Sleep Junkies

Artificial intelligence is the vanguard of a new technological revolution that will affect all aspects of human society.

Our work, our health, the cars we drive, even the media we consume - all will be radically transformed in the coming years and decades by 'intelligent machines'. Essentially, these are computers that have learnt how to do many of the tasks we thought only humans were capable of. But the difference is, AI can do things quicker, more accurately, and of course, without needing human intervention.

Sleep medicine will not be an exception to this march of progress. So much so, that earlier this year, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) issued a position statement, outlining a roadmap for sleep professionals to start engaging now with the multifaceted ways that AI will inevitably impact on patient care, diagnostics, staff allocation, treatment protocols and much more.

We talk to Dr Cathy Goldstein, neurologist, and chair of the AASM's committee on AI about how artificial intelligence will shape the field of sleep medicine in coming years, and also how Dr Goldstein's own research into longitudinal sleep tracking with consumer wearables may also play a role in expanding our vision for how we manage sleep health outside of the clinic.

This episode's guest:

Cathy Goldstein, MD, is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan and faculty in the Sleep Disorders Center. Her current research focus, through work with mathematics, is the improvement of sleep tracking via algorithm development and validation using consumer sensors.

The ultimate goal of this work is more accurate longitudinal sleep estimation for performance and precision health applications. Dr. Goldstein has a passion for teaching and her educational roles have included University of Michigan athletes, trainers, and coaches and medical school faculty and trainees. She has helped disseminate sleep health and wellness to the general public through pieces in numerous media outlets.

Dr. Goldstein works to promote the adoption of cutting edge technology in sleep medicine as the chair of the national committee on AI in sleep medicine.

Dr.Goldstein has a passion for education that spans colleagues, trainees, patients and the public. In addition to her clinical work, she holds various leadership roles including Associate Editor for the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Circadian Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorders Section Editor of UpToDate, and committee work through the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

University of Michigan: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/neurology/cathy-goldstein-md-ms

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathygo_sleep

More Resources:

AI in sleep medicine: an AASM position statement: https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.8288

A Consumer Sleep Tracker Researchers Can Actually Use

Artificial intelligence in sleep medicine: background and implications for clinicians

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/ai-sleep-medicine

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This week we explore 'pandemic dreaming' - a phenomenon where people around the world, experiencing lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, have reported an uptick in incidences of dreaming and more vivid dreams.

We talk to two academics who, for several years have been undertaking an art/science project, DreamsID in which individuals recall a dream, which is then transformed in real time to a work of art.

We talk about some of the reasons behind 'Covid dreams', art, symbolism and metaphors, an overview of contemporary theories of dreams' functions, and explore new theories of how the act of sharing dreams may strengthen social bonds by increasing feelings of empathy.

This episode's guests:

Mark Blagrove is a Professor of Psychology at Swansea Univeristy. He studies the relationship between sleep and cognition, including effects of sleep loss, memory consolidation functions of sleep, causes and possible functions of dreaming, nightmares, and lucid dreams.

Swansea University: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/human-and-health-sciences/psychology/m.t.blagrove/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mark_Blagrove

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Blagrove

 

Julia Lockheart BA MA PhD FRSA SFHEA is a British artist, academic and researcher. She currently works as a metadesign researcher and Associate Lecturer in Design Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London; as a Senior Lecturer, Head of Contextual Practices, and Director of the Metadesign Research Centre at Swansea College of Art, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and also as a design and language consultant to several educational institutions internationally.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Lockheart

Goldsmiths: https://www.gold.ac.uk/design/people/lockheart-julia/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrLockheart

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julia_Lockheart

More Resources:

DreamsID: http://dreamsid.com/

Study - Empathy & Dream Sharing: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01351/full

Article from Sublime Magazine: https://sublimemagazine.com/dream-sharing

Wired Magazine: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/coronavirus-dreams-sleep

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/covid-dreams-empathy/

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In recent years we've been bombarded with advice warning of the dangers of sleep-stealing blue light emitted from smartphones, tablets and computer screens.

But scientists and health experts are slowly coming to realise that the melatonin-blocking function of short-wavelength light is only part of the story regarding the reasons why technology keeps us awake at night.

In this episode we talk to renowned sleep expert Dr Michael Grandner about the complex and nuanced ways that technology can contribute to a lack of sleep - discussing not just the role of blue light, but also the addictive nature of social media algorithms, how different types of digital media affect sleep, and offering some practical tips to help you manage your smartphone addiction.

This episode's guest:

Dr. Michael Grandner is the Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UA College of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Psychology (UA College of Science), Nutritional Sciences (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), and Clinical Translational Science. In addition, he is a faculty member of the Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs. He is Certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and is a Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine.

