that increases insomnia likelihoodList common insomnia precipitantsExplore the crucial role panic plays in insomnia originationBriefly touch upon sleeping pills (for more information, listen to episode #11)See how one's perception of their insomnia impacts severity and influences treatmentTouch upon factors of perpetuation as well as looking at how insomnia in youth may predict insomnia in adulthoodRevisit pain and trauma in insomnia (Episode #6 covers this more thoroughly)Conclude with the consideration of pessimism and powerlessness as factors in insomniaProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

It has been a truly incredible year for the Sleep Unplugged podcast. In operation just over six months, the success of the podcast is both exciting and humbling. As we come to the end of the year, the podcast wants to  shine a light on some of the brightest stars within the field of sleep and give their work some much earned praise.This year's Sleepy Award winners are:Social Media Warrior           Dr. Anne Marie Morse (@DAMMGoodSleep)Best Insomnia Advice           Dr. Brandon Peters (@BrandonPetersMD)Sleep Outsider Award         Diane Macedo (@SleepFixMethod, @dianermacedo)Sleep Vanguard Organization   Philadelphia PhilliesBook of the Year                     The Power of the Downstate: Recharge Your Life Using                                                           Your Body's Own Restorative Systems                                                           Dr. Sara Mednick (@Sara_Mednick)                     Sleep Crusader Award       Dr. Karin Johnson   (@drsleepykarin)Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Given that approximately 1 in 2000 people in the United States has narcolepsy, and their symptoms are so dramatic, there is  a good chance you know someone with this disorder. Narcolepsy is fundamentally a debilitating, lifelong disorder of excessive sleepiness and sleep dysregulation. In this episode, we will:define narcolepsy and learn how it presents in individualstrace the pathophysiology of the chemical disorder related to orexin/hypocretin dysfunctionlist the 5 main diagnostic characteristics of the disorderdifferentiate the causes (hereditary, autoimmune) of narcolepsyoutline the diagnostic pathway and the pitfalls of narcolepsy testinglearn how diagnostic momentum applies to the diagnosis of narcolepsybriefly touch upon treatments (but will largely leave this for a future episode)Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

We have been dancing around this topic since pretty much the beginning of Sleep Unplugged.  Sleep and Menopause...Circadian Rhythms...Insomnia...even some of the products in the holiday gift guide referred to temperature, but why? What is the relationship between temperature and sleep? In this episode we will:Learn why humans and many animals display nesting behaviors designed to warm up prior to bedUnderstand the classic sleep research protocols exploring the "warm bath effect"Follow the process of sleep initiation and falling core temperature, and how this affects sleep quality, depth, and continuityContrast the core temperature changes with peripheral vasodilation during sleep initiation and how warming the distal extremities can hasten and improve sleepDefine the concept of a temperature gradient, and how that can be applied to distal and core temperatures, and how this influences sleep at various points in the processTouch upon theories about sleep and temperature regulation and how melatonin plays a role in both circadian light and circadian temperature regulationExplore the differences seen in body temperatures upon awakeningUse this information to better inform how we can manipulate temperature in our own environment to sleep betterProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

There may be no topic in sleep that is more studied yet often misunderstood than alcohol.  Even a casual overview of popular media is full of references relating alcohol and peaceful relaxation and easy sleep. Is there truth to this depiction? Can alcohol share a space with healthy sleep? In this episode we will:Examine the numbers of people using alcohol to help with sleep and insomniaExplore the neurotransmitters affected by alcohol intoxication and how they relate to the chemistry of sleepDetail the ways in which alcohol affects sleep architectureCompare the differences between the first and second halves of the night, and how they differ in relation to alcohol effectsContrast the differences between acute and chronic alcohol use on sleepFinds ways that alcohol can be enjoyed and its effects on sleep minimizedProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

When it comes to healthy sleep, plays a huge role. The discussion often vilifies light, in particular blue light, but is it always bad? In this episode we will:Discuss light's role in the regulation of our circadian rhythm and by proxy, sleep.Understand the anatomy of how light interacts with the eye/retina, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the pineal body, and eventually creates melatonin suppressionUnderstand how blue light came to be acknowledged as the fundamental light color of this processDifferentiate light quality and light intensity and further differentiate light intensity at the source (lumen) and destination (lux)Find out that even small amount of light or sustained light at night (LAN) can disrupt sleep and diminish healthExplore how lighting that capitalizes on these characteristics can promote sleep and also support wakefulness.Learn about products meant to diminish light and enhance lightTouch upon the practical/research implications of light pollution and light manipulation in novel environments (submarines)Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

