Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

#156 - Research from the 2025 SLEEP Scientific Conference: Make Me a Poster Jun 16, 2025

You are looking live at the Seattle Conference Center where sleep researchers from around the world are converging to carry around tote bags and share the latest and greatest sleep research. I was there and saw it all. In this episode we will:

Discuss AL and its emerging role in sleep research
Learn why napping continues to show positives in attention and performance
Continue the focus on chrononutrition and how sleep and circadian factors affect metabolism
Witness the emergence of women's health and menstrual timing and how it is gaining traction in the sleep community
Differentiate subjective sleep versus reality in surprising ways
Test novel wearable and headbands in sleep
Evaluate the heightened focus on adolescent sleep
Praise the continued efforts to study sleep and it's impact on mood

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#155 - Oral Appliance and Sleep Apnea: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Jun 09, 2025

So far on the podcast we had talked about sleep apnea as well as the treatments CPAP and surgery. On this episode of the podcast, we discuss another popular treatment option: oral appliances. In this episode we will:

Review the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea
Outline the mechanism via which oral appliance work
List the pros and cons of oral appliance for surgery
Discuss how the oral appliance fits into the landscape of sleep apnea therapy

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#154 - Sleep and the Threat of Danger: I Won’t Do You No Harm Jun 02, 2025

One of the biggest obstacles in insomnia treatment is the perceived threat of physical harm related to the sleep difficulty. It's a major cog in the insomnia-fear-arousal cycle. In this episode we will:

Utilize two case studies to illustrate the disruption that fear of harm causes with insomnia recovery
Discuss insomnia is a disorder of distress, not danger
Talk about the lack of any evidence that acute sleep loss causes medical harm
Challenge the catastrophizing that characterizes insomnia
Contrast behavioral and cognitive therapies over medical therapies

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#153 - The Ten Worst Things For Sleep: Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing May 26, 2025

When we did the snooze button episode of the podcast, it all started with a declaration that the snooze button was the worst thing for sleep. While it's fairly clear the snooze button is not, what is? In this episode, we list the top 10 worst things for sleep. In this episode we will:

List what I believe the top ten worst things for sleep are
Provide a nugget of research to back it up
This will be a dynamic list that we will update from time to time

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#152 - Sleep and Temperature Regulation: Gonna Make You Sweat May 19, 2025

Sweating at night is a common complaint in the sleep clinic. While night sweats are often thought of as being the exclusive domain of post-menopausal women, their causes can be surprisingly varied. In this episode we will:

Review the epidemiology of night sweats
List the cause both benign and more concerning
Discuss how night sweats specifically impact sleep quality and architecture
Review interventions to help with the problem

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#151 - Sleep and Back, Neck, and Shoulder Pain: Sorry For The Hurt May 12, 2025

When it comes to symptoms that cause us to seek medical help, there are few that top pain. Pain occupies a unique space within the world of sleep, in particular back, neck, and shoulder pain. In this episode we will:

Provide an overview of sleep-related pain
Explore the relationship between sleep disturbances and pain
Learn how sleep disturbances can be a strong predictor of the development of pain
Examine studies linking REM sleep loss and increased pain indices
Review specific sleep research on the various regions of pain
List treatment options and weigh their effectiveness

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#150 - Bedtime Stories: Without You, I Just Can’t Go To Sleep May 05, 2025

Over the last several years, adult 'bedtime stories' have become a ubiquitous internet method used by many to help themselves fall asleep at night. In this episode we will:

Define bedtime stories
Explore what makes them useful for some as a bedtime ritual for sleep
Discuss the role these techniques play in insomnia
Dissect the ways in which these stores could actually work against someone overcoming their insomnia
Think about the specific role these stories can play in healthy insomnia recovery

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#149 - Creating a Bedroom Sanctuary: Here May Ye Rest A While Apr 28, 2025

There is nothing more pleasing to the soul than wandering into a space that makes you feel protected, present, and at peace. Many elements involved in the creation of a comfortable bedroom sanctuary have been covered on the podcast. Now, we work to synthesize them all into your Zen den masterpiece. In this episode we will:

Think about how room color choices affect relaxation and sleep
Design the lighting that will best support our sanctuary's mission
Consider how decorations can work to sooth or distract from the goal of rest
Evaluate the role of air filters in our room design
Look at materials on the floors and walls in terms of sound dampening
Define 'biophilic design' and explore how it will shape the direction of the room
Embrace organic and natural bedding materials instead of synthetics
Remove clutter from the space and thoughtfully consider the pros and cons of electronics
Create a "travel version" of our room choices when possible

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#148 - The Truth About Medical Practices: It’s an Illusion Apr 21, 2025

As the owner of a private medical practice, I know how difficult it is for the solo provider/small group to keep the doors open and deliver quality care, especially if the providers participate with insurance carriers. This fact not only affects providers, but as we will explore in the episode, it can often directly impact they options for care a patient receives. In this episode we will:

Understand the obstacles and misperceptions baked into a career in medicine.
Examine the debt of the typical medical doctor after finishing medical school
Calculate the problematic combination of 1) starting a career in debt, and 2) starting a career relatively late
Compare the rate of the rising costs of running a medical practice with the relative rate of medical insurance reimbursement
Evaluate the massive burdens that insurance companies place on providers in the form of prior authorizations (PA)
Learn how to navigate your own care in this difficult climate

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#147 - Idiopathic Hypersomnia: All I Wanna Do Is Wake Up In The Morning Apr 14, 2025

We have talked extensively about Type 1 and Type 2 narcolepsy on the podcast, but what about its mysterious cousin idiopathic hypersomnia (IH)? What is IH and why is it so hard to diagnose? What is its relationship with narcolepsy, and how do we treat it? In this episode we will:

Define idiopathic hypersomnia
Look at its incidence rate next to narcolepsy
List the key characteristics that differentiate it from narcolepsy
Learn the factors that make it difficult to diagnose
Highlight the first FDA-approved treatment for the disorder

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#146 - Cognitive Shuffling: Ain’t Nothin’ To It Apr 07, 2025

A recent New York Times article entitled "A Simple Technique to Help You Fall Asleep" by Christina Caron details a technique dubbed cognitive shuffling that took the internet by storm as a treatment for a racing mind at night. In this episode we will:

Define cognitive reshuffling
Explore its origins in other 'distracting' techniques including the original--counting sheep
Discuss the role these techniques play in insomnia
Dissect the ways in which we discuss these therapies, including how we view them through the lens of research
What do these therapies teach us about insomnia and lasting solutions

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#145 - Hypnic Myoclonus: Jerk Your Body Mar 31, 2025

We have all experienced it...you're sitting in bed, nodding off, and suddenly you awaken with a start feeling like you are about to fall down stairs. Hypnic myoclonus is estimated to affect as many as 60-70% of individuals, but what is it? In this episode we will:

Define hypnic myoclonus, often referred to as "sleep starts" or "hypnagogic jerks"
Review the symptoms of the phenomenon
Speculate of the evolutionary cause
Characterize individuals at the highest risk
List the causes of hypnic myoclonus
Discuss diagnostic and treatment options

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#144 - Missing Sleep Apnea: I Thought Someone Would Notice Mar 24, 2025

26 million adult Americans have sleep apnea and 80-90% represent undiagnosed cases. Why have these numbers remained so high when there are easier diagnostic and treatment options than ever? In this episode we will:

Discuss obstacles to diagnosis
See how the lack of symptom specificity adds to the problem
Consider if lack of provider awareness is really an issue
Look at fear as a factor holding patients back
Evaluate the difficulty of getting sleep studies

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#143 - Pillow Fight 2025: Simply The Best Mar 17, 2025

Everyone loves the NCAA basketball tournament...teams colliding in a winner-take-all tournament for basketball supremacy. Haven't you ever dreamed about a similar competition between different pillows? Well dream no longer because that bedding showdown is here. Pillows are so important to our sleep, which is why I have assembled 17 of the finest to square off in a battle the likes of which have never been seen. In this episode we will:

Explain the first annual Sleep Unplugged Pillow Fight tournament
Touch upon how important choosing the right pillow is for sleep
Breakdown the scoring system (25% Committee, 25% my blinded experience, 25% Sleep Specialist input, 10% Crowd/Social Media (Instagram) following, 10% 'Induced Fit', and 5% Packaging and Extras).
Introduce the 17 competitors: Atluxe, Authenticity50, Bedgear, Cariloha, Casper, Coop, DozyBoy, Lagoon, Layla, Luxome, MVMI, Nest, Pillow Cube, Pluto, Silk & Snow, Tempurpedic, and Twilla

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#142 - Death to Daylight Saving Time: For Clock Back Move And Make It For A While Mar 10, 2025

As we recover from yet another "spring forward" into Daylight Saving Time again, it seems a good time to revisit the topic we initially covered in episode 18. While that episode sought more to explain the origins of the practice and how to best adjust, this episode is more of a declaration as to why the entire practice should be abolished in favor of permanent standard time. In this episode we will:

Unpack the support for eliminating the clock change and why many lawmakers have ignored science and pushed for a permanent adoption of daylight saving time (DST)
List the many entities and groups that support the adoption of permanent standard time
Briefly touch upon the few "cons" to permanent standard time and how they are both questionable and dwarfed by the available research in favor of permanent standard time
Explain the circadian and health benefits of permanent standard time
Explore the school performance benefit of eliminating DST
Measure the positive environmental impact of adopting standard time all year
Dive into productivity increases when the standard time is adopted
Learn why permanent daylight saving time already failed in the 1970s
Debunk the noting that the practice was started to benefit farmers; not only is this not true, but farmers opposed it because of the reduction in morning light

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#141 - Light Therapy Revisited: Put on the Red Light Mar 03, 2025

It has been a while since we have focused our attention on light therapy and sleep. For this Insomnia Monday, I thought a revisiting of light therapy might be in order. In this episode we will:

Touch on new research that serves to minimize the role that blue light plays in terms of sleep harm
Look at other colors of light and how that might affect sleep and health
Evaluate research looking at light therapy and insomnia
Expand our thinking about insomnia into a place that includes circadian disorders and causes/contributors

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#140 - Fear of The Snooze Button: Shut Me Down with a Push of Your Button Feb 24, 2025

In 2024, the Independent published an article entitled, "Experts Issue Warning About Using the Snooze Button." Previously, a sleep specialist said the snooze button was "one of the worst things you can do." Is any of this true? Could there potentially be a benefit? In this episode we will:

Touch upon the history of the snooze button
List some theories why it might be harmful to sleep/health
Characterize the typical snooze button user
Look at the average time one might snooze
Provide some insight as to various snooze button motivations
Learn why snoozing can be a strategy for dealing with sleep inertia
Review some surprising research about snoozing potentially helping with cognitive abilities

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#139 - Heart Rate Variability and Sleep: Like a Moving Heartbeat Feb 17, 2025

