Dr. Gregory Poland, Leader in vaccines and infectious diseases at the Mayo clinic Interview

Dr. Poland talks with Mendte in the Morning about a common issue that people have with sleeping and how it can be fixed.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Who knew you could sleep the wrong way? I thought
sleeping was one of those things we all just did
and there was no right or wrong way. But I
apparently am wrong. Doctor Gregory Poland is the health and
medical expert who is a leader in vaccines and infectious
diseases at the Mayo Clinic. He's also president of the
Atria Research Institute right here in New York City. Doctor Poulwin,

(00:24):
thank you so much for joining us. Good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Always a pleasure. So how do I sleep wrong?

Speaker 3 (00:31):
Most Americans do? It's pretty surprising that we don't know.
Here are typical things. Stop looking at screens before you
go to bed, or even worse, when you're lying in
bed getting ready to go to sleep. The room should
be darkened, no light, you might want some so called

(00:52):
white noise in the background. It should be on the
cool side. And the best position to sleep been is
on your side, not on.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
Your back, Doctor Paulin, nobody does any of those things.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
That's the problem. And you know, we do have a
lot of sleep problems. We are a nation of chronically
tired people, and in its worst manifestation is this concept
or diagnosis of sleep apnea, which is about thirty to
forty million people in the US experience.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Well, describe what sleep apnea is.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
First, Well, these this is the collapse of the airway,
and so you see symptoms like snoring, waking up with
a dry mouth because of mouth breathing. Interestingly enough, insomnia
and daytime sleepiness, irritability, and the risk of this is
of cardiovascular disease. A recent study showed about a fifty

(01:56):
percent increase risk of cognitive issues, diabetes, depression, obesity. So
it's a it's a diagnosis that carries significant issues with it,
but it's treated by using CPAP, by using positive pressure
air to keep that airway open. But in kind of

(02:20):
a fun study, a recent investigator published a study on
conk shell blowing. That's right, a conk shell and found
on the.

Speaker 4 (02:31):
Beach, like you see that yeah in the movie Yeah yep.

Speaker 3 (02:35):
Regularly doing that over about a six month time period
significantly improved sleep mild to moderate sleep apnea. And there's
a new drug that's coming out called ad one oh nine,
which seems to keep the airway from collapsing. This is
important because a lot of people avoid getting evaluated for

(02:57):
sleep apnea because they say, I don't want to machine
on my face forcing me to breathe right, and.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
We want a conkshell.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
It sounds like an elaborate, practical joke, doesn't it telling
people to go get a cop?

Speaker 4 (03:10):
Can't you do some kind of breathing exercises like the
thing they gave you after a surgery? You know those
things you blow into with the ball flying up, and
that the same.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Gotta be a conksholl.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Okay, you're right.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
If this or April first, you'd have reason to be suspect. No,
I think you're right that that anything where you have
to purse the lips and blow out hard is going
to activate and strengthen those upper airway muscles, and that
seems to be the common denominator under lying.

Speaker 4 (03:45):
Sleep app So it's breath it's breathing.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
I can't just blow up a balloon show well he
said it. Doesn't heard him say that.

Speaker 4 (03:57):
He just said differently right now, though, So I have
to go back to you saying, which I thought was
really interesting, that sleeping on your side is the best position.
Is that also because of airway you know openings?

Speaker 3 (04:09):
Okay, yes, back sleeping is probably the worst. Mixed reviews
on stomach sleeping, but side sleeping definitely the best.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
So you're telling me now that if I don't look
at my phone laying in bed, and that if I
turn to my side and put all the lights out,
I'm gonna probably live longer.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
And that conk shell and then put your.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
Down, take your conk shell to bed, Well, that would.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
Be interesting, the conk shell in bed.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
No, I don't think people take their sleep seriously enough.
And I and the other biggest problem, especially for Natalie
and I and everybody that works on the show, is
that we don't get enough sleep. And that must cause
some major problems as well.

Speaker 3 (05:05):
Oh, no question, third shift workers, for you guys that
are getting up very early to get to work, if
you don't plan your life well around getting an adequate
amount of sleep and ensuring that you do so, no
question that there are negative health effects of that.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Man, Well, this is the most depressing, doctor Paul. And
usually I have a great time with you, and you're
just telling me now all the ways I'm going to
die for people who.

Speaker 4 (05:35):
Don't for people who don't get a really good night sleep,
and it could be because of their hours, it could
be because of children, or just they don't sleep well.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Are naps helpful.

Speaker 3 (05:45):
In that, you know. Thanks for bringing that up, Natalie, Yes,
they are. In fact, a nap no longer than about
twenty minutes can actually be very helpful. Longer than twenty minutes,
you actually start accruing negative effects from.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
Well, thanks for joining us, doctor Paul, and doctor might
not be here next week. Who does a twenty minute nap? Seriously,
who really does a.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Twenty minute nap?

Speaker 3 (06:15):
You know, I can't nap at all. If I nap,
I'm sleepy the rest of the day.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
Let's let's move on to the to the topic I
was also trying to avoid, how you say congestion pricing
is actually helping us that has health has health benefits
as well. You realize many people in this city hate
congestion pricing.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
I know, I know. I mean, I'm in Manhattan a
week every month and I get an earfull of it.
But I must say it's a lot more pleasant walking
around Manhattan. So here's what they found. Not surprisingly, noise
complaints decreased by seventy percent, and you know, noise pollution, Yeah,

(07:02):
carbon pollution went down two and a half percent. Walking
went up almost ten percent. And importantly, again not surprising,
I guess car crashes and injuries to pedestrians decreased by
fifty percent five to oh, so, you know, I know
it's controversial. I know it's been a problem for some people,

(07:27):
but their benefits to having less cars on the road
and doing more walking.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
You're really bat in the thousand. Let's move into an
next one. Hell, hand soa, it's gonna kill us two.

Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah, it's still of you know, interesting information. Right, there's
a New Jersey company. They sell their hand soap products
under the moniker of Derma Clean, Derma Right Clean, Foam,
Harry Genie. These are soaps that often have something like
vitamin E or abservative in them that are contaminated with

(08:04):
a common bacteria called Burkeholderia. But it's an opportunistic bacteria,
meaning that in people who are immunocompromised, particularly who have
lung issues, it can be a deadly infection, leading to
pneumonia and sepsis and septic shock. The problem with this

(08:26):
particular bacteria is that it is multiply drug resistant. So
the manufacturer did the right thing issuing a recall of
Evidently four lots of their products are thought to be contaminated.
So again, look for Derma Clean, Derma right clean Foam
or Perry Genie and if you have those products, return

(08:49):
them to where you got them.

Speaker 1 (08:50):
Well, that was very important information. You made a big
comeback right there at the end.

Speaker 2 (08:57):
Nice job. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (08:58):
Doctor Gregory Poled health and medical expert who is a
leader in vaccines and infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic
and he's also president. That's what I'm sure why you're
in town once a week at the Atria Research Institute
in New York, Doctor Poland, thanks so much.

Speaker 3 (09:15):
Thank you,