With the holidays around the corner, I have reached out to my favorite sleep product companies as well as my favorite sleep experts to get product recommendations, discount codes, and all kinds of weighted blankets, ear plugs, cooling units, and sleep hoodies to try out. Buying gifts for people this time of year can be difficult, so I'm making it easy for you. Who wouldn't want a gift that encourages better sleep. In this podcast we will look at the following:Ayo circadian lightingBearaby weighted blanketsChilipad/DockPro bed cooling unitDēp Slēpwear cooling bed clothingDodow sleep/breathing deviceHatch sound machineMuse meditation device (Interaxon)Oura Ring sleep monitoring deviceOstrichpillow travel pillowPavlok shock alarmQuietOn sleeping earbudsSleepys with Reactex cooling pillowSomnox sleep robotSwanwick blue-blocking glassesThisWorks sleep sprayUmay digital eye relaxation techWithings ScanWatch Horizon sleep/fitness watch*I have no financial relationship with the companies listed above but may have received products to trial/demo.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Nutrition and food are big topics within sleep circles. What can I eat to support great sleep? In this episode we will:Learn about the amnio acid tryptophan and what food contain high levels.Debunk the myth that turkey contains high levels of tryptophan, and thus is the reason why you fall asleep after eating turkey on ThanksgivingOutline the steps in melatonin synthesis, beginning with tryptophan being facilitated by calcium and insulin levels in the bodyList the various enzymes and chemicals that catalyze the steps of melatonin synthesis, and the nutrients that support themHighlight foods that are sources of intrinsic melatonin, such as tart cherries, black walnuts, and almondsInvestigate GABA, potassium, and apigenin as chemicals outside of the melatonin synthesis pathway than can influence sleep.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

There is nothing in the realm of sleep medicine that creates more confusion (both among patients and providers) than paradoxical insomnia. Known by many terms over the years, paradoxical insomnia (or sleep state misperception) is at once common and rare, This is unfortunate because more awareness could improve the overall recognition and diagnosis or insomnia as well as improve treatment outcomes. In this episode we will:Review the definition and incidence of insomnia disorderExplore the inherent problems that result from patient sleep reporting (sleep latency, sleep duration, etc.)Describe the origins of sleep state misperception and how it was a natural outgrowth of the more widespread use and formalization  of the polysomnogramDefine paradoxical insomnia and detail the shortcomings of the definitionDifferentiate between a formal diagnosis of paradoxical insomnia and a patient who underestimated their sleep amount/overestimates sleep latencyLook at historical studies that first quantified the number of insomnia patients that underestimated their sleep amount and to what degreeDefine the Misperception Index (MI) and how it can be used to create a spectrum and diagnostic structure for paradoxical insomnia. List the risk factors and causes of paradoxical insomniaBriefly touch upon potential treatmentsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

On this special Halloween edition, we will wander into the dark and terrifying forest of nightmares and night terrors. In this episode, we will:Explore the origin of the term nightmareDifferentiate nightmares from bad dreams and learn what constitutes the diagnosis of nightmare disorderList other REM-related parasomnias besides nightmare disorder (like isolated sleep paralysis (Episode 16), REM Behavior Disorder, and catathreniaCharacterize the prevalence of nightmares and nightmare disorder as well as its risk factorsLook in depth at treatments in particular Image Rehearsal Therapy and the newer Targeted Memory Reactivation techniqueName medications sometimes employed in nightmare disorder therapyDefine night terrors and other non-REM-related parasomnias like sleep talking (somniloquy), sleepwalking (somnambulism), sleep-related eating disorder (SRED), and various sexsomniasCharacterize the prevalence of night terrors as well as their risk factorsReview treatments and best practices for these disordersProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Twice a year, daylight saving time takes center stage as we talk about it, worry about it, plan for it, and either rejoice or renounce its very existence. Now, as the United States government debates whether or not to legislate an end to the practice, let's take some time to explore the topic. In this episode we will:explore the origins of daylight saving time and its particularly unique history in the United Statesunderstand the reasons for not only implementing the practice of daylight saving time as well as the reasons why it has persisteddifferentiate the various aspects of daylight saving time and standard timetouch on the actual energy savings created (or not) by daylight saving timeprobe the public's sentiment for keeping DST or adopting permanent standard timeevaluate the health risks (and sleep risks) of the biannual changes (as well as a potential intrinsic risk of DST itself) and why we should adopt permanent standard timelist some possible strategies for lessening the impact of the transitionProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Has there ever been a topic more fraught with misunderstanding and misinterpretation than napping. Should we nap? Should we not nap? What if I can't nap? This episode will cover it all. In this episode we will:Understand how napping can benefit our health and performanceEvaluate how in some populations, excessive napping can be a marker of poor healthLearn how napping can be employed to supplement nocturnal sleep and repay sleep debtFind out the ideal way to structure the environment and timing of napsRecognize when napping may be a sign of poor health.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Almost half of all people will experience the terrifying feeling of awakening from sleep unable to move. Sleep paralysis has its roots deep in history and separating fact from lore is not always easy. this this episode we will:explore the history and mythology surrounding sleep paralysis, the night hag, incubus/succubus, and the origin of the term nightmarecontrast different cultural interpretations of sleep paralysis as well as the various treatments believed to ward off the conditionexplore the incidence of the disorder both as an isolated phenomenon as well as a chronic statedescribe the various ways in which it manifests in individualslist the risk factors and predisposing conditions for sleep paralysisdetail the neural pathways and highlight the neuroanatomy of the process and how it links to causes and risk factorsdiscuss treatment options and for whom they may be appropriateProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

