Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

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...

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 a...

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...

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 ...

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 infl...

Somewhere between normal nocturnal breathing and sleep apnea exists a strange entity. This condition, often debated in terms of its mere existence is upper airway resistance syndrome, and knowing about it can be the difference between solving your sleep-related breathing woes and continuing your struggles. In this episode we will:

• define upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS)
• review the concept and pathophysiology of upper airwa...

Sleep walking is probably the most recognized and discussed parasomnia, but it can also create significant confusion and danger for those affected. In this episode, we will:

• Define sleepwalking 
• Differentiate somnambulism and noctambulism
• Evaluate how age and genetics affects the condition
• Characterize the parasomnia
• List the causes of sleep walking
• Discuss disorders associated with the disorder
• Touch upon ways to assess sleepwalking
• E...

We often talk about the amount of sleep individuals need creates confusion for insomnia patients. In this episode we dive deeper into this concept with a way in which to think about sleep need. In this episode we will:

• Revisit sleep need 
• Understand why 8 hours is not right more many individuals
• Touch on the complicated nature of determining how much sleep one needs to sleep
• Define the "Good Night Rebound Bias"
• Learn how p...

Sleep apnea is a very common medical problem that affects a large portion of the population. The treatment options leave much to be desired including what is by far and away the most common treatment: the CPAP device. This reality has led to the quest to find a medical treatment for sleep apnea, and one investigational drug AD109, has received some early attention. In this episode we will:

• Discuss the history of medications bein...

Aging is a certainty of life, and with it comes changes in sleep. Understanding these changes is central to life-long pursuit of healthy sleep. In this episode we will:

• Discuss whether or not older individuals sleep less than younger individuals
• Evaluate the role of schedules and schedule flexibility in the sleep of the elderly
• Learn why the circadian rhythm diminishes with age
• Spotlight the role of exercise in the sleep of seniors
• ...

The menstrual cycle has long been associated with sleep. Emerging research is uncovering more of a bidirectional relationship with sleep. In this episode we will:

• Provide an overview of the menstrual cycle
• Evaluate the reciprocity of the relationship between sleep and the menstrual cycle
• Discuss the roles of estrogen and progesterone in the cycle and how their relationships might affect sleep
• Review the 4 stages of the menstrual cy...

Like it or not, the concept of a sleep divorce seems like it is here to stay. Sleeping in separate beds or bedrooms is a popular option for solving sleep issues, but is it the right choice? Are there better options. In this episode we will:

• Look at historical research about partner sleep
• Define a sleep divorce
• Introduce the Scandinavian Sleep Method
• Understand how sleep timing/chronotype plays a role is sleep compatibility
• Learn how...

"You are getting sleepy" is what I think about when I think of hypnosis, and given that it has been looked at as a treatment for insomnia, it makes a lot of sense. While the research linking sleep and hypnosis is a both thin and evolving, there are studies to learn from. In this episode we will:

• Look at the history of hypnosis as a sleep/insomnia tool
• Define hypnosis and learn why a failure to agree on a definition of h...

Lately, much seems to be made about the relationship between air quality and sleep. Air purification systems have jumped on the sleep bandwagon as have good old fashioned house plants. But is there any evidence supporting this connection? In this episode we will:

• Look at research connecting air quality and sleep quality among various populations
• Evaluate the research linking air quality measures and sleep metrics in different cou...

While we have touched on sleep deprivation in other episodes, particularly as it relates to confusion with the concept of insomnia, in this episode, we devote the entire program to a discussion of the topic. In this episode we will:

• Define sleep deprivation
• Go through the symptoms of sleep deprivation and research into many of these signs
• Touch upon how we look for and measure sleep deprivation
• Contrast sleep deprivation with insom...

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 c...

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 Molec...

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
• Di...

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 improv...