Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

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 drivingOutline the scope of this public health problemEvaluate the causes of drowsy drivingLook at factors making drowsy driving more likely or dangerousCharacterize the level of impairment in terms of alcohol consumptionTouch upon laws about drowsy driving accidentsIdentify drowsy driving risk factorsList ways to mitigate the problemProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 servicesContrast the Equinox Hotel's massive exploration of ways to improve sleep with British Cycling's "Marginal Gains" philosophyTouch on hospitality research that supports their patrons wanting an enhanced physical environment, and better interactions/outcomes, and how focusing on sleep can achieve this goalExamine the physical space of the hotel room and understand how its appointments affect sleepGo beyond the hotel room to look at food menus, fitness club offerings, and spa treatments as means to improve sleepThink about the potential hotel/sleep industry partnerships with the hotel the ideal proving grounds for emerging sleep products and technologyProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 sleepTouch upon previously covered circadian disordersDefine chronotype its relationship to quality sleepExamine the parallels with circadian disorders and the transition to daylight saving timeUnderstand the causes of circadian rhythm disorderList some treatments for these disordersProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 pressureDescribe how pressure has a calming effect on the body via parasympathetic system activationExplore the origins of more widespread weighted blanket use in the autism and sensory integration communitiesWeigh the available research concerning weighted blankets and sleep/insomniaDiscuss theories on why weighted blankets might exert their effectsTouch upon other conditions that weighted blankets might help treatProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

A simple sleep mask can revolutionize your rest. Discover the profound effects they've shown, especially in hospitals. Learn about specific medical groups that benefit from their use. The discussion highlights the connection between eye masks and circadian sleep disorders, as well as their positive impact on memory and learning. Pregnant women also reap significant sleep improvements. Plus, explore different types of masks to find the perfect fit for your sleep needs!

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 modificationUnderstand the temperature-regulating properties of various fabricsExplore cotton as a bedding material and how the addition of performance fibers can enhance the cooling properties of the materialEvaluate 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 upscaleProvide an overview of polyester, perhaps the fabric with the biggest quality range in the bedding spaceConsider silk and how it might be the best fabric for sensitive skin or for people with certain dermatological conditionsDiscuss the cooling nature of bamboo and its low impact on the environmentLargely ignore flannel as a bedding abominationTouch upon Tencel and its unique textural propertiesProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 insomniaDefine anxiety and how it works in insomniaLook at the role fear plays both in insomnia and how it functions as a central target in CBTiConsider how some aspects of CBTi can often create fear as well as alleviate itLook at the insomnia cycle within social media and popular media and how it creates its own fearUnderstand the role of fear and the fear response amplitude within our neural circuitry as a potential risk factor for developing insomniaProduced 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 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 childrenDetermine the scope of cell phone use at bedtime and beyondMeasure the impact phone use has on sleep, including sleep onset, sleep quality, and sleep amountList the features of phone use at night that may explain the detrimental effectsReview the impact curtailing cell phone use at night can have one 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!

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 fogTouch upon the demographics and incidence of the disorder, with particular attention to CovidReview the history of the disorderLook at theories related to the pathophysiology of brain fogEvaluate the interplay of sleep and brain fogDiscuss the development of a brain fog assessmentList some potential brain fog interventionsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 syndromeReview the key characteristics of the parasomniaExplore the history and legend of EHSExamine the demographics of the disorderUnderstand the incidence and age range of the parasomniaMention theories that might explain its underlying causeDiscuss potential treatment optionsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!