Website: http://www.michaelgrandner.com/

University of Arizona: https://www.sleephealthresearch.com/team.html

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grandner/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Grandner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelgrandner

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/screens-and-sleep/

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A special episode focussed around coronavirus COVID-19, we talk to Dr Jonathan Cedernaes about the roles that sleep plays in our immune system, fighting infections, and how environmental factors such as physical exercise,  sunlight and diet impact our circadian clocks.

This episode's guest:

Jonathan Cedernaes MD, PhD is a senior researcher at Uppsala University where he completed both his medical degree and his PhD in the Department of Neuroscience.

Uppsala: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N7-789

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jonathan_Cedernaes

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cedernaes-176b3159

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCedernaes

Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-immunity-and-coronavirus/

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The second instalment of a wide-ranging conversation with associate professor of neuroscience, Christian Benedict on the fascinating, complex and still as yet fully unravelled associations between sleep, obesity, diet and weight gain.

This Episode's Guest

Christian Benedict Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in neuroscience at Uppsala University where he heads up a team of scientists at the Benedict lab, which studies the effects of circadian disruption and sleep loss on health and performance, with a particular focus on the relationship between sleep loss and metabolism. 

Christian holds a Master's degree in nutritional science,  a Ph.D. in human biology, is a teacher in the medical and biomedicine program at UU and is also the author of the book "Sömn, Sömn, Sömn". 

Benedict Lab: https://www.benedictlab.org/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian_Benedict

Uppsala University: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N9-480

The book: https://www.bonnierfakta.se/bocker/223532/somn-somn-somn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleep_advocate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleep_advocate/

Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-diet-obesity-part-2/

Studies mentioned in this episode:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662

One night of sleep loss increases ’ideal’ portion size, Sleep loss may enhance snack intake, despite satiety

Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Sep;38(9):1668-74

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.49053.001

One night of sleep loss increases blood concentration of the hunger hormone ghrelin by about 15%

Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014 Aug;22(8):1786-91

Recurrent partial sleep loss decreases mean blood concentration of the appetite hormone leptin by about 19%

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Nov;89(11):5762-71

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119845/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31098615

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Does a lack of sleep lead to a higher risk of obesity? Or does being overweight lead to more likelihood of sleep problems? Around the world,  scientists have been trying to unravel this chicken and egg problem for decades. What's clear so far is that to understand the associations between sleep loss, diet, obesity and weight gain, sleep scientists have to confront a dizzying array of knowledge domains including psychology, neuroscience, epidemiology, genetics, endocrinology and more.

Today, in a two-part episode we speak to associate professor Christian Benedict, a  sleep research who has spent almost two decades in the field and now heads up his own team of researchers and doctors and Uppsala University. 

We discuss the many associations that we currently know about sleep, diet and obesity, including how sleep loss impairs our cognitive ability to make good food choices, how sleep plays a role in our body's energy expenditure equation, the role of food in our circadian system, how 'hunger hormones' are impacted by sleep loss, which diets are more/less impactful on our sleep patterns and a whole bunch of other stuff.  

This Episode's Guest

Christian Benedict Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in neuroscience at Uppsala University where he heads up a team of scientists at the Benedict lab, which studies the effects of circadian disruption and sleep loss on health and performance, with a particular focus on the relationship between sleep loss and metabolism. 

Christian holds a Master's degree in nutritional science,  a Ph.D. in human biology, is a teacher in the medical and biomedicine program at UU and is also the author of the book "Sömn, Sömn, Sömn". 

Benedict Lab: https://www.benedictlab.org/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian_Benedict

Uppsala University: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N9-480

The book: https://www.bonnierfakta.se/bocker/223532/somn-somn-somn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleep_advocate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleep_advocate/

Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-diet-obesity-part-1/

Studies mentioned in this episode:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662

One night of sleep loss increases ’ideal’ portion size, Sleep loss may enhance snack intake, despite satiety

Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Sep;38(9):1668-74

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.49053.001

One night of sleep loss increases blood concentration of the hunger hormone ghrelin by about 15%

Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014 Aug;22(8):1786-91

Recurrent partial sleep loss decreases mean blood concentration of the appetite hormone leptin by about 19%

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Nov;89(11):5762-71

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119845/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31098615

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In recent years melatonin has exploded in popularity as a 'wonder drug' - a safe, natural supplement for helping with sleep problems. Whilst there's lots of scientific evidence to back up many of the claims, the fact that melatonin, at least in the United States is classed as a food supplement, rather than a prescription medication, has led to a lack of consistent public health messaging, and a great deal of confusion amongst the millions who take melatonin supplements on a regular basis.

