Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

This week marks the 10th month we have put out the Top 10 Sleep Threats Power Rankings, and this week, we have a special guest assessor, Dr. Margaret Park. In this episode we will: Original intro music Vigilanteology by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026) Original outro music Vigilanteology (reprise) by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026) Produced by: Maeve Winter Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Creatine has been a staple in the gym bag for decades. But is it just for bodybuilders chasing one more rep, or does it have something to say about sleep, brain energy, and resilience in a sleep deprived world? In this episode we will: Original intro music Vigilanteology by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026) Original outro music Vigilanteology (reprise) by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026) Produced by: Maeve Winter Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Restless legs syndrome used to feel simple. If the legs were jumping, we reached for a dopamine agonist, the safer alternative to older meds. Over time, we learned that the very medication calming symptoms could make the condition worse. But just as guidelines changed in favor of gabapentin and related medications, new research raised concerns about the medications link to cognitive decline and dementia. So where does that leave patients? In this episode, we will: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

This month’s insomnia episode explores a provocative idea: can certain electronics actually help insomnia rather than harm it? While screens and devices are often blamed for poor sleep, some technologies aim to calm the nervous system, teach self-regulation, or reduce the anxiety that keeps insomnia going. In this episode we will: • Revisit the parasympathetic nervous system, the vagus nerve, and why the “wandering nerve” has fascinated medicine for centuries • Review the data for non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation and devices like Truvaga: what the research shows, what remains unclear, and whether stimulation truly reaches the vagus nerve • Undwerstand how implantable vagus nerve stimulators for epilepsy differ from consumer wellness devices, and why that matters for insomnia • Introduce the Muse Athena and the shift from passive neuromodulation to learning an active calming skill • Unpack what we know so far about the data behind Muse devices and insomnia • Consider Pavlok and behavioral technology: reducing anxiety around waking, oversleeping, and morning routines • Learn how to think about sleep tech without falling into orthosomnia or gadget-driven sleep anxiety Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

This week marks the 9th month we have put out the Top 10 Sleep Threats Power Rankings, and this week, we have a special guest assessor, Dr. Seem Khosla. In this episode we will: Produced by: Maeve Winter More: @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested ChildProduced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Recent headlines and viral clips have reignited conversation about Donald Trump appearing to fall asleep during public events. What’s actually going on? Trump has repeatedly said, in his own words and in interviews, that he doesn’t sleep much and doesn’t believe he needs much sleep. In this podcast we will: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are everywhere—from our phones to our Wi-Fi to the wiring in our homes. But do they actually disrupt sleep… or is this another modern sleep villain that gets more attention than it deserves? In this episode of Sleep Unplugged, we will: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

This week on the Sleep Unplugged podcast, we are looking at sleep resolutions made for the new year and why they often fail. In this episode, we present six insomnia resolutions that don’t ask you to “try harder” — because insomnia isn’t a motivation problem, a discipline problem, or a character flaw. In this episode we will: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Once again we come to the end of another year and our 4th Annual Sleep Unplugged "Sleepy" Awards are upon us again. Join me in honoring the best and brightest in sleep in this podcast episode: The 2025 Sleepy Award winners are: Social Media Warrior Dr. Christopher J Allen (@sleepdrchris) Sleep Outsider Award The Nap Ministry/Tricia Hershey (@thenapministry) Sleep Vanguard Organization Natrol (@natrolofficial) Sleep Sports Organization Toronoto Blue Jays Sleep Podcast of The Year Deep Into Sleep/Dr. Yishan Xu (@dr.yishan) Best Insomnia Advice Nada El Kouz (@wellpower.me) Book of the Year Sleep Groove: Why Your Biological Clock Is So Messed Up And What To Do About It Dr. Olivia Walch (@olivia.walch) Sleep Trend Farewell Nighttime baby carrots Sleep Crusader Award Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, MD (@fabsleepdoc) Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

This week marks the 8th month we have put out the Top 10 Sleep Threats Power Rankings, and this week, we have a special guest assessor, Dr. Roxanne Prichard. In this episode we will: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Ever wondered what really happens during a sleep study — and why we still rely on them more than 50 years after their invention? Take a behind-the-scenes look at the overnight sleep study, from its surprisingly quirky origins to its modern-day role in diagnosing sleep apnea, narcolepsy, parasomnias, and more. In this episode we will: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

You probably saw the headlines out of California as they sent a jolt through the sleep world as well as social media: Do common sleep medications increase your risk of dementia? In this episode we will: doshouldProduced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

This week marks the 7th month we have put out the Top 10 Sleep Threats Power Rankings, but it's the first time we have devoted an entire episode to the list. this week, we have a special guest assessor, Dr. Jade Wu. In this episode we will: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Fear not, the Sleep Unplugged podcast is once again here to solve your holiday shopping dilemmas with some of my favorite sleep product companies. In this episode, we will explore a host of sleep-themed gift ideas and product recommendations. In this episode, we will feature the following products: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested ChildThanks for listening and sleep well! Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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: replacement therapyProduced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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: arousalsawakeningsProduced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe 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: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe 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: Produced by: Maeve Winter More @drchriswinter@drchriwinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!