Heart rate variability (HRV) is everywhere, and in no space has it made a bigger splash than in sleep medicine. Not only is HRV influenced significantly by sleep, but it is also at the core of wearable sleep technology. In this episode we will:

Define heart rate variability
Discuss what increased or decreased heart rate variability means
List the medical conditions often associated/predicted by changes in HRV
Characterize how HRV is utilized in sleep medicine
Contrast how different stages of sleep are reflected in HRV changes and how this is utilized in wearable technology
Touch upon the factors that positively and negatively influence HRV

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#138 - The Subtle Art of Hurkle-Durkling: Swim in a Deep Sea of Blankets Feb 10, 2025

If you pay any attention to sleep hygiene advice, you have probably heard many times that you should get up at the same time every day for optimal sleep. But does that mean you can never lounge around in bed a little in the morning? According to the Scottish, not at all. In fact, they have a term for it: hurkle-durkle. In this episode of the podcast, we will:

Define "hurkle-durkle"
Differentiate hurkle-durkling from bedrotting, another popular social media trend
Review the factors that seem to be necessary for a proper hurkle-durkle experience
Explore how this concept, applied in moderation, can be applied to our feelings of positivity or negativity about being in bed awake

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#137 - Insomnia and Vagal Nerve Stimulators: Are You Getting the Vibe? Feb 02, 2025

Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulators are often advertised as insomnia therapies, "helping you fall asleep faster" or "helping you sleep through the night. Do they work? In this Insomnia Monday episode of the podcast, we will:

Introduce vagal nerve stimulators
Describe the path and role of the vagus nerve
Understand the role of the parasympathetic nervous system
Examine the limited research on vagal nerve stimulators and sleep
Understand the scale of the placebo effect in sleep/insomnia research
Differentiate a statistically meaningful change in sleep/polysomnographic parameters from a "real world" meaningful change in someone struggling with insomnia
List the strengths and criticisms of vagal nerve stimulators including study size and study design
Learn who is the right candidate for vagal nerve stimulators

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#136 - Cancer and Sleep: Gotta Be Strong to Fight Them Jan 27, 2025

When we think about the deleterious effects of poor sleep, cardiovascular and cognitive/psychological consequences typically come first to mind. One of the less obvious and less understood effects is that of cancer which was listed as a probably carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2007. Since that time, there has been considerable efforts to understand the role plays in cancer. In this episode we will:

Evaluate the original research looking at sleep and cancer risk
List the cancer types commonly associated with poor/inadequate sleep
Highlight studies that cast doubt on this relationship
Review factors related to sleep and shift work that might influence risk
Speculate on possible mechanisms that lead to carcinogenicity
Touch upon steps one can take to lessen cancer risk associated with poor sleep

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#135 - Blood Glucose and Sleep: Sweet As Sugar Jan 20, 2025

The relationship between sleep and blood glucose is a powerful one and it impacts our weight, the way we eat, and countless other health metrics. In this episode we will:

Introduce the concept of glycemic control
Define insulin sensitivity and how it relates to diabetes
Learn why sleep deficiency increases blood sugar levels
Stress the role that cortisol and growth hormone play in glucose regulation and how sleep impacts both
Explore the relationship between sleep stage and glucose regulation
Emphasize sleep deprivation as a negative factor in glycemic regulation
Understand the common pathway of sleep disorders and blood sugar control
Follow the bidirectional relationship between elevated blood glucose levels and poor sleep quality

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#134 - Sleep in Times of Catastrophe: Burn Out The Night Jan 13, 2025

While the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires continue to burn in California, firefighters and other first responders work tirelessly around the clock. What does their ability to bypass sleep for 48-60 hours mean in terms of individuals with insomnia, and what does this kind of work do to their own health? In this episode, we will:

Frame the ability to temporarily derive ourselves of sleep as being a powerful tool and not necessarily a sign that sleep is bad or broken
Examine the sleep of first responders, in particular firefighters
Touch upon that vast number of firefighters with undiagnosed sleep disorders
Think about the role sleep schedules play in their sleep and health

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#133 - Insomnia and Exercise: You Better Run Jan 06, 2025

When it comes to insomnia treatments, there probably is no better intervention than exercise. If you are not already convinced, in this episode we will:

Discuss the benefits of exercise on various sleep parameters and insomnia specifically
Outline the amounts of exercise that seem to make the most difference
Explore the reasons why exercise might improve sleep quality and minimize the manifestations of insomnia
Evaluate the types of exercise best suited to improve sleep quality

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#132 - 2024 Sleep Unplugged Awards: The Best of What's Around Dec 30, 2024

Believe it or not, but the 3rd Annual Sleep Unplugged "Sleepy" Awards are upon us again. What better way to close out the year of sleep than to recognize some truly exceptions individuals and organizations within the field of sleep. Join me as we celebrate some of the brightest stars in this podcast episode:
The 2024 Sleepy Award winners are:
Social Media Warrior Dr. Upneet "Neety" Chawla
(@sleeping.beauty_md)
Sleep Outsider Award Equinox Hotels
Sleep Vanguard Organization Mattress Firm
Sleep Sports Organization Los Angeles Dodgers
Sleep Podcast of The Year The SRS Podcast/Dr. Jesse Cook
(@sleepandsports)
Best Insomnia Advice Teresa (DeNike) Power (@sleepbetternyc)
Book of the Year Navigating Life with Restless Legs Syndrome
Dr. Andrew Spector (@andrewspectormd)
Sleep Trend Farewell Sleepy Girl Mocktail
Sleep Crusader Award Dr. Michael Grandner (@michaelgrandner)

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#131 - Sleep Apnea Surgeries: Some Greater Awakening Dec 23, 2024

For many people who have sleep apnea, they look to surgery as a means to a "greater awakening" which can at times, lead to disappointing outcomes. What exactly is meant by "sleep apnea surgery" and why doesn't everyone get it? In this episode we will:

define sleep apnea and how we measure its severity
discuss the adults who are most appropriate candidates
look at the various ways "success" is defined with surgical outcomes [reduction in respiratory events, health outcomes, sleep measures] and how that might be at odds with how one feels after surgery
touch upon bariatric as a form of sleep apnea surgery
list the various procedures that target the nose/nasal cavity, jaw, tongue, and throat
highlight the hypoglossal nerve stimulator/Inspire therapy and talk about patient populations that work well with this therapy

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#130 - Sleep Unplugged Book Club #2-The Sleep Apnea Hypothesis: If Everything Goes Wrong Dec 16, 2024

Sleep apnea is the bread and butter of the sleep clinic and the most common cause of excessive daytime sleepiness. But do you really know the extent to which sleep apnea can ravage your health? Is it the cause of aging? In this episode we will:

Explore Brandon Peters' new book The Sleep Apnea Hypothesis
Dissect his question, "Are you getting older or are you getting sleep apnea?"
List the many common complaints of aging that are actually caused by sleep apnea
Touch on the many obvious sleep complaints and not so obvious complaints linked to sleep apnea

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#129 - How to Take The Perfect Nap: Lay Your Weary Head to Rest Dec 09, 2024

We started a dialogue about napping way back in episode 17. The napping discussion continues. In this episode, we will:

Discuss reasons for napping
Revisit the current literature around performance
Look at new research on napping and cognition and memory
Reexamine the research on nap length and performance
List the components of a perfect nap environment
Touch upon the potential negatives associated with napping
Conclude by looking at napping and cardiovascular risk as well as risk for dementia

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#128 - How To Stop Taking Sleeping Pills: I Can Never Stop, I Can Never Quit Dec 02, 2024

Insomnia treatment often involves pills and when those pills fail to solve the problem (or even if them seem to help) the desire to discontinue the pills may arise. In this episode we will:

Discuss the overall theory of sleeping pills
Highlight the use of Trazodone as a sleeping aid
Walk through strategies and useful ways to discontinue sleeping pills
Explain why individuals wean oof of medications
Touch upon the dangers and risks of discontinuing sleeping pills
Explore why discontinuing medications is difficult

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#127 - The 3rd Annual Holiday Sleep Gift Guide Extravaganza: You Just Won't Be Able To Do Without It Nov 25, 2024

The Sleep Unplugged podcast is back to solve your holiday shopping dilemmas with some of my favorite sleep product companies. In this episode, we will explore a host of sleep-themed gift ideas and product recommendations. In this episode, we will feature the following products:

GroundingWell grounding/earthing products
Beadgear pillows and linens
Bearaby weighted blankets and unique pillows
Boka nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste
Dore and Rose mulberry silk sleep mask
Loop Dream earplugs for sleep
Luminette 3 light therapy glasses
Lunya washable silk pajamas
Mattress Firm king bed for queen price
QuietLab anti-snoring mouthpiece
Rematee anti-snoring belt
Ryze mushroom coffee and hot chocolate mix
Sleeper Hold travel pillow
Swanwick blue-blocking glasses and lighting solutions
The Sleep Solution/The Rested Child books
Yogasleep Dohm Nova noise machine and Rohm+ travel noise machine and speaker
zDen personal/pet sleep environment
Zzzquil breathing strips

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#126 - Sleep and Air Travel: Go For a Ride In The Sky Nov 18, 2024

With the holidays fast approaching, many will take to the skies bound for destinations all over the world. Sleeping on a plane can be the difference between a pleasant Thanksgiving event and a contentious meal ending in frustration. Being prepared to sleep on a plane is an artform. In this episode we will:

Discuss the ins and outs of seat selection
Go through a comprehensive list of items to help with sleep on a plane
List some strategies for hitting the ground running when you arrive

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#125 - Weight Loss and Sleep: Nice Skinny, Roller Skate Skinny Nov 11, 2024

There is a complicated relationship between sleep and weight, and it's worth unpacking this to some degree. In this episode we will:

Look at the data on weight loss in sleep apnea patients and how it impacts disease state
Review the reverse situation of how CPAP therapy affects short and long-term patient weight
Understand the consensus opinion about sleep deprivation and weight gain
Sort through the different data on weight gain and one theory about the mixed results

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#124 - Grief and Sleep: Won't You Stop and Remember Me? Nov 04, 2024

Grief is a both a common cause of acute insomnia and a massive perpetuating factor of chronic insomnia. The relationship between grief and insomnia/sleep is complex and bidirectional. In this episode we will:

Outline the relationship between grief and sleep and how it acts as a causative factor
Discuss how long-term insomnia can lead to complex grief
Differentiate different grief subsets: late life spousal bereavement, complex grief, parental grief
Follow patterns of grief: resilient, recovering, and chronic
Evaluate the treatment of insomnia as a means to combat chronic grief

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#123 - Fear of the Dark: There's No Need To Be Afraid Oct 28, 2024

Fear of the dark is a common phobia seen in children that can greatly affect their sleep. In this episode we will:

define fear of the dark
differentiate between nyctophobia (fear of the night), scotophobia (fear of the dark/what the dark could be hiding), or lygophobia (fear of twilight)
describe the ages that it commonly presents, peaks, and disappears
list some causes of fear of the dark
understand why there may be an evolutionary cause for the disorder
discuss treatments aimed at minimizing fear of the dark and its impact on sleep