When it comes to sleep, I'm not sure there a topic that frustrates more than waking up at night (sometimes referred to as sleep maintenance insomnia). The struggle to make it from bedtime to wake can be a long and tortuous journey for some.  In this episode we will:explore the history of sleep and nocturnal awakenings define the prevalence of nocturnal awakenings in the adult populationunderstand both the definition of arousal and its relationship to awakeningsinvestigate the concept of sleep efficiency, how it relates to sleep expectation versus sleep need, and how this itself can lead to increased awakenings at nightdetermine how the presence or absence of excessive sleepiness can help to understand the cause and seriousness of nocturnal awakeningslearn the risk factors and predictors that often lead to nocturnal awakeningsfind out that an individual's determination of the cause of their awakenings can be unreliablediscuss the role of sleep studies in determining if there are pathological causes for nocturnal awakeningsexplore the role of anxiety and worry in nocturnal awakeningssummarize the numerous studies that have shown the role of exercise in reducing both frequency and duration of nocturnal awakeningsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Even though circadian rhythms seem initially to be exclusively linked to our sleep, these primitive timing mechanisms reach back to virtually the dawn of life as we know it. Understanding circadian pathways lays the groundwork for not only understanding circadian disorders like jet lag and shift work, but also for understanding how to optimize our own health. In this episode we will:define circadian rhythmsunderstand the mechanisms in the nervous system that govern circadian rhythms and biological timingfind out about some of the early pioneers of circadian science and how their experiments helped to shed light on intrinsic rhythmslearn why human circadian rhythms are slightly longer than 24 hourslist the multiple systems within our bodies that depend on these rhythmsexamine research that indicates how harmful biological timing is to our health and the diseases/conditions they influencedetermine ways to optimize our own health through improved circadian schedulingProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a unique and relatively common sleep disorder that quietly affects the sleep of 15% of individuals (by some generous accounts). Despite its initial description dating back to 1672, it still remains somewhat of a mystery--suffered miserably by many but often missed as a sleep diagnosis. In this episode, we will:learn the unusual history of the multiple 'discoveries' of RLSgive an overview of the symptoms of RLS and the varied ways in which they are described and experienceddissect the diagnostic criteria of RLSdifferentiate primary RLS from secondary RLSlist the risk factors for RLS including low iron, pregnancy, and certain medicationsdiscuss the treatments (both medicinal and non) of RLS including weighted blanketsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The intersection of sleep and athletic performance, relatively speaking, is a new frontier. In the last two decades, the interest in how sleep optimization can improve achievement within sports has exploded. In this episode I will discuss:the history of how sleep has been looked at in sports and the earliest observations on the subjecthow I became interested and eventually involved with research in sleep and sportthe story behind my initial studies with Major League Baseball and travelthe topic of circadian advantage and how we measured it over ten years of Major League Baseball gameshow chronotype seems to impact the performance timing of elite athletesthe influence of sleepiness on athletic performance, success in a sport, and potentially longevity as an athleteother influential research and researchers in the fieldwhat it all means for not only professional sports organizations, but also the average athleteProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

