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:

• Define sleep deprivation
• Go through the symptoms of sleep deprivation and research into many of these signs
• Touch upon how we look for and measure sleep deprivation
• Contrast sleep deprivation with insomnia 
• List some common causes of sleep deprivation
• Discuss treatment options and relative validity of these interventions

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 of the more noteworthy research and practical data from the meeting. In this episode we will:

• Review studies demonstrating poor sleep leading to selecting more processed and higher sugar content foods.
• Examine how extroversion leads to higher caloric content at night
• Understand how circadian misalignment in adolescents negatively affects athletic performance
• Dispel the notion that vitamin supplementation can make up for inadequate sleep
• Ponder how menopause might affect heart rate variability at night and cardiac risk
• Evaluate the use of personalized light therapy to reduce insomnia in shift workers
• Find out how napping affects one night of sleep deprivation
• Look how alcohol negatively affects heart rate at night
• See how surprising data in veterans shows insomnia more related to risk than sleep apnea
• Revisit cannabidiol use for insomnia and what the data shows

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 this episode, we will:

• Discuss Ryze mushroom beverage mix and learn how it might help promote relaxation and serve and a late-night coffee substitute
• Review the Python H2 Bionic Molecular Hydrogen Water Bottle and learn more about emerging research on hydrogenated water's potential benefits
• Test the Moonbird, a portable screen-free breathing and biofeedback device measuring HR and HRV
• Demo the Chill Pill, a small device that delivers a pulsating stimulus that could help relax some individuals at night
• Contrast the features of the Sleep.me mat with wearable sleep trackers and how the passive mat might benefit some sleepers
• Test out sleep earplugs by Swanwick and BET Slumbur as well as a new sleep mask my Swanwick
• List the different ways the Organic Human Bean Body Pillow could benefit a multitude of sleepers and their various sleep obstacles
• Revisit the GroundingWell mat
• Dive into the Aura Circle multisensory sleep mask
• Learn how the FireFly recovery system might be helpful for some RLS patients in terms of and "off label" way of disrupting the sensations they feel in their legs

*None of these products are designed to diagnose or treat medical problems. You should discuss all potential sleep interventions with your physician before trying them. 

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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
• Document the sleep deprivation of military officers
• Review the Air Force regulations related to sleep
• List the various obstacles that often prevent those serving in the military from getting adequate sleep
• Discuss the consequences of inadequate sleep in the armed forces
• Touch upon people/organizations in the military trying to improve sleeping conditions and education

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 improve your sleep
• Think about items that might indicate your sleep is not optimized
• Evaluate our habits, activities, food, and attitudes around sleep
• Use these 100 tips as a proactive guide for improving sleep and knowing which previous episodes of the podcast might be helpful to listen to (or review)

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 these dialogues in this episode. In this episode we will:

• Look at research linking sleep disorders and inadequate sleep to dementia
• Single out Lewy body dementia as a particular concern when sleep is chronically disrupted
• Determine how much sleep seems to be optimal when it comes to dementia prevention
• Examine other sleep-adjacent factors (exercise, sedentary habits) that tend to predict dementia
• Discuss theories as to why sleep and dementia are linked
• Uncover the vague nature and lack of evidence supporting how we manage the sleep of dementia patients
• Show the lack of evidence supporting bright light therapy in managing sleep issues in dementia patients
• List some best practices when it comes to helping patients with dementia sleep better

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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 beliefs
• Understand how these beliefs impact insomnia therapy
• Look at the relationship between dysfunctional sleep beliefs and depression and alcohol abuse
• Examine sleep beliefs in the general public as well as younger/university populations
• Determine ways in which these beliefs can be targeted in insomnia therapy

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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:

• Revisit parasomnias, in this case nightmare disorder, and determine what defines it
• Differentiate this disorder from night terror/sleep terror disorder
• Explore the epidemiology of the problem
• List its underlying causes
• Review the medications often used to treat the problem
• Discuss other treatment options often employed in the disorder

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Narcolepsy is a misunderstood medical disorder and as such, it generates some fascinating stories and anecdotes when you treat narcolepsy. In this episode we will:

• Discuss the difficulties narcolepsy patients go through just refilling their medications
• Dissect the idea of narcolepsy patients and abuse of their drugs
• Evaluate the enthusiasm the medical community has for the treatment of narcolepsy
• Consider some of the less obvious obstacles narcolepsy patients face
• Understand the difficulties with the depictions created of narcolepsy patients

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!

The health benefits of yoga are widely espoused, but for many, the belief is that the benefits are derived mainly from the physical nature of the poses or asanas. The breathing exercises and techniques (pranayama) are often ignored. In this episode, we will:

-Explore the sleep-specific benefits of breathwork to not only bring oxygen to the brain, but to also influence the energy of the body (referred to as prana or chi).
-Review the various stages of breathing and why many individuals practice an incomplete/inefficient form of breathing
-Practice a three-part deep breathing diaphragmatic breathing technique called Deerga Sawasam ("Three-part breath")
-Link these breathing techniques to the engagement of the parasympathetic nervous system, instrumental in reducing anxiety and relaxing into sleep
-List various research studies looking at the positive effects of pranayama in terms of lowering anxiety/stress and improving sleep
-Add this to our sleep toolbox as an accessible method for calming our minds and preparing for restful sleep

Written by: Maeve Winter

Produced by: Maeve Winter

More

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!