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#122 - Bedwetting/Enuresis: Golden Slumbers Oct 21, 2024

We have touched upon bedwetting in several episodes, but we have never dedicated an entire episode to the topic. In this episode, we will:

define enuresis/bedwetting
differential between primary and secondary enuresis
discuss the differences between monosymptomatic and non-monosymptomatic enuresis
uncover the risk factors for enuresis
list the causes of the disorder
review the treatments for enuresis
touch upon adult enuresis

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#121 - Hurricanes, Climate, and Sleep: It Is Time For Stormy Weather Oct 14, 2024

Climate change is not only a growing threat to our planetary survival, but it is also a major player in the health and safety of people everywhere. Our sleep health does not escape the widening reach of global climate consequences. In this episode we will:

Discuss the research linking climate change to sleep and sleep inequalities
Focus on research linking the threat of hurricanes to declining sleep quality and quantity in adults and children
Understand that the sleep risk extends well beyond the acute weather disaster
Recognize that the threat extends to first responders and workers at all levels who deal with climate crises

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#120 - Sleepmaxxing: Broke The Limit Oct 07, 2024

Up until recently, getting more sleep was not exactly cool and absolutely not something to brag about. Gen Z may be changing that perception on social medial as they brag about getting more sleep, better sleep, and pushing the concept of sleep perfection to the "max." In this week's episode, we will:

Highlight Kate Lindsay's September 8, 2024 New York Times article entitled How The Pursuit of Perfect Sleep Can Backfire
Define "sleepmaxxing"
Discuss the pros of celebrating more/better sleep publicly
Relate this movement to the term orthosomnia
Understand why this movement could have very negative implications for the insomnia community
Consider where our optimal placement on the sleep spectrum should be

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#119 - Media and Sleep Product Ratings: You Look Like You’re The Best Sep 30, 2024

Over the past few years, the topic of sleep has permeated the media landscape like few other topics in science and medicine. This has led to not only a fascination withing the public about the topic, but also a wild west-like race to financially capitalize on sleep products. But which products are better than others? In this episode, we will:

discuss the ways in which the media "rank" various sleep products
dive into the ways in which these ratings are determined
contrast this with the relatively small amount of credible research available for these determinations
understand how these awards and certifications are often bought or acquired through means other than a product's merit in the field
stress that the only way to know if a product is going to work well for you is to try it

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#118 - Apple Watches and Sleep Apnea: Watch It Now, Here It Comes Sep 23, 2024

On September 16th, 2024, Apple announced their new sleep apnea detection feature for their Apple Watch device had received FDA approval for the detection of mild to moderate sleep apnea. While this is an exciting development in the consumer medical field. In this episode, there are some concerns about this technology. In this episode we will:

Touch upon the numbers when it comes to sleep apnea
Understand why there is a market for sleep apnea detection
Describe the technology Apple uses to detect sleep apnea
Review the concept of true positive, true negative, false positive, an false negative results and how they relate to the concepts of sensitivity and specificity.
Compare the sensitivity of the Apple Watch to chance, home sleep testing, etc.
Consider the ideal sleep apnea screening characteristics

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#117 - Seasons of Sleep: As The Old Sun Dies Sep 16, 2024

As summer comes to an end, it's a good time to examine how seasonal change tends to affect our sleep. In this episode we will:

Refresh our memories about circadian factors related to sleep
Look at seasonal trends in sleep times, bed times and wake times
Evaluate factors such as light, temperature, and exercise as well as other surprising sleep variables that change with the season
Examine various sleep stages and how seasons affect their quality and quantity
Dive into new research suggesting that in addition to seasons affecting sleep characteristics, our sleep characteristics may be intrinsically changing to prepare us for various seasons

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#116 - Sleep Unplugged Book Club #1-Navigating Life With Restless Legs Syndrome: Bouncing 'Round the Room Sep 09, 2024

For the first installment of the Sleep Unplugged Book Club, we will examine Andrew Spector's new book Navigating Life with Restless Legs Syndrome. This also marks a revisiting of the topic we covered in episode #13 (Restless Legs Syndrome: You Gotta Move). In this episode we will:

Introduce Dr. Andrew Spector, a Duke University professor of neurology and restless legs expert
Update and supplement information from episode #13 of this podcast about restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Explore the role of iron in RLS and how to use ferritin and transferrin levels to guide potential therapies
Touch upon the idea that despite different causes of RLS, determining the precise reason why you have RLS may not be particularly essential for choosing therapies
List new treatment options that are not prescription medications
Reexamine difficulties and downsides to dopamine agonist therapies
Cautiously look at the use of benzodiazepines and opioids in perhaps a new light
Touch upon other prescription medications that might be useful in the disorder
Mention the relationship between insomnia and RLS

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#115 - Insomnia and Sleep Debt: Pay It Back Sep 02, 2024

There is no topic in sleep more likely to incite a riot between sleep experts than the concept of a sleep debt. Does it really exist? Can a sleep debt ever be repaid? If so, how long? In this episode, we will:

Define sleep debt
Examine a new population study on the effects of sleep debt on cardiovascular risk
Attempt to consolidate the available research into guidelines for dealing effectively with sleep debt
Differentiate between sleep debt responses in insomnia sufferers and sleep deprived individuals
Touch on how accurately understanding personal sleep need directly impacts sleep debt

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#114 - Inflammation and Sleep: I’m On Fire Aug 26, 2024

We have touched on inflammation as a central pathway connecting sleep disorders and dementia (episode 99), injury (episode 70), pain (episode 48), and cardiovascular disease (episode 35). In this episode, we shine the spotlight directly on inflammation and learn how it is connected to sleep. In this episode we will:

Examine the reciprocal relationship between inflammation and sleep
Understand how cytokines play a role in the inflammatory cascade, but also in sleep regulation
Learn the circumstances that tend to raise cytokine levels, including sleep deprivation, sleep disruption, and excessive sleep
Explore severe situations of sleep deprivation in animal models and learn how the resultant "cytokine storm" is virtually incompatible with life
Follow the link between inflammation and chronic diseases, including dementia

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#113 - Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome: In The Dark, I Feel Your Resistance Aug 19, 2024

Somewhere between normal nocturnal breathing and sleep apnea exists a strange entity. This condition, often debated in terms of its mere existence is upper airway resistance syndrome, and knowing about it can be the difference between solving your sleep-related breathing woes and continuing your struggles. In this episode we will:

define upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS)
review the concept and pathophysiology of upper airway resistance
contrast how this disorder is defined in comparison to sleep apnea
learn the difference between an AHI (apnea-hypopnea index) and an RDI (respiratory disturbance index)
understand how different sleep studies (in-lab studies, home sleep studies/home sleep tests) might differ in their ability to diagnose the disorder
list the various treatments that can be applied to the diagnosis

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#112 - Sleep Walking: To Get Up and Go, Memory's Remote, Now I’m Standing Up The Morning After Aug 12, 2024

Sleep walking is probably the most recognized and discussed parasomnia, but it can also create significant confusion and danger for those affected. In this episode, we will:

Define sleepwalking
Differentiate somnambulism and noctambulism
Evaluate how age and genetics affects the condition
Characterize the parasomnia
List the causes of sleep walking
Discuss disorders associated with the disorder
Touch upon ways to assess sleepwalking
Emphasize treatments and how to make environments safe for sleepwalkers

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#111 - Sleep Schedules and Insomnia: Wasting the Dawn Aug 05, 2024

We often talk about the amount of sleep individuals need creates confusion for insomnia patients. In this episode we dive deeper into this concept with a way in which to think about sleep need. In this episode we will:

Revisit sleep need
Understand why 8 hours is not right more many individuals
Touch on the complicated nature of determining how much sleep one needs to sleep
Define the "Good Night Rebound Bias"
Learn how perception impacts sleep
Describe how sleep journals can be made into more powerful tools for sleep need
Learn how to calculate a Internight Sleep Variability Score

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#110 - The Sleep Apnea Pill: Wired On The Pills You Took Jul 28, 2024

Sleep apnea is a very common medical problem that affects a large portion of the population. The treatment options leave much to be desired including what is by far and away the most common treatment: the CPAP device. This reality has led to the quest to find a medical treatment for sleep apnea, and one investigational drug AD109, has received some early attention. In this episode we will:

Discuss the history of medications being tested as potential treatments for sleep apnea
Review how sleep apnea is classified in terms of its severity
List the current therapies for sleep apnea
Describe the two components of AD109, and the mechanism of action of these drugs
Evaluate the design and results of a recent study of AD109 in mild sleep apnea
Put in perspective what these result mean in real world situations

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#109 - Sleep in the Elderly: What A Drag It Is Getting Old Jul 22, 2024

Aging is a certainty of life, and with it comes changes in sleep. Understanding these changes is central to life-long pursuit of healthy sleep. In this episode we will:

Discuss whether or not older individuals sleep less than younger individuals
Evaluate the role of schedules and schedule flexibility in the sleep of the elderly
Learn why the circadian rhythm diminishes with age
Spotlight the role of exercise in the sleep of seniors
Look at various sleep disorders of the elderly
List the consequences of poor sleep in older individuals

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#108 - The Menstrual Cycle and Sleep: God's Little Gift Is On The Rag Jul 15, 2024

The menstrual cycle has long been associated with sleep. Emerging research is uncovering more of a bidirectional relationship with sleep. In this episode we will:

Provide an overview of the menstrual cycle
Evaluate the reciprocity of the relationship between sleep and the menstrual cycle
Discuss the roles of estrogen and progesterone in the cycle and how their relationships might affect sleep
Review the 4 stages of the menstrual cycle and how they often impact sleep
Look at interventions related to personal knowledge of your own menstrual cycle

Episode Written by Maeve Winter
To participate in the study mentioned in the podcast, use the link below:
https://tccolumbia.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1M5sOpYMa1Ld0mG

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#107 - Avoiding a Sleep Divorce: Let's Stay Together Jul 08, 2024

Like it or not, the concept of a sleep divorce seems like it is here to stay. Sleeping in separate beds or bedrooms is a popular option for solving sleep issues, but is it the right choice? Are there better options. In this episode we will:

Look at historical research about partner sleep
Define a sleep divorce
Introduce the Scandinavian Sleep Method
Understand how sleep timing/chronotype plays a role is sleep compatibility
Learn how sleep-related movements change over time in a relationship
Evaluate the role of relationship conflict in sleep health
Focus on snoring as a common variable leading to a sleep divorce
List interventions that may help avoid a sleep divorce
Touch upon light as a source of sleep conflict

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

# 106 - Hypnosis and Sleep: Hypnotized, Mesmerized By What My Eyes Have Found Jul 01, 2024

"You are getting sleepy" is what I think about when I think of hypnosis, and given that it has been looked at as a treatment for insomnia, it makes a lot of sense. While the research linking sleep and hypnosis is a both thin and evolving, there are studies to learn from. In this episode we will:

