Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter
No holds barred, unscripted discussion on a wide range of sleep topics - from sleep disorders to current research and controversies in the field. No topic is off limits! Dr. Chris Winter is a clinician, a board certified neurologist and double boarded sleep specialist with 30 years of clinical experience. He is the author of The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child, and is a popular consultant and speaker, working for many professional sports teams. He is well known for his unique perspective and ability to demystify sleep, all of which he brings to Sleep Unplugged.
Episodes
122 episodes
#121 - Hurricanes, Climate, and Sleep: It Is Time For Stormy Weather
Climate change is not only a growing threat to our planetary survival, but it is also a major player in the health and safety of people everywhere. Our sleep health does not escape the widening reach of global climate consequences. In this epis...
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28:59
#120 - Sleepmaxxing: Broke The Limit
Up until recently, getting more sleep was not exactly cool and absolutely not something to brag about. Gen Z may be changing that perception on social medial as they brag about getting more sleep, better sleep, and pushing the concept of sleep ...
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28:46
#119 - Media and Sleep Product Ratings: You Look Like You’re The Best
Over the past few years, the topic of sleep has permeated the media landscape like few other topics in science and medicine. This has led to not only a fascination withing the public about the topic, but also a wild west-like race to financiall...
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27:57
#118 - Apple Watches and Sleep Apnea: Watch It Now, Here It Comes
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 med...
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33:26
#117 - Seasons of Sleep: As The Old Sun Dies
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 sleepLook at seasonal trends in sleep tim...
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28:26
#116 - Sleep Unplugged Book Club #1-Navigating Life With Restless Legs Syndrome: Bouncing 'Round the Room
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 ...
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39:43
#115 - Insomnia and Sleep Debt: Pay It Back
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<...
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24:39
#114 - Inflammation and Sleep: I’m On Fire
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 infl...
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32:23
#113 - Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome: In The Dark, I Feel Your Resistance
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 y...
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29:53
#112 - Sleep Walking: To Get Up and Go, Memory's Remote, Now I’m Standing Up The Morning After
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 somnambulis...
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36:34
#111 - Sleep Schedules and Insomnia: Wasting the Dawn
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 ...
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28:31
#110 - The Sleep Apnea Pill: Wired On The Pills You Took
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 th...
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38:25
#109 - Sleep in the Elderly: What A Drag It Is Getting Old
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...
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30:55
#108 - The Menstrual Cycle and Sleep: God's Little Gift Is On The Rag
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 cycleEvaluate the recipr...
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35:21
#107 - Avoiding a Sleep Divorce: Let's Stay Together
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:...
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29:54
# 106 - Hypnosis and Sleep: Hypnotized, Mesmerized By What My Eyes Have Found
"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...
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31:26
#105 - Sleep and Air Quality: The Air Is Finally Safe To Breathe Again
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 th...
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31:00
#104 - Sleep Deprivation: Get Up, Get Up! Wake Up, Wake Up!
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:...
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30:12
#103 - Research from the 2024 SLEEP Scientific Conference: Pleasant Dreams at the Sleep Brain Drain
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 ...
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39:28
#102 - New Insomnia Solutions: Wrap it Up and Let Me Sleep
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...
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32:34
#101 - Sleep and the Armed Forces: Join the Military Service
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<...
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29:14
#100 - 100 Surprising Tips, Tricks, Hacks, and Secrets for Amazing Sleep: Here's a List
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...
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27:09
#99 - Dementia and Sleep: Because I Don’t Remember
In episode 62, we began to look at the role sleep plays in memory. In episode 65, we looked at the condition REM behavior disorder and how this neurodegenerative condition is often associated with telling sleep disorders. We continue both of th...
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31:23
#98 - Insomnia and Belief: You Only Perceive What You Believe
One of the aspects of insomnia that can be both a perpetuating factor and and target for treatment is exploring dysfunctional beliefs. In this episode we will:Explore different types of insomnia beliefsUnderstand how these ...
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23:20
#97 - Nightmare Disorder: Nights So Cruel I Thought I'd Die
Dreams happen, and unfortunately, sometimes those dreams are nightmares. For most, these terrifying nights are few and far between. For a small few, nightmares become a frequent and unwanted nighttime norm. In this episode we will:R...
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29:28