Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

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**Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter**

No holds barred, unscripted discussion on a wide range of sleep topics – from sleep disorders to current research and controversies in the field. No topic is off limits! Dr. Chris Winter is a clinician, a board certified neurologist and double boarded sleep specialist with 30 years of clinical experience. He is the author of The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child, and is a popular consultant and speaker, working for many professional sports teams. He is well known for his unique perspective and ability to demystify sleep, all of which he brings to Sleep Unplugged.

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
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

Show notes

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

Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
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

Show notes

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

Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
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

Show notes

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

Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
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

Show notes

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

Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
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

Show notes

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

Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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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