Look at the history of hypnosis as a sleep/insomnia tool
Define hypnosis and learn why a failure to agree on a definition of hypnosis hurts research
List common signs of hypnosis
Evaluate two literature review studies on hypnosis and insomnia
Focus on insomnia in insomnia subgroups: mild cognitive impairment, post-menopausal women, and children
Review techniques for hypnosis

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#105 - Sleep and Air Quality: The Air Is Finally Safe To Breathe Again Jun 24, 2024

Lately, much seems to be made about the relationship between air quality and sleep. Air purification systems have jumped on the sleep bandwagon as have good old fashioned house plants. But is there any evidence supporting this connection? In this episode we will:

Look at research connecting air quality and sleep quality among various populations
Evaluate the research linking air quality measures and sleep metrics in different countries
List the possible mechanisms through which air quality might affect sleep
Discuss some prospective studies aiming to create different air quality sleeping environments and determine how they do or don't affect sleep and associated variables
Touch upon the link between air quality and general performance
Expand upon the role indoor plants play in relationship to an individual's sleep and mood
Answer the questions as to whether or not plants can effectively filter indoor air quality in a meaningful way

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#104 - Sleep Deprivation: Get Up, Get Up! Wake Up, Wake Up! Jun 17, 2024

While we have touched on sleep deprivation in other episodes, particularly as it relates to confusion with the concept of insomnia, in this episode, we devote the entire program to a discussion of the topic. In this episode we will:

Define sleep deprivation
Go through the symptoms of sleep deprivation and research into many of these signs
Touch upon how we look for and measure sleep deprivation
Contrast sleep deprivation with insomnia
List some common causes of sleep deprivation
Discuss treatment options and relative validity of these interventions

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#103 - Research from the 2024 SLEEP Scientific Conference: Pleasant Dreams at the Sleep Brain Drain Jun 10, 2024

The 2024 SLEEP meeting just concluded in Houston where the greatest sleep minds come together and share the amazing academic and scientific projects and research they have been working on. Each year, the Sleep Unplugged podcast brings you some of the more noteworthy research and practical data from the meeting. In this episode we will:

Review studies demonstrating poor sleep leading to selecting more processed and higher sugar content foods.
Examine how extroversion leads to higher caloric content at night
Understand how circadian misalignment in adolescents negatively affects athletic performance
Dispel the notion that vitamin supplementation can make up for inadequate sleep
Ponder how menopause might affect heart rate variability at night and cardiac risk
Evaluate the use of personalized light therapy to reduce insomnia in shift workers
Find out how napping affects one night of sleep deprivation
Look how alcohol negatively affects heart rate at night
See how surprising data in veterans shows insomnia more related to risk than sleep apnea
Revisit cannabidiol use for insomnia and what the data shows

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#102 - New Insomnia Solutions: Wrap it Up and Let Me Sleep Jun 02, 2024

Insomnia requires a multidisciplinary approach to solve and what's right for one individual may not be for another. In this episode, I introduce eleven different products that I have been sent and talk about who might benefit from their use. In this episode, we will:

Discuss Ryze mushroom beverage mix and learn how it might help promote relaxation and serve and a late-night coffee substitute
Review the Python H2 Bionic Molecular Hydrogen Water Bottle and learn more about emerging research on hydrogenated water's potential benefits
Test the Moonbird, a portable screen-free breathing and biofeedback device measuring HR and HRV
Demo the Chill Pill, a small device that delivers a pulsating stimulus that could help relax some individuals at night
Contrast the features of the Sleep.me mat with wearable sleep trackers and how the passive mat might benefit some sleepers
Test out sleep earplugs by Swanwick and BET Slumbur as well as a new sleep mask my Swanwick
List the different ways the Organic Human Bean Body Pillow could benefit a multitude of sleepers and their various sleep obstacles
Revisit the GroundingWell mat
Dive into the Aura Circle multisensory sleep mask
Learn how the FireFly recovery system might be helpful for some RLS patients in terms of and "off label" way of disrupting the sensations they feel in their legs

*None of these products are designed to diagnose or treat medical problems. You should discuss all potential sleep interventions with your physician before trying them.

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#101 - Sleep and the Armed Forces: Join the Military Service May 27, 2024

The United States Military has a fascinating relationship with sleep. What organization needs it more, but often finds themselves neglecting it. In this episode we will:

Explore the sleep challenges of military training schools
Document the sleep deprivation of military officers
Review the Air Force regulations related to sleep
List the various obstacles that often prevent those serving in the military from getting adequate sleep
Discuss the consequences of inadequate sleep in the armed forces
Touch upon people/organizations in the military trying to improve sleeping conditions and education

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#100 - 100 Surprising Tips, Tricks, Hacks, and Secrets for Amazing Sleep: Here's a List May 20, 2024

To celebrate the 100th episode of the Sleep Unplugged podcast, here is a all-encompassing list of 100 habits and good practices healthy sleepers employ. How many are you currently following? In this episode we will:

Highlight ways to improve your sleep
Think about items that might indicate your sleep is not optimized
Evaluate our habits, activities, food, and attitudes around sleep
Use these 100 tips as a proactive guide for improving sleep and knowing which previous episodes of the podcast might be helpful to listen to (or review)

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#99 - Dementia and Sleep: Because I Don’t Remember May 13, 2024

In episode 62, we began to look at the role sleep plays in memory. In episode 65, we looked at the condition REM behavior disorder and how this neurodegenerative condition is often associated with telling sleep disorders. We continue both of these dialogues in this episode. In this episode we will:

Look at research linking sleep disorders and inadequate sleep to dementia
Single out Lewy body dementia as a particular concern when sleep is chronically disrupted
Determine how much sleep seems to be optimal when it comes to dementia prevention
Examine other sleep-adjacent factors (exercise, sedentary habits) that tend to predict dementia
Discuss theories as to why sleep and dementia are linked
Uncover the vague nature and lack of evidence supporting how we manage the sleep of dementia patients
Show the lack of evidence supporting bright light therapy in managing sleep issues in dementia patients
List some best practices when it comes to helping patients with dementia sleep better

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#98 - Insomnia and Belief: You Only Perceive What You Believe May 06, 2024

One of the aspects of insomnia that can be both a perpetuating factor and and target for treatment is exploring dysfunctional beliefs. In this episode we will:

Explore different types of insomnia beliefs
Understand how these beliefs impact insomnia therapy
Look at the relationship between dysfunctional sleep beliefs and depression and alcohol abuse
Examine sleep beliefs in the general public as well as younger/university populations
Determine ways in which these beliefs can be targeted in insomnia therapy

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#97 - Nightmare Disorder: Nights So Cruel I Thought I'd Die Apr 29, 2024

Dreams happen, and unfortunately, sometimes those dreams are nightmares. For most, these terrifying nights are few and far between. For a small few, nightmares become a frequent and unwanted nighttime norm. In this episode we will:

Revisit parasomnias, in this case nightmare disorder, and determine what defines it
Differentiate this disorder from night terror/sleep terror disorder
Explore the epidemiology of the problem
List its underlying causes
Review the medications often used to treat the problem
Discuss other treatment options often employed in the disorder

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#96 - Narcolepsy Stories: My Patience Has Reached Its End Apr 22, 2024

Narcolepsy is a misunderstood medical disorder and as such, it generates some fascinating stories and anecdotes when you treat narcolepsy. In this episode we will:

Discuss the difficulties narcolepsy patients go through just refilling their medications
Dissect the idea of narcolepsy patients and abuse of their drugs
Evaluate the enthusiasm the medical community has for the treatment of narcolepsy
Consider some of the less obvious obstacles narcolepsy patients face
Understand the difficulties with the depictions created of narcolepsy patients

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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#95 - Sleep and Breath: Every Breath You Take Apr 15, 2024

The health benefits of yoga are widely espoused, but for many, the belief is that the benefits are derived mainly from the physical nature of the poses or asanas. The breathing exercises and techniques (pranayama) are often ignored. In this episode, we will:
-Explore the sleep-specific benefits of breathwork to not only bring oxygen to the brain, but to also influence the energy of the body (referred to as prana or chi).
-Review the various stages of breathing and why many individuals practice an incomplete/inefficient form of breathing
-Practice a three-part deep breathing diaphragmatic breathing technique called Deerga Sawasam ("Three-part breath")
-Link these breathing techniques to the engagement of the parasympathetic nervous system, instrumental in reducing anxiety and relaxing into sleep
-List various research studies looking at the positive effects of pranayama in terms of lowering anxiety/stress and improving sleep
-Add this to our sleep toolbox as an accessible method for calming our minds and preparing for restful sleep
Written by: Maeve Winter

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#94 - Grounding and Sleep: I Felt The Earth Beneath My Feet Apr 08, 2024

Though widely regarded as pseudoscience for many years, there has been a recent resurgence in the practice of earthing/grounding. This practice aims to dissipate excess electrical charge and reestablish electrical homeostasis. While the act of grounding is common practice in high voltage appliances, is it really necessary of beneficial in the human body when currents are miniscule in comparison. In this episode, we will:

Explain the concept of grounding in modern electrical wiring
Discuss the electrical nature of the human body
Review studies claiming physiological changes in grounded individuals such as increased ferritin and lower blood glucose levels
Evaluate studies showing grounding effects on blood pressure
Use stress as a sleep surrogate and review available literature of the effects of grounding on stress in both animal and human models
Switch to pain as a potential sleep disruptor and discuss the studies showing reduced pain and faster recover via grounding
Touch on the large limitations of this small body of research and the ways in which bias and poor study construction can influence results
Dispel concerns about the "dangers" of grounding

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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#93 - 10 Strange Insomnia Treatments: Rock Yourself to Sleep Apr 01, 2024

There are no shortage of insomnia treatments and we have covered many on this podcast. In honor of April Fool's Day, we spotlight 10 unusual treatments and continue our yearly tradition of sharing the funniest listener comments about the show. In this episode we will:

Discuss biofeedback as a potential insomnia therapy
Evaluate the act of rocking or vibration as a sleep-inducing action
Look at various mental tricks like pretending your alarm has just gone off
Touch upon visualization techniques involving rising warmth or light passing through the body
Review acupuncture as an insomnia therapy
List the benefits of a clean room
Find ways the direction of your bed might be influencing your sleep

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#92 - Sleep and Nicotine: I’d Have Another Cigarette But I Can’t ‘Sleep’ Mar 25, 2024

When it comes to substances affecting sleep negatively, it seems alcohol and caffeine hog all of the spotlight. But what about nicotine? While the number of younger individuals who smoke is declining, the advent of vaping and oral nicotine pouches is rising, and the effects on the sleep of the users is not positive. In this episode we will:

Examine the effects of nicotine on sleep
Look at the effects of nicotine withdrawal on sleep metrics
Understand the potential bidirectional relationship of effect
Compare the effects with other stimulants and chemicals
Evaluate the potential nicotine dose effect on sleep
Touch upon the effect of nicotine on sleep spindle activity and how that might impact memory