In this episode we try to cut through the marketing hype, dispel some myths, and find out what the real facts are about melatonin and its role in sleep, as we speak to Professor Helen Burgess, one of the leading melatonin researcher in the United States.

As well as discussing the basic biology concerning the role of melatonin we talk about the practical ins and outs, dosages, timing, use cases, side effects and also some of the latest findings in scientific research about how melatonin may play an important role outside of sleep issues, having implications for health conditions such as inflammation, some cancers and diabetes.

This Episode's Guest

Helen Burgess, Ph.D. is aProfessor in the Department of Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan. Her scientific research examines basic sleep and circadian rhythm mechanisms and also sleep and circadian rhythms in the context of various clinical disorders including alcohol use disorders, autism, chronic pain, depression, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, HIV, jet lag, migraine, shift work, sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Professor Burgess is also a member of the scientific advisory board for Natrol.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-burgess-45759a19/

ResearhGate: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/39697916_Helen_J_Burgess

Rush University: https://www.rushu.rush.edu/faculty/helen-burgess-phd

Lab webpage: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/programs/sleep-circadian-research-laboratory

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/the-truth-about-melatonin/

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Winning the award for the best named sleep disorder ever, exploding head syndrome is an intriguing phenomenon which, although relatively harmless, can nonetheless cause considerable distress for those who suffer the condition.

In today's episode we deep dive into the world of exploding head syndrome, with Dr Brian Sharpless, one of the foremost researchers in the field, and explore its symptoms, causes, possible treatments and lots more.

This Episode's Guest

Dr Brian A. Sharpless is a licensed psychologist and author with interests in unusual psychological disorders, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and the history and philosophy of clinical psychology. He received a PhD in clinical psychology and MA in philosophy from Pennsylvania State University and completed post-doctoral clinical and research fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his three books with Oxford University Press, he has published over 40 journal articles and chapters. He also maintains a clinical practice in the greater Washington, DC area (i.e., Maryland and northern Virginia) and is a frequent lecturer.

Dr Brian Sharpless website: http://briansharpless.com/

Published research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hGAbs68AAAAJ&hl

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brian-A-Sharpless/e/B01E606M42

UNSW Empirical Musicology Lab: http://bit.ly/2OFtOSZ

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/exploding-head-syndrome/

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Music has been called the 'purest form of art', but it's also used by many as a means to fall asleep more easily. But at present, science can tell us very little about the mechanisms behind sleep's role as a therapeutic sleep aid.

In today's episode we speak to Thomas Dickson, researcher, app creator and co-author of a recent review examining the existing scientific literature about the different ways music might help us with our sleep, including; relaxation, distraction, entrainment, masking, enjoyment and expectation. 

In a wide-ranging conversation we discuss how music differs to other audio formats like podcasts and white noise, how binaural beats work, why ACDC might be better to fall asleep to than Beethoven and lots more.

This Episode's Guest

Τhomas Dickson is a PhD student at the University of New South Wales, Australia, specialising in the use of music as a sleep aid. Thomas has combined music psychology research, and app development skills to build a world-first sleep app that composes relaxing music.

How Does Music Aid Sleep? Literature Review: http://bit.ly/2DA8g40

Can't Sleep App: https://cantsleepapp.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-dickson-77012262/

UNSW Empirical Musicology Lab: http://bit.ly/2OFtOSZ

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/science-of-music-sleep/

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For a long time, teenagers have been portayed as lazy, prone to mood swings, and generally difficult to get on with. But sleep science dispels these myths as we now know that the adolescent age period is marked by many developmental changes, including the circadian system.

Today we talk to Dr Valerie Crabtree, a sleep researcher, clinical psychologist and mother of two teenagers, about the science of the teenage brain, the risk factors for adolescents who don't get enough sleep, societal challenges, and also offer some practical advice for parents who want to ensure the best possible sleep for their teens.

This Episode's Guest

Valerie Crabtree Ph.D is an Associate Member, Department of Psychology and Chief of Psychosocial Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. When she arrived at St. Jude, she focused her research on sleep disturbances in pediatric oncology patients, and her clinical work on sleep complaints, as well as psychological adaptation to cancer and treatment. In 2015, Dr. Crabtree and her co-author, Dr. Lisa Meltzer, published a book, “Pediatric Sleep Problems: A Clinician’s Guide to Behavioral Interventions.”

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/directory/c/valerie-crabtree.html

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Valerie_Crabtree

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-crabtree-b656157/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drvcrabtree

Episode Homepage: http://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-and-the-teenage-brain/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng1i8KuOqVc

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