Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

As a sleep physician, I am constantly confronted with sleeping pills and the misunderstanding that seems to be inherent to their existence. While I do feel like there are specific instances where sleeping pills are helpful, I think the vast majority of sleep experts and behavioral sleep therapists would generally frown upon their use. In this episode, we will cover: why I feel sleeping pills are l...

In January of 2015, I spent the night in a haunted hotel in Oklahoma City and wrote about the experience in The Huffington Post. That would begin a series of articles I called "Sleeping Around" where I explored unusual sleeping situations and what they could teach us about our own sleep. In 2020, I began working with Sleep.com to create content for their new website completely devoted to...

Alarms clocks may be responsible for the most dreaded sound in our lives. Despite their constant presence, how do you choose the right alarm for your circumstances and maybe more importantly, how does that alarm fit into a healthy morning routine? In this episode we will cover:  the definition of sleep inertia and why some people struggle to wake up in the morning the science behind the different...

Students everywhere are beginning to head back to school soon, so in this Back-To-School episode, I examine the ongoing school start time debate in this country. In the United States, the vast majority of middle and high school students start school early and thus do not have access to adequate sleep. In this episode, we will: identify the healthy range of sleep school-aged and high school student...

In the late 1990's, Dr. James Maas coined the phrase "power nap" and since that time, there have been many trendy sleep terms. In this episode, we discuss three popular sleep concepts and the stories/science behind them.  In this episode we will: define the term orthosomnia and learn more about the concept's origins understand how orthosomnia applies to the greater concept of s...

After sleep apnea, narcolepsy is the most common cause of excessive sleepiness in sleep clinics across the country. A large portion of the nearly 200,000 people who have narcolepsy in this country alone are children and teenagers. As these individuals struggle with disabling sleepiness, why is their plight (a treatable plight) largely ignored? In this episode, we will: define narcolepsy and look b...

In episode 2, I talked about what insomnia was not--namely sleep deprivation. In this episode, we begin to explore what insomnia is and who is most at risk. I also explore the unique role of trauma both as a precipitant, but also a perpetuator of insomnia.  In this episode we will: revisit how insomnia differs from sleep deprivation and why confusion between the two creates therapeutic problems ex...

Sleep apnea constitutes the lion's share of the diagnoses sleep clinicians see in their clinics. One of the most misunderstood and poorly managed conditions I see is mild sleep apnea, or individuals who generally have 5-15 breathing problems/hour. In this episode we will: start with the basics of sleep apnea: What is it? understand the difference between obstructive and central apnea define w...

White noise is everywhere, and it's association with sleep has been discussed for decades. But what exactly is white noise, and does it play a role in optimizing sleep? In this episode we will cover:  the science of white noise and what it represents how the history of white noise machines has evolved relationships and research looking at white noise, sleep, memory, and cognition the recent r...

When I wrote my first book The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It , I made the decision to cut the chapter on menopause because of length. I have regretted that decision ever since. It is by far and away the most common question I get asked about the contents. "Is there a chapter about menopause?" No, but there is a podcast episode entirely devoted to the topic. I...

Insomnia treatment in this country is hindered by one simple fact -  very few people really understand what insomnia is and how it is defined, including many physicians who treat adults and kids with insomnia. In this first (of many) episodes about insomnia, we will: start with the basics of insomnia definitions: What is insomnia? understand that insomnia is not and individual who " can'...

There are few things more universal and fun to talk about than sleep. We all do it, and it impacts everyone's health and sense of wellness. For the last 30 years, I have been involved in some way or another with sleep. I began studying sleep as a researcher in the early 1990s and am now a neurologist who specializes in treating sleep disorders in adults and kids. In this episode, I share a bi...