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#91 - Drowsy Driving: Asleep at the Wheel Mar 18, 2024

In a 2017 study, approximately one-third of the respondents reported having fallen asleep driving within the last month. Sleepy driving is a massive public health problem leading to thousands of preventable accidents, deaths, and injuries every year. In this episode we will:

Define drowsy driving
Outline the scope of this public health problem
Evaluate the causes of drowsy driving
Look at factors making drowsy driving more likely or dangerous
Characterize the level of impairment in terms of alcohol consumption
Touch upon laws about drowsy driving accidents
Identify drowsy driving risk factors
List ways to mitigate the problem

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#90 - Sleep and Hospitality: Gotta Hurry On Back To My Hotel Room Mar 11, 2024

One of the most interesting trends in sleep is the growing number of hotels and hospitality centers that are embracing sleep as a primary focus for their patrons. Equinox Hotel in New York City has fully embraced the topic in almost everything they offer their guests from spa experiences to a room that goes "Dark, Quiet, and Cool" with the touch of a button. In this episode, we will:

Highlight some efforts by hotels in the past to fold sleep into their services
Contrast the Equinox Hotel's massive exploration of ways to improve sleep with British Cycling's "Marginal Gains" philosophy
Touch on hospitality research that supports their patrons wanting an enhanced physical environment, and better interactions/outcomes, and how focusing on sleep can achieve this goal
Examine the physical space of the hotel room and understand how its appointments affect sleep
Go beyond the hotel room to look at food menus, fitness club offerings, and spa treatments as means to improve sleep
Think about the potential hotel/sleep industry partnerships with the hotel the ideal proving grounds for emerging sleep products and technology

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#89 - Circadiansomnia: I Was Up Before The Dawn Mar 04, 2024

Over the last two years, we have covered several circadian rhythm disorders...jet lag disorder and shift work disorder as well as covering the general concept of a circadian rhythm. For some individuals, they have an intrinsic desynchrony with the times they are expected to be awake. In this episode we will:

Review the role of the circadian rhythm in sleep
Touch upon previously covered circadian disorders
Define chronotype its relationship to quality sleep
Examine the parallels with circadian disorders and the transition to daylight saving time
Understand the causes of circadian rhythm disorder
List some treatments for these disorders

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#88 - Weighted Blankets: Pushing Down On Me, Pressing Down On You Feb 26, 2024

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 pressure
Describe how pressure has a calming effect on the body via parasympathetic system activation
Explore the origins of more widespread weighted blanket use in the autism and sensory integration communities
Weigh the available research concerning weighted blankets and sleep/insomnia
Discuss theories on why weighted blankets might exert their effects
Touch upon other conditions that weighted blankets might help treat

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#87 - Sleep Masks: I'll Wear a Mask for You Feb 19, 2024

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 sleep
Review the large body of evidence supporting the use of sleep masks in hospitalized patients
List the specific medical populations that have been shown to benefit from eye masks
Explore the positive impact of eye masks of circadian sleep disorders
Examine a study linking eye masks and episodic learning/memory
Discuss the improvement of sleep in pregnant women who wear sleep masks
Differentiate the various types of masks that are available for individuals to choose from

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#86 - Sleep and Bedding: Lay Me Down In Sheets of Linen Feb 12, 2024

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 modification
Understand the temperature-regulating properties of various fabrics
Explore cotton as a bedding material and how the addition of performance fibers can enhance the cooling properties of the material
Evaluate 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 upscale
Provide an overview of polyester, perhaps the fabric with the biggest quality range in the bedding space
Consider silk and how it might be the best fabric for sensitive skin or for people with certain dermatological conditions
Discuss the cooling nature of bamboo and its low impact on the environment
Largely ignore flannel as a bedding abomination
Touch upon Tencel and its unique textural properties

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#85 - Insomnia and Fear: So Scared to Sleep Feb 05, 2024

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 insomnia
Define anxiety and how it works in insomnia
Look at the role fear plays both in insomnia and how it functions as a central target in CBTi
Consider how some aspects of CBTi can often create fear as well as alleviate it
Look at the insomnia cycle within social media and popular media and how it creates its own fear
Understand the role of fear and the fear response amplitude within our neural circuitry as a potential risk factor for developing insomnia

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#84 - Sleep and Smart Phones: No One’s Answering Jan 29, 2024

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 children
Determine the scope of cell phone use at bedtime and beyond
Measure the impact phone use has on sleep, including sleep onset, sleep quality, and sleep amount
List the features of phone use at night that may explain the detrimental effects
Review the impact curtailing cell phone use at night can have one sleep

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#83 - Brain Fog and Sleep: There's Someone In My Head, But It's Not Me Jan 22, 2024

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 fog
Touch upon the demographics and incidence of the disorder, with particular attention to Covid
Review the history of the disorder
Look at theories related to the pathophysiology of brain fog
Evaluate the interplay of sleep and brain fog
Discuss the development of a brain fog assessment
List some potential brain fog interventions

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#82 - Exploding Head Syndrome: Exploding In The Night Jan 15, 2024

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 syndrome
Review the key characteristics of the parasomnia
Explore the history and legend of EHS
Examine the demographics of the disorder
Understand the incidence and age range of the parasomnia
Mention theories that might explain its underlying cause
Discuss potential treatment options

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#81 - Insomnia and Social Isolation: We’re Afraid To Be Alone Jan 08, 2024

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 wilL

Define loneliness and social isolation
Examine the scope and trajectory of the problem
List contributors including Covid and personal electronics/social media
Understand the role of social isolation in insomnia and how data supports the link
Evaluate the role of work/workplace environment on sleep through the lens of social isolation

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#80 - Weight Training and Sleep: Keep on Lifting Jan 01, 2024

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 statistics
Revisit the impact sleep has on weight training, recovery, and athletic gains
Detail the impact on specific strength training exercises and sleep
Understand the impact of weight training on sleep quality and depression indices
Look at research showing sleep apnea improvement in individuals who weight train

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#79 - 2023 Sleep Unplugged Awards: I'm Winning And I Don't Intend On Losing Again Dec 25, 2023

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 Afolabi-Brown (@restfulsleepmed)
Sleep Outsider Award Tommy Tucker (@ttuckerwwl)
Sleep Vanguard Organization MyFitnessPal
Sleep 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 Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#78 - Central Sleep Apnea: Let Me Catch My Breath To Breathe Dec 18, 2023

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 obstructive
Understand the mechanisms that create central apnea
Describe how obstructive and central apneas differ both physiologically as well as how they are differentiated diagnostically
Contrast the forms of central sleep apnea seen in adults and children
List the various types and causes of central sleep apnea
Review the treatments of central sleep apnea

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#77 - Sleep Trackers: Seemed Like The Real Thing Dec 11, 2023

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 sleep
Understand the role of surrogates in the measurement of sleep
Examine the history of research actigraphy devices and their evolution to become the first generation of sleep wearables
Follow the development of second generation devices and the expansion of the parameters they measured
Outline the uses for these devices
Dive into the strengths and limitations of these devices
Look at what current research has to say about these devices
List the problems with this technology in the marketplace

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#76 - Insomnia and Popular Media: I Love To Watch Things On TV Dec 04, 2023

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 media
Discuss Still Up in terms of accuracy and helpfulness in terms of a insomnia portrayal

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#75 - Eating At Night: Bittersweet I Could Taste In My Mouth Nov 27, 2023

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 eating
Characterize the incidence of these conditions
List the comorbid diagnoses often seen with these disorders including eating disorders
Define nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NSRED) and night eating syndrome (NES)
Differentiate these disorders based upon consciousness/volitional eating and the characterizations of the eating
Review the diagnostic criteria for each
Touch upon theories behind these disorders
List treatment options

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#74 - The 2nd Annual Holiday Sleep Gift Guide Extravaganza: This Is What I Give To You Nov 20, 2023

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 lighting
Beadgear pillows and linens
Bearaby weighted blankets
Eberjey pajamas
Hest travel pillow
Lumi cold water recovery tank
Manta sleep mask
QuietOn sleeping earbuds
SaunaBox home wet/steam sauna
Sleepys pillows and pillow inserts
Swanwick blue-blocking glasses and lighting solutions
The Sleep Solution/The Rested Child books
Withings ScanWatch Horizon sleep/fitness watch
zDen 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 Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#73 - Sleep Inertia: I Can’t Wake Up Nov 13, 2023

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 inertia
Describe how sleep inertia interacts with our homeostatic and circadian drives
Understand the occupational hazards of sleep inertia
Postulate what function sleep inertia might serve
Review the symptoms of sleep inertia
List the causes of sleep inertia
Touch upon the Sleep Inertia Questionnaire
Look at potential sleep inertia treatments

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#72 - Insomnia and the Gut Microbiome: Empty Stomach, Empty Head Nov 06, 2023

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 microbiome
Explore the beginnings of its suspected role in neurological functioning and sleep
List the three proposed pathways by which the gut microbiome interacts with the nervous system
Evaluate the role that the gut microbiome plays in terms of regulating our circadian rhythm via gene expression of the gut biome's own circadian patterns
Discuss metabolic linkages between the gut microbiome and why disruption can increase the chances of metabolic syndrome
Look ahead toward gut biome-based therapies for insomnia

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#71 - Sleep and Extreme Temperatures: Hot Blooded/Cold As Ice Oct 30, 2023

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 therapies
Explore 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 modulation
Touch upon other potential pathways that sauna therapy could benefit sleep
Clarify the confusion about cold water therapy timing and sleep
Review evidence from research showing CWI therapy earlier in the day improving slow wave sleep and reducing sleep latency

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#70 - Sleep and Injury: Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? Oct 23, 2023

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 injury
Investigate how inadequate sleep may influence the immune system and inflammatory processes of the body
Focus on cognitive changes, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, that might lend to an increased risk of injury
Touch upon concentration and focus impairments as supplemental aspects leading to increased injury risk
Review data within athlete, adult, high school, and juvenile populations that show increased injury risk in sleep deprived individuals
Outline steps that can be taken to address sleep and injury risk factors

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#69 - Somniloquy: Keep On Talking In My Sleep Oct 16, 2023

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 parasomnia
Review the incidence of sleep talking, the hereditary nature, and how it changes over time
Differentiate it from taking during REM sleep
List the risk factors for somniloquy
Categorize disorders that may lead to sleep talking
Touch upon treatment for somniloquy

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#68 - Perinatal Sleep: Hey, Hey, Baby! (All Night Long) Oct 09, 2023

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 trimester
Review the incidence of sleep disturbances in all pregnant individuals
Contrast the incidence of sleep disturbances in women with psychiatric diagnoses versus women without psychiatric disorders
Examine how increased sleep as well as decreased sleep during pregnancy can be predictive of depression and psychotic episodes respectively
Evaluate some common perinatal sleep myths