As a sleep physician, I am constantly confronted with sleeping pills and the misunderstanding that seems to be inherent to their existence. While I do feel like there are specific instances where sleeping pills are helpful, I think the vast majority of sleep experts and behavioral sleep therapists would generally frown upon their use. In this episode, we will cover:why I feel sleeping pills are largely unnecessary, particularly given the fact that everyone sleeps (Episode 2)to whom these pills are marketed and how ad prey upon fear of sleeplessness as a means to create a market for their productthe surprisingly modest sleep improvement results (sleep latency, sleep efficiency) these medications produce and how these stand in direct opposition to what the average user thinks is happeningthe risk of sleeping pillshow the relevance of these promoted benefits is of unclear significancefailure of sleeping pill research to prove health or performance benefitsthe repetitive history of the sleeping pill cycle and how history has judged the fate of many that have come beforeProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

In January of 2015, I spent the night in a haunted hotel in Oklahoma City and wrote about the experience in The Huffington Post. That would begin a series of articles I called "Sleeping Around" where I explored unusual sleeping situations and what they could teach us about our own sleep.In 2020, I began working with Sleep.com to create content for their new website completely devoted to sleep and topics surrounding it.  One day, Sam Bennett, their senior vice president of marketing asked me what my dream sleep project would be. Easy. I want to make a film version of Sleeping Around.A few weeks later we were filming three episodes: a few days on the road with musical artist Shakey Graves, 24 hours with the Fort Worth Fire Department, and a night sleeping on a portaledge with professional Red Bull climber Sasha Digiulian. To mark the milestone of recording our tenth episode, I wanted to record this bonus episode for listeners to take them behind the scenes of this project, and hopefully share why it is so important to me. Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Alarms clocks may be responsible for the most dreaded sound in our lives. Despite their constant presence, how do you choose the right alarm for your circumstances and maybe more importantly, how does that alarm fit into a healthy morning routine?In this episode we will cover: the definition of sleep inertia and why some people struggle to wake up in the morningthe science behind the different types of sounds alarm clocks utilize and which tend to awaken individuals more effectivelythe circadian influence of alarm clocks that utilize lightsthe ‘Snooze Button’ and should you use itstrategies for utilizing escalating alarms the variety of more extreme alarms (shaking a bed, shocking a sleeper) for helping people awaken on time.the importance of a scheduled awakening and how it fits with other activities in the morningProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Students everywhere are beginning to head back to school soon, so in this Back-To-School episode, I examine the ongoing school start time debate in this country. In the United States, the vast majority of middle and high school students start school early and thus do not have access to adequate sleep. In this episode, we will:identify the healthy range of sleep school-aged and high school students requiretarget the biggest threats to the sleep opportunity of school studentsexplore the nature of the school start time debate and the organizations/studies supporting the changeexplain the factors that tend to derail schools from delaying school start timesdive into the emerging research that came out of the COVID lockdown that overwhelmingly  shows that delayed start times and virtual learning tends to increase total sleep time and the percentage of kids sleeping adequately.dissect the negative psychological outcomes of virtual learning that confound the benefits of some studieslearn what can be done at a local level and beyondProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

In the late 1990's, Dr. James Maas coined the phrase "power nap" and since that time, there have been many trendy sleep terms. In this episode, we discuss three popular sleep concepts and the stories/science behind them.  In this episode we will:define the term orthosomnia and learn more about the concept's originsunderstand how orthosomnia applies to the greater concept of sleep monitoringexplore what a sleep divorce entails and the difficulties with the termdissect the reasons why couples may choose to sleep apart, and how this can ultimately fail to address serious underlying medical conditionstouch upon relationship power imbalances that make sleep apart not an option for some individualsunderstand the origins of revenge bedtime procrastinationdifferentiate "in-bed" procrastination from "going to bed" procrastinationwork towards ways to minimize the factors that exacerbate bedtime procrastinationProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

After sleep apnea, narcolepsy is the most common cause of excessive sleepiness in sleep clinics across the country. A large portion of the nearly 200,000 people who have narcolepsy in this country alone are children and teenagers. As these individuals struggle with disabling sleepiness, why is their plight (a treatable plight) largely ignored? In this episode, we will:define narcolepsy and look briefly at its originsrecast the image of a narcolepsy patient from something cartoonish and unhelpful to a real person with an unfathomable degree of sleepinesscontrast the disability of sleepiness with other "seen" disabilitiesexplore why disorders of excessive sleepiness are largely ignored by the media while conditions like insomnia are embraced and reinforced at all levelsunderstand why narcolepsy and disorders of hypersomnolence are routinely mistaken for other disorders or dismissed by clinicians entirely (even many sleep specialists)learn that these conditions are not rare and their sufferers are often unseen--they are in fact people we know and work with on a daily basis--and they need our support.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

