Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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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