Episode Written by Maeve Winter

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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#67 - 20 Insomnia Pretenders: Don't Get Me Wrong Oct 02, 2023

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 insomnia
Review the medications that often disrupt sleep
Breakdown the reasons sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy can confound medical providers as it pertains to insomnia
Touch on paroxysmal disorders like epilepsy/seizures and migraine and how they can be mistaken for insomnia
Spotlight menopause and pregnancy as an insomnia pretender
Look at the sleep consequences of neurocognitive disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease
Showcase pain and itching as unusual causes of insomnia-like behavior
Talk about gastrointestinal disorders like gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowl syndrome
Sprinkle in several other medical problems that can behave like insomnia

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#66 - Sleep and Longevity: You and I Are Gonna Live Forever Sep 25, 2023

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 longevity
Understand the relationship between the sleep, testosterone, and cortisol and its impact on insulin and endocrinological health
Revisit exercise and sleep as it pertains to longevity
Touch upon lighting and how it relates to sleep and longevity
Review digital technology's role in sleep and health
Finish with the relationship between deep sleep/slow wave sleep and longevity

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#65 - REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: Wild Night Is Calling Sep 18, 2023

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 like
List the characteristics of the disorder and how it fits into the parasomnia family
Review the incidence based upon age
Differentiate primary (idiopathic) from secondary RBD
Touch upon conditions that mimic RBD and why differentiating these is important
Review treatment options
Discuss the relationship between a diagnosis of idiopathic RBD and its predictive value related to neurodegenerative disorders
Outline how clinicians should handle the sensitive nature of this condition when speaking to patients

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#64 - Sleep and the Gridiron: Your Country Needs You To Play Football Sep 11, 2023

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 Harvard
Explore some of the early research looking as sleep and football player/team performance
Dissect the controversy regarding the actual risk of sleep disordered breathing in American football players
Differentiate the differences between professional football sleep and collegiate sleep both in and out of season
Touch upon the evidence for increased injury in underslept players
Look ahead to innovative programs designed to manage the sleep of football players both active and retired

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#63 - Sleep and Anxiety: Why Worry? Sep 04, 2023

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 sleep
List the factors that along with anxiety, often influence sleep
Think about the underlying mechanisms that relate sleep to anxiety
Dissect the bidirectional relationship between sleep quality and anxiety
Review the initial sleep interventions
Explore the use of novel mechanisms for refractory anxiety/insomnia

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#62 - Sleep and Memory: You'll Forget About Me After I've Been Gone Aug 28, 2023

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 studies
Review the discovery of the glymphatic system and how it is not only involved in cognitive health but also influenced by sleep
Learn how slow wave sleep/deep sleep primes our brains to learning
Differentiate the solidification/activation of memory by deep sleep versus the linkage and solidification of sleep by REM sleep
Contrast declarative hippocampal memory storage via slow wave sleep and implicit memory stored outside the hippocampus
Explore various rodent and human models for studying memory
Introduce the technique and science behind Targeted Sensory Reactivation

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#61 - How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? Just Can't Get Enough Aug 21, 2023

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 need
List other factors affecting sleep amount for an individual including sleep quality, activity level, previous sleep deprivation, pregnancy and illness
Explore the inherent difficulties in applying epidemiological sleep data to individual sleepers
Look 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 amounts
Understand how sleep behaviors need can be easily mislead in terms of indicators of average sleep need
Touch upon how individuals who can get by better with inadequate sleep may misinterpret this as being a healthy practice

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#60 - Influencers, Experts, and Bad Sleep Advice: Would I Lie To You? Aug 14, 2023

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 bullshit
Look at examples of each and work towards understanding their motivations and how they can be spotted and corrected
Explore the consequences of the spread of bad/harmful information, and how current media factors can accelerate the dissemination of false information
List the characteristics of information that spreads quickly
Apply epidemiological tools to social media and the spread of bad information
Evaluate the factors that lend themselves to the spread of bad medical information
Consider how intuition and deliberation affect our ability for comprehensive reasoning and detection of bad information
Review remedies to help improve the situation and reduce the spread of incorrect medical information

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#59 - Bedtime Rituals: Right On Time Aug 07, 2023

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 timing
Define the concept of a zeitgeber and how they work to strengthen the effectiveness of our circadian rhythm and its predictive ability
Understand the concept of weak and strong zeitgebers and how they relate to the actions that make up our bedtime routines
Examine common bedtime rituals and their relationship to known zeitgebers
Touch upon light as historically the strongest/most influential zeitgeber
Differentiate the health (and sleep) benefits of exercise from the circadian benefits and understand how evening exercise could capitalize on both in a bedtime ritual
Evaluate stress (and alleviating stress) as an unexpected zeitgeber
Revisit the concept of temperature as a zeitgeber and how its mechanism in humans is not entirely clear
Introduce the food entrainable-oscillator (FEO) and how it relates to food as a zeitgeber
End on more unusual potential zeitgebers like music, and the research supporting them

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#58 - Lucid Dreaming: You Make My Dreams Jul 31, 2023

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 dreaming
Explore the history of the practice from its roots in ancient Hindu and Buddhist practices, to its first description by Aristotle
Follow the changing characteristics that define lucid dreaming from its first scientific description in 1931 (when the term lucid dreaming was coined) to the present
Touch upon seminal research exploring ways of communicating and studying the lucid dreamer and their world
List the various techniques for inducing lucid dreams including reality testing
Review research studying befits of lucid dreaming application

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#57 - Sleep and Yoga: Gotta Find A Way To Flow Jul 24, 2023

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 philosophy
Explore why yoga might be uniquely situated to improve sleep parameters
Review research studies exploring yoga and enhanced sleep parameters
Subdivide sleep studies exploring yoga nidra or the practice of yogic sleep
Look at research exploring yoga in the /pregnant/prenatal population
Outline yoga practices within the elderly/institutionalized population
Evaluate yoga as a pain-mediating intervention and determine what that means in terms of sleep
Touch upon yoga as a technique for mitigating restless leg syndrome
Mention yoga as a therapy within the cancer treatment space

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#56 - Sexsomnia: Hard To Explain Last Night Jul 17, 2023

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 sexsomnias
Explore the relative short history of this behavior in medical literature
Characterize was types of behaviors are seen in sexsomnias
List the groups of individuals who are at risk for these behaviors
Examine the unique features of sexsomnias
Describe the numerous medical risk factors for sexsomnias
Provide solutions and tips for individuals struggling with sexsomnias

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#55 - Are You Sleepy or Are You Fatigued?: I'm So Tired Jul 10, 2023

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 fatigued
Attempt to define sleepiness and fatigue and provide a physiological and behavioral foundation for their characterizations
Evaluate the misuse of the term fatigue in literature regarding excessive daytime sleepiness
Use research to characterize the unique intermediate positioning of the word "tired" in scientific explorations of sleepiness and fatigue
Learn how the lack of a "gold standard" for fatigue evaluation has contributed to the problem
Revisit the Epworth Sleepiness Scale as the de facto standard for quantification of sleepiness and its intrinsic shortcomings
Discuss ways in which failure to properly characterize sleepiness or fatigue can lead to diagnostic and treatment delays and error
Expand 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 fatigue
Link specific sleep and psychological factors to elements of sleepiness and fatigue

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#54 - Insomnia and the Five Senses: See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me Jul 03, 2023

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 insomnia
Explore 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 sleep
Review the current data on white noise and its effects on sleep outcomes
Discuss smell and olfaction as a tool for sleep
Evaluate different novel smells and their relative effects on sleep and insomnia
Revisit tart cherry juice and other pre-bedtime drinks as a way to establish routine via taste
Introduce the concept of "sleep-touch" and review a recent study about how it effects the sleep of couples

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#53 - Sleep and Green Spaces: Lay Me Down In the Tall Grass Jun 26, 2023

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 spaces
List the potential sleep related benefits being in or around nature may create
Evaluate the categories of benefit related to nature exposure proposed by Markevych: reducing harm, restoring capacities, and building capacities
Highlight CO2 reduction as a harm reduction method for improving sleep
Consider tress and canopy exposure as a separate harm reduction pathway
Explore the role of nature on mental health and its interplay with sleep
Touch upon the ways in which green spaces can facilitate physical activity and social cohesion
Look specifically at green space research as it relates to children and teens

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#52 - Finding the Perfect Mattress: The Bed's Too Big Without You Jun 19, 2023

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 mattress
Identify what factors matter in terms of mattress selection
Review the research about firmness and temperature and how they can improve overall sleep quality
Touch upon other factors that may be important to individuals buying a mattress: construction, materials, size, and motion-suppression , and cost
Summarize 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 Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#51 - Dispatches from the 2023 SLEEP Scientific Conference: A New Sensation Jun 12, 2023

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 stages
Examine how circadian misalignment in kids tends to predict more food consumption even when sleep time is held constant
Find out how lucid dreaming could be utilized as a potential treatment for nightmare disorder
Determine how factors related to male college students and sleep might be predictive of other problematic behaviors like alcohol use
Review associations between sedentary behavior and insomnia severity
Touch upon the role of sleep hygiene and couple dynamics
Explore equity and discrimination as a factor leading to poor sleep health and quality
Answer the questions as to whether or not it is better to athletically train in the afternoon or evening as a young athlete
Reflect 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 outcomes

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#50 - Is There A Case For Sleeping Pills?: I Wanted To Be Wrong Jun 05, 2023

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 therapy
Explore 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 users
Touch 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 Winter
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Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#49 - Sleeping Naked: Are Your Clothes Getting In The Way? May 29, 2023

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 theories
Postulate how sleeping naked/in a cooler environment could increase brown fat composition leading to increased metabolism, weight loss, and better glycemic control/lower diabetes risk
Revisit the sleep benefits of colder temperatures (from Episode 25)
Push back on the direct relationship between sleeping naked and healthier skin
Discuss the role of oxytocin on sleep, stress, and sleeping skin to skin
Touch on the role of sleeping naked on vaginal health
Dive into the idea that sleeping naked improved sperm counts and fertility
Explore the ways in which sleeping naked could lead to heightened self-esteem and body acceptance
Determine if there is in fact evidence that sleeping naked promotes intimacy
Briefly review potential cons of sleeping naked

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#48 - Sleep and Pain: When It Hurts So Bad May 22, 2023

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 pain
Examine study numbers showing the high incidence of disturbed sleep in patients with chronic pain
Consider that while many patients with disturbed sleep have concurrent depression, a much higher cohort complains of disturbed sleep
Revisit a 2006 study I highlighted in my first book that shows increased pain indices following relatively trivial reductions in total sleep and REM sleep
Extend this concept as it relates to high incidence of chronic pain in military veterans with sleep disorders/disturbances
View the relationship through the lens of a 2022 Harvard study confirming a relationship but stopping short of endorsing causation
List ways in which sleep considerations could be utilized to improve pain conditions

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#47 - Sleep and Mouth Taping: Our Lips Are Sealed May 15, 2023

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 population
Rank to incidence of mouth breathing based upon sleep stage
Contextualize the role in increased nitric oxide via nasal breathing
Evaluate the scope of sleep apnea and snoring improvement based upon mouth taping and how it relates to other treatments
Discuss the role of mouth taping and CPAP compliance
Touch upon the role of mouth taping and oral health
Break down the relationship between ADHD and mouth taping, and the influence of sleep-related breathing disturbances in this proposed relationship
Go through the list of considerations related to the practice of mouth taping

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#46 - Choosing the Right Pillow: Send Me The Pillow You Dream On May 08, 2023

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 sleep
Look 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 choice
List the various pillow fillings (feather, wool, latex, etc.) and their relative strengths and weaknesses
Determine which pillow types tend to create the most spinal support
Lay out the factors that go into pillow fitting
Understand the supportive and comfort goals of a well-fit pillow
Dive into the factors that tend to influence pillow purchases
Discuss other uses of pillows besides head support
Go through some disorders that can be improved with proper pillow selection.

