Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

Weight loss drugs are everywhere and recently Zepbound (tirzepitide) made big news when it became the first FDA-approved sleep apnea therapy for mild to moderate sleep apnea. In this episode, we will:

• Introduce and explain weight loss medications
• Review the studies that convinced the FDA to approve Zepbound for sleep apnea
• Provide an overview on this class of weight loss medications
• Evaluate the risks and determine who is a best ma...

You are looking live at the Seattle Conference Center where sleep researchers from around the world are converging to carry around tote bags and share the latest and greatest sleep research. I was there and saw it all. In this episode we will:

• Discuss AI and its emerging role in sleep research
• Learn why napping continues to show positives in attention and performance
• Continue the focus on chrononutrition and how sleep and circadia...

So far on the podcast we had talked about sleep apnea as well as the treatments CPAP and surgery. On this episode of the podcast, we discuss another popular treatment option: oral appliances. In this episode we will:

• Review the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea
• Outline the mechanism via which oral appliance work
• List the pros and cons of oral appliance for surgery
• Discuss how the oral appliance fits into the landscape of s...

One of the biggest obstacles in insomnia treatment is the perceived threat of physical harm related to the sleep difficulty. It's a major cog in the insomnia-fear-arousal cycle. In this episode we will:

• Utilize two case studies to illustrate the disruption that fear of harm causes with insomnia recovery
•  Discuss insomnia is a disorder of distress, not danger
• Talk about the lack of any evidence that acute sleep loss causes med...

When we did the snooze button episode of the podcast, it all started with a declaration that the snooze button was the worst thing for sleep. While it's fairly clear the snooze button is not, what is? In this episode, we list the top 10 worst things for sleep. In this episode we will:

• List what I believe the top ten worst things for sleep are
• Provide a nugget of research to back it up
• This will be a dynamic list that we will ...

Sweating at night is a common complaint in the sleep clinic. While night sweats are often thought of as being the exclusive domain of post-menopausal women, their causes can be surprisingly varied. In this episode we will:

• Review the epidemiology of night sweats
• List the cause both benign and more concerning
• Discuss how night sweats specifically impact sleep quality and architecture
• Review interventions to help with the problem

When it comes to symptoms that cause us to seek medical help, there are few that top pain. Pain occupies a unique space within the world of sleep, in particular back, neck, and shoulder pain. In this episode we will:

• Provide an overview of sleep-related pain
• Explore the relationship between sleep disturbances and pain
• Learn how sleep disturbances can be a strong predictor of the development of pain
• Examine studies linking REM sleep...

Over the last several years, adult 'bedtime stories' have become a ubiquitous internet method used by many to help themselves fall asleep at night. In this episode we will:

• Define bedtime stories
• Explore what makes them useful for some as a bedtime ritual for sleep
• Discuss the role these techniques play in insomnia
• Dissect the ways in which these stores could actually work against someone overcoming their insomnia
• Think ab...

There is nothing more pleasing to the soul than wandering into a space that makes you feel protected, present, and at peace. Many elements involved in the creation of a comfortable bedroom sanctuary have been covered on the podcast. Now, we work to synthesize them all into your Zen den masterpiece. In this episode we will:

• Think about how room color choices affect relaxation and sleep
• Design the lighting that will best support ou...

As the owner of a private medical practice, I know how difficult it is for the solo provider/small group to keep the doors open and deliver quality care, especially if the providers participate with insurance carriers. This fact not only affects providers, but as we will explore in the episode, it can often directly impact they options for care a patient receives. In this episode we will:

• Understand the obstacles and mispercepti...

We have talked extensively about Type 1 and Type 2 narcolepsy on the podcast, but what about its mysterious cousin idiopathic hypersomnia (IH)? What is IH and why is it so hard to diagnose? What is its relationship with narcolepsy, and how do we treat it? In this episode we will:

• Define idiopathic hypersomnia
• Look at its incidence rate next to narcolepsy
• List the key characteristics that differentiate it from narcolepsy
• Learn the f...

A recent New York Times article entitled "A Simple Technique to Help You Fall Asleep" by Christina Caron details a technique dubbed cognitive shuffling that took the internet by storm as a treatment for a racing mind at night. In this episode we will:

• Define cognitive reshuffling
• Explore its origins in other 'distracting' techniques including the original--counting sheep
• Discuss the role these techniques play i...

We have all experienced it...you're sitting in bed, nodding off, and suddenly you awaken with a start feeling like you are about to fall down stairs. Hypnic myoclonus is estimated to affect as many as 60-70% of individuals, but what is it? In this episode we will:

• Define hypnic myoclonus, often referred to as "sleep starts" or "hypnagogic jerks"
• Review the symptoms of the phenomenon
• Speculate of the evolut...

26 million adult Americans have sleep apnea and 80-90% represent undiagnosed cases. Why have these numbers remained so high when there are easier diagnostic and treatment options than ever? In this episode we will:

• Discuss obstacles to diagnosis
• See how the lack of symptom specificity adds to the problem
• Consider if lack of provider awareness is really an issue
• Look at fear as a factor holding patients back
• Evaluate the difficulty o...

Everyone loves the NCAA basketball tournament...teams colliding in a winner-take-all tournament for basketball supremacy. Haven't you ever dreamed about a similar competition between different pillows? Well dream no longer because that bedding showdown is here. Pillows are so important to our sleep, which is why I have assembled 17 of the finest to square off in a battle the likes of which have never been seen. In this episode...

As we recover from yet another "spring forward" into Daylight Saving Time again, it seems a good time to revisit the topic we initially covered in episode 18. While that episode sought more to explain the origins of the practice and how to best adjust, this episode is more of a declaration as to why the entire practice should be abolished in favor of permanent standard time. In this episode we will:

• Unpack the support ...

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 harm
• Look at other colors of light and how that might affect sleep and health
• Evaluate research looking at light therapy and insomnia
• Expand our t...

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 button
• List some theories why it might be harmful to sleep/health
• Characterize the typ...

Heart rate variability (HRV) is everywhere, and in no space has it made a bigger splash than in sleep medicine. Not only is HRV influenced significantly by sleep, but it is also at the core of wearable sleep technology. In this episode we will:

• Define heart rate variability
• Discuss what increased or decreased heart rate variability means
• List the medical conditions often associated/predicted by changes in HRV
• Characterize how HRV i...