In episode 2, I talked about what insomnia was not--namely sleep deprivation. In this episode, we begin to explore what insomnia is and who is most at risk. I also explore the unique role of trauma both as a precipitant, but also a perpetuator of insomnia.  In this episode we will:revisit how insomnia differs from sleep deprivation and why confusion between the two creates therapeutic problemsexamine risk factors for developing insomniareview studies that demonstrate insomnia patients are generally sleeping relatively normal amountsuncover studies that reveal that insomnia patients generally do not share identifiable sleep study deficienciesunderstand why insomnia patients often develop negative views of their sleep and how this factor alone, irrespective of sleep quality and amount, predicts disbilityexplore how trauma can create or precipitate insomnia, but more importantly how insomnia itself, over time, can become its own form of trauma, helping to perpetuate the condition.appreciate that when a sleep specialist tells a patient that he does not have sleep deprivation when he has insomnia, she is not saying the patient does not have a problem. While  insomnia is often not the problem the patient thinks they have, it can be a tremendous burden in and of itself, and trauma is often playing a central role. Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Sleep apnea constitutes the lion's share of the diagnoses sleep clinicians see in their clinics. One of the most misunderstood and poorly managed conditions I see is mild sleep apnea, or individuals who generally have 5-15 breathing problems/hour. In this episode we will:start with the basics of sleep apnea: What is it?understand the difference between obstructive and central apneadefine what constitutes and apnea (or hypopnea) and how those tallies are utilized to arrive at not only a diagnosis, but a severity designation for the conditionlook at the literature and why some experts advocate treating mild sleep apnea and while other do notunderstand how patients can sometimes get caught in a situation where they are aggressively treating a mild condition in which the benefits may be few or nonexistent.begin a much larger dialogue aimed at understanding the nuances of sleep apnea, a very common sleep disorder.Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

White noise is everywhere, and it's association with sleep has been discussed for decades. But what exactly is white noise, and does it play a role in optimizing sleep?In this episode we will cover: the science of white noise and what it representshow the history of white noise machines has evolvedrelationships and research looking at white noise, sleep, memory, and cognitionthe recent research linking white noise to brain damagethe emergence of pink noise and how it differs from white noisedifferences between other "colors of noise" specifically purple/violet, grey, brown, and blue.binaural beats, what they are, and the science linking them with better sleepNOTE: Your AirPods are working fine. The recording software used to record this episode completely suppressed all of the noise samples played during the episode. To hear examples of the noise colors mentioned in this podcast, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colors_of_noiseProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

When I wrote my first book The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It, I made the decision to cut the chapter on menopause because of length. I have regretted that decision ever since. It is by far and away the most common question I get asked about the contents. "Is there a chapter about menopause?"No, but there is a podcast episode entirely devoted to the topic. In this episode we will cover: the basics of menopause and how it affects sleepsome data that tries to understand the impact menopause has on women's sleep architecture the consequences of hot flashes and how predictive they are regarding sleep issueshow menopause can lead to a higher incidence of sleep disordered breathingthe role of hormone replacement therapyhow other factors could influence sleep in the menopausal populationstrategies for minimizing the impact of menopause on sleepProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Insomnia treatment in this country is hindered by one simple fact -  very few people really understand what insomnia is and how it is defined, including many physicians who treat adults and kids with insomnia. In this first (of many) episodes about insomnia, we will:start with the basics of insomnia definitions: What is insomnia?understand that insomnia is not and individual who "can't sleep"touch upon the academic definitions of insomnia and how they can often take away from the patient problems by arbitrarily relying on useless timeframe parameterslearn (via a story that admittedly goes on way too long) that anything, even a Fantasy Football game, can precipitate a night of transient insomniaunderstand that a patient's perceived disability is at the core of the insomnia definition, and only the patient gets to define that disabilitybegin to uncover that an individual's perception of what happen when they sleep is not always an accurate representation of what actually happens,  creating problems both diagnostically and therapeutically for many clinicians and patientsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

There are few things more universal and fun to talk about than sleep. We all do it, and it impacts everyone's health and sense of wellness. For the last 30 years, I have been involved in some way or another with sleep. I began studying sleep as a researcher in the early 1990s and am now a neurologist who specializes in treating sleep disorders in adults and kids. In this episode, I share a bit about my background in sleep science and how I have come to spend three decades in the field. Future episodes will include:practical sleep information, tips, and strategies for resting better and understanding sleepinteresting and illustrative patient storiesexperiences with the many professional sports organizations for whom I workexcerpts from my books debunking sleep myths and misinformationexplanations and responses to current research and popular topicsitems that go beyond traditional biomedical sources like music and art that involve sleepProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @ drchriwinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!