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#45 - Are You A Good Sleeper Or A Bad Sleeper?: It Was My Attitude May 01, 2023

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 identity
List 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 Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#44 - Shift Work: I Got No Time For Livin', I'm Workin' All The Time Apr 24, 2023

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 work
Determine how much sleep the average shift worker is losing
Debunk the idea that staying on night shift actually creates a true biological adjustment
Explore the work-related consequences of shift work sleepiness
Highlight the unequal 'double burden' women engaged in shift work assume
List the medical consequences of shift work
Define the medical disorder Shift Work Disorder
Evaluate the countermeasures and interventions that can lessen the impact of shift work

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#43 - In A Deep, Deep Sleep: Where Do You Go For Deeper Sleep? Apr 17, 2023

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 health
Examine the research behind exercise and deep sleep
Explore the links between mindfulness and meditation and sleep
Determine if hydration plays a role in slow wave sleep enhancement
Look at the surprising link between lavender and deep sleep
Understand the role temperature plays in this process and why exercise my actually be utilizing body temperature as a pathway for its enhancement of deep sleep
Untangle the complicated research looking at alcohol and its role as both an enhancement and degrader of deep sleep

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#42 - Severe Sleep Apnea and Treatments: Quit Holdin' Out and Draw Another Breath Apr 10, 2023

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 severity
Briefly touch upon other metrics being considered to grade the severity of sleep apnea
Look 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 factors
Examine 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 indicate
Compare sleep apnea therapies and their strengths/drawbacks

Note: I let an f-bomb slip in this episode…sorry to those offended by this.

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#41 - How To Shut Off Your Racing Mind: It’s Late, You Can’t Turn Out the Lights Apr 03, 2023

"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 insomnia
Explore 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-escalation
List some methods, including the use of biofeedback devices, for practicing how to manage a racing mind
Touch upon the idea that the "racing mind" is something to embrace, not fear

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#40 - Tired Sleep Advice: Got To Search For Something New Mar 27, 2023

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 sleep
dispel the myth of fluid restriction at night and why hydration restriction is not only unhealthy, but also largely ineffective
evaluate the idea that delaying caffeine intake scientifically reduces a mid-afternoon 'crash' and overlay his theories on the two-process model of sleep/wakefulness
learn how going to bed at the same time every night might be unhelpful over time
explore the idea of not watching television 2 hours prior to bed and why that is an impractical notion for most people
understand why sleep hygiene alone is not likely to fix a significant sleep problem
briefly 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 perpetuated

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#39 - Narcolepsy Treatments: I Want A New Drug Mar 20, 2023

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 therapies
list the major pharmaceutical therapies
differentiate the mechanism of actions among these medications
outline the drug strategies for managing narcolepsy symptoms including excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy
learn why so many patients are denied optimal therapy because of doctor's ignorance or insurance company denials/red tape
briefly touch upon the obstacles involved specifically in narcolepsy care

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#38 - Coffee and Sleep: There's Too Much Caffeine In Your Bloodstream Mar 13, 2023

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 sleep
learn about caffeine and the related methylxanthine chemicals theophylline and paraxanthine
analyze the antagonistic effects that caffeine has on adenosine signaling
touch upon the differential effects of caffeine based upon age
explore the negative effects of caffeine on sleep including new research on its effects on REM sleep
detail the research looking at the timing of caffeine ingestion related to bedtime and how its effects may be more prolonged than most thought
uncover 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 Nutrition

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#37 - Marijuana and Sleep: The Drugs Don't Work, They Just Make You Worse Mar 06, 2023

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-promoting
understand 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 marijuana
learn the differences between transient sleep effects and the sleep effects of long-term use
explore cultural conversations and myths about marijuana use, in particular that it's helpful in pregnancy
discover the misperceptions surrounding marijuana use in college
uncover how the bottom line of some studies can be affected by pharmaceutical companies trying to develop novel sleep therapies
look ahead to potential therapies for conditions like REM behavior disorder and Restless Legs Syndrome

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#36 - Jet Lag: Take Your Chance on a Big Jet Plane Feb 27, 2023

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 rhythm
Examine how jet lag can influence our general and cognitive health as well as cancer risk
Contrast the biological difference between eastward and westward travel and how they relate to circadian advances and delays
Explore the various ways jet lag can be mitigated
Understand the use of light exposure to lessen the impact of jet lag and how the timing of light relates to our body temperature curve
Learn about the use of melatonin as a toll for jet lag mitigation
Touch upon how caffeine and napping can be jet lag strategies
Characterize the merits of hypnotics for travel
Discover the surprising relationship between fasting and jet lag
Conclude with the folly of alcohol as a jet lag strategy

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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#35 - Sleep and Cardiovascular Health: Stop Draggin' Your Heart Around Feb 20, 2023

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 risk
Understand the mechanisms of increased atherosclerotic plaque burden in people getting inadequate sleep
Learn about the relationship between inadequate sleep and elevated blood pressure/"non-dipping," and how sleep extension may improve those measurements
Characterize the increased risk or arrhythmias in patients with sleep=related breathing disorders and their underlying mechanisms
Probe the link between inadequate sleep and systemic inflammation and how these changes can be permanent
Touch upon the topic of poor sleep and impaired glucose homeostasis
Conclude with looking at the confusing relationship between insomnia and cardiovascular disease

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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#34 - Next Position Please: The Science of Sleeping Positions Feb 13, 2023

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 them
Briefly touch upon considerations like facial wrinkling and glaucoma for which there is inconclusive evidence
Revisit 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 women
Learn about body position and joint pain
Examine the role that body position plays in GERD and the mechanism behind the recommendations
Evaluate the evidence for improved cardiovascular functioning based upon sleep position
Critique the 2015 study linking Alzheimer's disease risk to sleeping position and its relevance to humans
Touch upon ways adults can improve sleep apnea, snoring, and GERD via sleeping position technology.

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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#33 - The Scientific Results Are In: CBTi is the Cure for Insomnia Feb 06, 2023

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 insomnia
List the various medical boards and governing bodies that support it and its overall efficacy rates
Understand why there is often reluctance to engage in the treatment and why the work involved often makes fad treatments seem appealing
Evaluate why sleep education is generally felt to be the foundation of CBTi
Define cognitive restructuring and how thinking about sleep can reinforce positive and negative thoughts
Layout the tenets of stimulus control therapy and how they affect individuals with insomnia
Contrast the various methods of relaxation techniques
Highlight physician and clinicians with special training in CBTi

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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#32 - Co-Sleeping: Let's Spend The Night Together Jan 30, 2023

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-sleeping
Learn about the various forms of co-sleeping: babies/children, pets, siblings, and spouses
Examine the research about co-sleeping and SIDS as well as accidental death
Look at the various risk factors surrounding co-sleeping with babies
Weigh the pros and cons of co-sleeping with pets
Touch upon sibling co-sleeping
Conclude with the science behind couples co-sleeping and ways to mitigate the negative effects

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#31 - Polyphasic Sleep: Sleep The Clock Around Jan 23, 2023

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 sleep
Learn about the sleep of other animals and contrast their typical polyphasic sleep to the monophasic sleep of most humans
Follow 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 Fuller
Understand how sleep cycles work and how increasing fragmentation can interfere with the health benefits of sleep
Conclude with the scientific recommendation concerning the health risks of polyphasic sleep practices

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#30 - Catathrenia/Sleep-Related Moaning: Here She Comes Now Singing Moany Moany Jan 16, 2023

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 disorder
consider the consequences of nocturnal moaning
discuss the qualities of the nocturnal vocalizations that distinguish catathrenia
attempt to describe the characteristics of catathrenics
list the risk factors for and conditions associated with catathrenia
evaluate potential treatments for the condition

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#29 - Snoring: The Sound That Drives Us Out of Our Heads Jan 09, 2023

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 snoring
Learn about the scope and demographics of those who snore
List the causes of snoring and where they exist anatomically
Explore the risk factors for snoring
Evaluate the numerous consequences both inside and outside of health
Touch upon the means of diagnosing snoring
Compare the various treatments for snoring

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#28 - The 9 Ps of Insomnia Jan 02, 2023

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 insomnia
Understand how caregivers can preindoctrinate (or parent) in a way that increases insomnia likelihood
List common insomnia precipitants
Explore the crucial role panic plays in insomnia origination
Briefly touch upon sleeping pills (for more information, listen to episode #11)
See how one's perception of their insomnia impacts severity and influences treatment
Touch upon factors of perpetuation as well as looking at how insomnia in youth may predict insomnia in adulthood
Revisit pain and trauma in insomnia (Episode #6 covers this more thoroughly)
Conclude with the consideration of pessimism and powerlessness as factors in insomnia

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#27 - The 2022 Sleep Unplugged Awards Dec 26, 2022

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 Phillies

Book 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)

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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#26 - Narcolepsy: The Rare Sleep Disorder That Isn't Dec 19, 2022

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 individuals
trace the pathophysiology of the chemical disorder related to orexin/hypocretin dysfunction
list the 5 main diagnostic characteristics of the disorder
differentiate the causes (hereditary, autoimmune) of narcolepsy
outline the diagnostic pathway and the pitfalls of narcolepsy testing
learn how diagnostic momentum applies to the diagnosis of narcolepsy
briefly touch upon treatments (but will largely leave this for a future episode)

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#25 - Temperature and Sleep: In the Cold Cold Night Dec 12, 2022

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 bed
Understand 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 continuity
Contrast the core temperature changes with peripheral vasodilation during sleep initiation and how warming the distal extremities can hasten and improve sleep
Define 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 process
Touch upon theories about sleep and temperature regulation and how melatonin plays a role in both circadian light and circadian temperature regulation
Explore the differences seen in body temperatures upon awakening
Use this information to better inform how we can manipulate temperature in our own environment to sleep better

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#24 - Alcohol and Sleep: Raise a Glass to Terrible Rest Dec 05, 2022

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 insomnia
Explore the neurotransmitters affected by alcohol intoxication and how they relate to the chemistry of sleep
Detail the ways in which alcohol affects sleep architecture
Compare the differences between the first and second halves of the night, and how they differ in relation to alcohol effects
Contrast the differences between acute and chronic alcohol use on sleep
Finds ways that alcohol can be enjoyed and its effects on sleep minimized

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#23 - Light and Sleep: The Legend of Blue Light Nov 28, 2022

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 suppression
Understand how blue light came to be acknowledged as the fundamental light color of this process
Differentiate 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 health
Explore how lighting that capitalizes on these characteristics can promote sleep and also support wakefulness.
Learn about products meant to diminish light and enhance light
Touch upon the practical/research implications of light pollution and light manipulation in novel environments (submarines)

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#22 - Holiday Sleep Gift Guide Extravaganza Nov 21, 2022

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 lighting
Bearaby weighted blankets
Chilipad/DockPro bed cooling unit
Dēp Slēpwear cooling bed clothing
Dodow sleep/breathing device
Hatch sound machine
Muse meditation device (Interaxon)
Oura Ring sleep monitoring device
Ostrichpillow travel pillow
Pavlok shock alarm
QuietOn sleeping earbuds
Sleepys with Reactex cooling pillow
Somnox sleep robot
Swanwick blue-blocking glasses
ThisWorks sleep spray
Umay digital eye relaxation tech
Withings ScanWatch Horizon sleep/fitness watch

*I have no financial relationship with the companies listed above but may have received products to trial/demo.

