Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

#95 - Sleep and Breath: Every Breath You Take Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

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

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!

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

Show notes

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

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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