Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

It has been a while since we have focused our attention on light therapy and sleep. For this Insomnia Monday, I thought a revisiting of light therapy might be in order. In this episode we will:Touch on new research that serves to minimize the role that blue light plays in terms of sleep harmLook at other colors of light and how that might affect sleep and healthEvaluate research looking at light therapy and insomniaExpand our thinking about insomnia into a place that includes circadian disorders and causes/contributorsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

In 2024, the Independent published an article entitled, "Experts Issue Warning About Using the Snooze Button." Previously, a sleep specialist said the snooze button was "one of the worst things you can do." Is any of this true? Could there potentially be a benefit? In this episode we will:Touch upon the history of the snooze buttonList some theories why it might be harmful to sleep/healthCharacterize the typical snooze button userLook at the average time one might snoozeProvide some insight as to various snooze button motivationsLearn why snoozing can be a strategy for dealing with sleep inertiaReview some surprising research about snoozing potentially helping with cognitive abilitiesProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Dive into the fascinating world of heart rate variability (HRV) and its crucial role in sleep medicine. Discover how HRV can indicate sleep quality and even predict medical conditions. Learn how different sleep stages affect HRV and how this information is used in wearable technology. Explore lifestyle factors that influence HRV, and find out about innovative tools like Z-Den, designed to enhance sleep by reducing distractions.

If you pay any attention to sleep hygiene advice, you have probably heard many times that you should get up at the same time every day for optimal sleep. But does that mean you can never lounge around in bed a little in the morning? According to the Scottish, not at all. In fact, they have a term for it: hurkle-durkle. In this episode of the podcast, we will:Define "hurkle-durkle"Differentiate hurkle-durkling from bedrotting, another popular social media trendReview the factors that seem to be necessary for a proper hurkle-durkle experienceExplore how this concept, applied in moderation, can be applied to our feelings of positivity or negativity about being in bed awakeProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulators are often advertised as insomnia therapies, "helping you fall asleep faster" or "helping you sleep through the night. Do they work? In this Insomnia Monday episode of the podcast, we will:Introduce vagal nerve stimulatorsDescribe the path and role of the vagus nerveUnderstand the role of the parasympathetic nervous systemExamine the limited research on vagal nerve stimulators and sleepUnderstand the scale of the placebo effect in sleep/insomnia researchDifferentiate a statistically meaningful change in sleep/polysomnographic parameters from a "real world" meaningful change in someone struggling with insomniaList the strengths and criticisms of vagal nerve stimulators including study size and study designLearn who is the right candidate for vagal nerve stimulatorsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

When we think about the deleterious effects of poor sleep, cardiovascular and cognitive/psychological consequences typically come first to mind. One of the less obvious and less understood effects is that of cancer which was listed as a probably carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2007. Since that time, there has been considerable efforts to understand the role plays in cancer. In this episode we will:Evaluate the original research looking at sleep and cancer riskList the cancer types commonly associated with poor/inadequate sleepHighlight studies that cast doubt on this relationshipReview factors related to sleep and shift work that might influence riskSpeculate on possible mechanisms that lead to carcinogenicityTouch upon steps one can take to lessen cancer risk associated with poor sleepProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The relationship between sleep and blood glucose is a powerful one and it impacts our weight, the way we eat, and countless other health metrics. In this episode we will:Introduce the concept of glycemic controlDefine insulin sensitivity and how it relates to diabetesLearn why sleep deficiency increases blood sugar levelsStress the role that cortisol and growth hormone play in glucose regulation and how sleep impacts bothExplore the relationship between sleep stage and glucose regulationEmphasize sleep deprivation as a negative factor in glycemic regulationUnderstand the common pathway of sleep disorders and blood sugar controlFollow the bidirectional relationship between elevated blood glucose levels and poor sleep qualityProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

While the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires continue to burn in California, firefighters and other first responders work tirelessly around the clock. What does their ability to bypass sleep for 48-60 hours mean in terms of individuals with insomnia, and what does this kind of work do to their own health? In this episode, we will:Frame the ability to temporarily derive ourselves of sleep as being a powerful tool and not necessarily a sign that sleep is bad or brokenExamine the sleep of first responders, in particular firefightersTouch upon that vast number of firefighters with undiagnosed sleep disordersThink about the role sleep schedules play in their sleep and healthProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

When it comes to insomnia treatments, there probably is no better intervention than exercise. If you are not already convinced, in this episode we will:Discuss the benefits of exercise on various sleep parameters and insomnia specificallyOutline the amounts of exercise that seem to make the most differenceExplore the reasons why exercise might improve sleep quality and minimize the manifestations of insomniaEvaluate the types of exercise best suited to improve sleep qualityProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Believe it or not, but the 3rd Annual Sleep Unplugged "Sleepy" Awards are upon us again. What better way to close out the year of sleep than to recognize some truly exceptions individuals and organizations within the field of sleep.  Join me as we celebrate some of the brightest stars in this podcast episode:The 2024 Sleepy Award winners are:Social Media Warrior                    Dr. Upneet "Neety" Chawla                                                          (@sleeping.beauty_md) Sleep Outsider Award                  Equinox HotelsSleep Vanguard Organization     Mattress FirmSleep Sports Organization          Los Angeles DodgersSleep Podcast of The Year           The SRS Podcast/Dr. Jesse Cook                                                                            (@sleepandsports)Best Insomnia Advice                   Teresa (DeNike) Power (@sleepbetternyc)Book of the Year                            Navigating Life with Restless Legs Syndrome                                                          Dr. Andrew Spector (@andrewspectormd)Sleep Trend Farewell                    Sleepy Girl Mocktail                  Sleep Crusader Award                 Dr. Michael Grandner (@michaelgrandner)Produced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!