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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#21 - Sleep and Food: You Sleep What You Eat Nov 14, 2022

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 Thanksgiving
Outline the steps in melatonin synthesis, beginning with tryptophan being facilitated by calcium and insulin levels in the body
List the various enzymes and chemicals that catalyze the steps of melatonin synthesis, and the nutrients that support them
Highlight foods that are sources of intrinsic melatonin, such as tart cherries, black walnuts, and almonds
Investigate GABA, potassium, and apigenin as chemicals outside of the melatonin synthesis pathway than can influence sleep.

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#20 - Paradoxical Insomnia: The Insomnia You've Never Heard Of Nov 06, 2022

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 disorder
Explore 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 polysomnogram
Define paradoxical insomnia and detail the shortcomings of the definition
Differentiate between a formal diagnosis of paradoxical insomnia and a patient who underestimated their sleep amount/overestimates sleep latency
Look at historical studies that first quantified the number of insomnia patients that underestimated their sleep amount and to what degree
Define 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 insomnia
Briefly touch upon potential treatments

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#19 - Nightmares and Night Terrors: Whatever You Do, Don't Fall Asleep Oct 30, 2022

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 nightmare
Differentiate nightmares from bad dreams and learn what constitutes the diagnosis of nightmare disorder
List other REM-related parasomnias besides nightmare disorder (like isolated sleep paralysis (Episode 16), REM Behavior Disorder, and catathrenia
Characterize the prevalence of nightmares and nightmare disorder as well as its risk factors
Look in depth at treatments in particular Image Rehearsal Therapy and the newer Targeted Memory Reactivation technique
Name medications sometimes employed in nightmare disorder therapy
Define night terrors and other non-REM-related parasomnias like sleep talking (somniloquy), sleepwalking (somnambulism), sleep-related eating disorder (SRED), and various sexsomnias
Characterize the prevalence of night terrors as well as their risk factors
Review treatments and best practices for these disorders

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#18 - Daylight Saving Time: What Exactly Are We Saving? Oct 24, 2022

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 States
understand the reasons for not only implementing the practice of daylight saving time as well as the reasons why it has persisted
differentiate the various aspects of daylight saving time and standard time
touch on the actual energy savings created (or not) by daylight saving time
probe the public's sentiment for keeping DST or adopting permanent standard time
evaluate 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 time
list some possible strategies for lessening the impact of the transition

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#17 - The Truth About Napping Oct 16, 2022

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 performance
Evaluate how in some populations, excessive napping can be a marker of poor health
Learn how napping can be employed to supplement nocturnal sleep and repay sleep debt
Find out the ideal way to structure the environment and timing of naps
Recognize when napping may be a sign of poor health.

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#16 - Sleep Paralysis: There's a Demon In My Bed Oct 10, 2022

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 nightmare
contrast different cultural interpretations of sleep paralysis as well as the various treatments believed to ward off the condition
explore the incidence of the disorder both as an isolated phenomenon as well as a chronic state
describe the various ways in which it manifests in individuals
list the risk factors and predisposing conditions for sleep paralysis
detail the neural pathways and highlight the neuroanatomy of the process and how it links to causes and risk factors
discuss treatment options and for whom they may be appropriate

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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#15 - Insomnia: Waking Up At Night Oct 03, 2022

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 population
understand both the definition of arousal and its relationship to awakenings
investigate the concept of sleep efficiency, how it relates to sleep expectation versus sleep need, and how this itself can lead to increased awakenings at night
determine how the presence or absence of excessive sleepiness can help to understand the cause and seriousness of nocturnal awakenings
learn the risk factors and predictors that often lead to nocturnal awakenings
find out that an individual's determination of the cause of their awakenings can be unreliable
discuss the role of sleep studies in determining if there are pathological causes for nocturnal awakenings
explore the role of anxiety and worry in nocturnal awakenings
summarize the numerous studies that have shown the role of exercise in reducing both frequency and duration of nocturnal awakenings

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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#14 - Circadian Rhythms: Time May Change Me Sep 26, 2022

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 rhythms
understand the mechanisms in the nervous system that govern circadian rhythms and biological timing
find out about some of the early pioneers of circadian science and how their experiments helped to shed light on intrinsic rhythms
learn why human circadian rhythms are slightly longer than 24 hours
list the multiple systems within our bodies that depend on these rhythms
examine research that indicates how harmful biological timing is to our health and the diseases/conditions they influence
determine ways to optimize our own health through improved circadian scheduling

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#13 - Restless Legs Syndrome: You Gotta Move Sep 19, 2022

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 RLS
give an overview of the symptoms of RLS and the varied ways in which they are described and experienced
dissect the diagnostic criteria of RLS
differentiate primary RLS from secondary RLS
list the risk factors for RLS including low iron, pregnancy, and certain medications
discuss the treatments (both medicinal and non) of RLS including weighted blankets

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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#12 - Sleep and Athletic Performance: Major League Sleep Sep 12, 2022

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 subject
how I became interested and eventually involved with research in sleep and sport
the story behind my initial studies with Major League Baseball and travel
the topic of circadian advantage and how we measured it over ten years of Major League Baseball games
how chronotype seems to impact the performance timing of elite athletes
the influence of sleepiness on athletic performance, success in a sport, and potentially longevity as an athlete
other influential research and researchers in the field
what it all means for not only professional sports organizations, but also the average athlete

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#11 - Sleeping Pills: Sleeping With The Enemy Sep 05, 2022

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 product
the 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 happening
the risk of sleeping pills
how the relevance of these promoted benefits is of unclear significance
failure of sleeping pill research to prove health or performance benefits
the repetitive history of the sleeping pill cycle and how history has judged the fate of many that have come before

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Bonus: Behind the Scenes of Sleeping Around Sep 01, 2022

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.

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#10 - Alarm Clocks: Starting Your Day Right Aug 29, 2022

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 morning
the science behind the different types of sounds alarm clocks utilize and which tend to awaken individuals more effectively
the circadian influence of alarm clocks that utilize lights
the ‘Snooze Button’ and should you use it
strategies 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 morning

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#9 - The Controversy Surrounding School Start Times Aug 22, 2022

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 require
target the biggest threats to the sleep opportunity of school students
explore the nature of the school start time debate and the organizations/studies supporting the change
explain the factors that tend to derail schools from delaying school start times
dive 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 studies
learn what can be done at a local level and beyond

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#8 - Trendy Sleep Topics: Orthosomnia, Sleep Divorce, and Revenge Bedtime Procrastination Aug 15, 2022

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 origins
understand how orthosomnia applies to the greater concept of sleep monitoring
explore what a sleep divorce entails and the difficulties with the term
dissect the reasons why couples may choose to sleep apart, and how this can ultimately fail to address serious underlying medical conditions
touch upon relationship power imbalances that make sleep apart not an option for some individuals
understand the origins of revenge bedtime procrastination
differentiate "in-bed" procrastination from "going to bed" procrastination
work towards ways to minimize the factors that exacerbate bedtime procrastination

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
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The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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#7 - Why No One Cares Your Child Is Sleepy Aug 08, 2022

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 origins
recast the image of a narcolepsy patient from something cartoonish and unhelpful to a real person with an unfathomable degree of sleepiness
contrast the disability of sleepiness with other "seen" disabilities
explore why disorders of excessive sleepiness are largely ignored by the media while conditions like insomnia are embraced and reinforced at all levels
understand 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 Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
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Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#6 - The Trauma of Insomnia Aug 01, 2022

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 problems
examine risk factors for developing insomnia
review studies that demonstrate insomnia patients are generally sleeping relatively normal amounts
uncover studies that reveal that insomnia patients generally do not share identifiable sleep study deficiencies
understand why insomnia patients often develop negative views of their sleep and how this factor alone, irrespective of sleep quality and amount, predicts disbility
explore 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 Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#5 - Mild Sleep Apnea: Death By CPAP Jul 24, 2022

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 apnea
define 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 condition
look at the literature and why some experts advocate treating mild sleep apnea and while other do not
understand 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 Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
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Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#4 - White Noise and Sleep Jul 18, 2022

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 represents
how the history of white noise machines has evolved
relationships and research looking at white noise, sleep, memory, and cognition
the recent research linking white noise to brain damage
the emergence of pink noise and how it differs from white noise
differences between other "colors of noise" specifically purple/violet, grey, brown, and blue.
binaural beats, what they are, and the science linking them with better sleep

NOTE: 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_noise

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
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Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#3 - Sleep and Menopause: Why Don't We Talk About This More? Jul 11, 2022

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 sleep
some 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 issues
how menopause can lead to a higher incidence of sleep disordered breathing
the role of hormone replacement therapy
how other factors could influence sleep in the menopausal population
strategies for minimizing the impact of menopause on sleep

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#2 - Insomnia: It's Not What You Think It Is Jul 04, 2022

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 parameters
learn (via a story that admittedly goes on way too long) that anything, even a Fantasy Football game, can precipitate a night of transient insomnia
understand that a patient's perceived disability is at the core of the insomnia definition, and only the patient gets to define that disability
begin 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 patients

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#1 - Welcome/Introduction to Sleep Unplugged Jun 27, 2022

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 sleep
interesting and illustrative patient stories
experiences with the many professional sports organizations for whom I work
excerpts from my books
debunking sleep myths and misinformation
explanations and responses to current research and popular topics
items that go beyond traditional biomedical sources like music and art that involve sleep

Produced by: Maeve Winter
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Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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