Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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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