The orexin receptor agonists are coming. After years of managing narcolepsy with stimulants, sodium oxybate, and wake-promoting agents, we soon will have medications that target the root cause of the disorder: the loss of orexin signaling. These new drugs—developed by Takeda, Alkermes, and Centessa—aren’t just incremental improvements. They represent a genuine shift in how we understand and treat hypersomnolence disorders. In this episode, we will:

• Define what orexin is and why losing it destabilizes wakefulness, REM boundaries, muscle tone, and cognition
• Learn how orexin agonists work—not as stimulants, but as replacement therapy for a missing neurotransmitter
• Find out why OX2R is the key receptor, and how selective agonists restore stable wakefulness, reduce cataplexy, and normalize attention
• Review the available clinical data from the new wave of programs: oveporexton (Takeda), alixorexton (Alkermes), and ORX750 (Centessa)
• See what makes these drugs different from modafinil, amphetamines, solriamfetol, and oxybate therapies
• Learn why Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 trials matter—with quick insights on how these drugs reached such strong results
• Consider safety and side effects, including what Hy’s Law means and why regulators watch liver signals so closely
• Look ahead to what these medications may mean for NT1, NT2, IH, and other hypersomnolence disorders in the coming years
• Speculate why this class represents one of the most exciting moments in modern sleep medicine

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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At the root of many sleep disorders of sleep fragmentation. It's a big part of sleep medicine that many people don't know much about. In this episode we will:

• Define sleep fragmentation
• Contrast the differences between arousals from sleep and awakenings from sleep
• Understand why sleep fragmentation goes unnoticed by providers and patients alike
• List some common causes of sleep fragmentation
• Review how sleep fragmentation appears in sleep data
• Touch upon research about sleep fragmentation specifically and performance
• Provide strategies for reducing sleep fragmentation

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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The media can be a fantastic source of information about insomnia, or it can be a lens that distorts and confuses the issue. In this episode we will:

• Contrast to contemporary insomnia articles from popular media
• Understand the difference between causation and relationships
• Learn how the use to percentages can distort the scale of an effect
• Read how media frequently confuses "sleep deprivation" and "insomnia"
• Evaluate an example of how media can positively educate and help readers understand insomnia better

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

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For the first time in my career, two team for who I work will meet for the championship, this time it's the Los Angeles Dodgers (my 10th year with the club) and the Toronto Blue Jays (my 3rd year with the club). In this episode we will:

• Discuss my work in MLB
• Talk about how these two teams came to sleep medicine as a performance tool
• Learn how anybody or any organization could benefit from sleep

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

We talk endlessly about caffeine, alcohol, and sleep—but what about plain old water? In this episode, we will:

• Dive deep into the fascinating relationship between hydration and sleep quality
• Explore how dehydration disrupts sleep architecture—raising heart rate, cortisol, and even airway resistance
• Learn how hydration supports thermoregulation, helps maintain slow-wave sleep, and prevents the dry-mouth awakenings familiar to CPAP users and frequent flyers
• Break down the latest research, from studies showing that short sleepers have higher urine osmolality
• Find out strategies for timing and optimizing hydration for better nights

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Whether you’re skiing in Aspen, hiking Kilimanjaro, or just wondering why sleep feels so strange in the mountains, altitude messes with your rest in fascinating ways. In this episode we will:

• Explore the biology of what’s really happening in the brain and body when oxygen thins out
• Find out why your sleep becomes fragmented and restless, and what recent research reveals about the role of hypoxia, periodic breathing, and even oxidative stress in your slumber at altitude
• Share new data on how altitude amplifies both insomnia and sleep apnea
• Unpack the science behind those sleepless nights at high elevation
• Provide practical, evidence-based strategies to make them better 

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

We’ve all heard the sleep hygiene advice: turn off your screens, keep your room cool, avoid caffeine after lunch. While we can agree that these practices set the stage for better sleep, does engaging in them actually help those with sleep problems?  In this episode we will:

• Examine the intended role of sleep hygiene
• Look at what research tell us in terms of using sleep hygiene as a tool for insomnia treatment
• Dive into what it means for an insomnia therapy to work
• Differentiate between actions geared at changing sleep behaviors and actions geared towards changing interpretations of sleep behaviors

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Few parenting debates stir more passion than how to help a baby sleep. In this episode, we will:

• Explore the science and controversy behind “cry it out,” Ferber/check-and-console, and gentler alternatives
• Review what research says about sleep outcomes, stress, and attachment
• Think about this concept in relationship to varyting sleep needs
• Unpack the safety concerns around bed-sharing and why guidance is so divided
• Offer practical takeaways so parents can choose an approach that works—and feels right—for their family

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

When it comes to sleep, sometimes silence is golden—and sometimes it needs a little help. In this episode, we’ll explore the world of earplugs and earbuds designed to quiet the night and protect your rest, because sometimes the best way to protect your dreams is to put a little something in your ear. In this episode we will:

• Determine why reducing noise can make such a difference for falling asleep and staying asleep
• List the best earplugs made specifically for sleep—like BET SLUMBUR, Loop, Swanwick, and Happy Ears
• Introduce new approaches to noise masking that blend soothing sound with comfort and advanced sleep tracking (Ozlo) 
• Revisit noise canceling innovations that actively fight disruptive sounds (QuietOn 4.0)
• Learn how to match the right solution to your unique sleep environment—whether it’s a snoring partner, thin apartment walls, or unpredictable travel nights

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

We’ve all seen it—or maybe we’ve been told we do it: twitching, jerking, or kicking in the night. But when does this common sleep quirk cross the line into a diagnosable condition? In this episode, we will:

• Define Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) and explain how it differs from simple nighttime movements
• Explore its surprising prevalence in both adults and children—and its strong ties to Restless Legs Syndrome
• Review leading theories of cause, from dopamine to iron to spinal generators
• Highlight intriguing new research, including cardiovascular links and AI-based detection
• Discuss treatment strategies—from iron replacement to dopaminergic medications and lifestyle approaches

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• Twitter: @drchriswinter
• IG: @drchriwinter
• Threads: @drchriswinter
• Bluesky: @drchriswinter
• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!