Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter – Details, episodes & analysis

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:

• SideSleeperZ slip-proof sleep mask
• Authenticity50 bedding
• Bee Ulmo honey
• BlueAir air purification systems (MiniRestful)
• Dagsmejan sleepwear
• Hästens mattresses and sleep products
• Honeydew Sleep pillows
• Loftie alarm clocks
• Moonbrew drink mix
• Natrol Sleep & Restore supplements
• Ozlo sleep earbuds
• Path water
• QuietOn noise cancelling sleep earbuds
• Sleeping Dove comforters
• Sleep Protein
• Truvaga vagal nerve stimulator
• WeLove Creations earplugs
• Zden

Produced by: Maeve Winter

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

• Twitter: @drchriswinter
• IG: @drchriwinter
• Threads: @drchriswinter
• Bluesky: @drchriswinter
• The 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:

• 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

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

• Twitter: @drchriswinter
• IG: @drchriwinter
• Threads: @drchriswinter
• Bluesky: @drchriswinter
• 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

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Another year calendar year of the Sleep Unplugged podcast has come to a close. With the escalation in podcast popularity soaring, the 2023 Sleepy Awards seem all the more important and exciting.  It's fun to sing the praises of these special sleep colleagues as 2023 comes to a close. Join me as we celebrate some of the brightest stars within the field of sleep.

The 2023 Sleepy Award winners are:

Social Media Warrior                    Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown (@restfulsleepmed) 

Sleep Outsider Award                  Tommy Tucker (@ttuckerwwl) 

Sleep Vanguard Organization   MyFitnessPal

Sleep Sports Organization          Oklahoma City Thunder 

Sleep Podcast of The Year          Talking Sleep (AASM/Dr. Seema Khosla)

Best Insomnia Advice                    Dr. Jade Wu (@dr_jade_wu)

Book of the Year                               Sleep To Heal: 7 Simple Steps to Better Health
                                                                    Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante) 
                                                                    Charlotte Jensen (@author.char.jen)
                  
Sleep Crusader Award                 Julie Flygare  (@remrunner)

Produced by: Maeve Winter

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Throughout the podcast, we have shone a light on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, but the lesser known (and less common central sleep apnea) has gotten little attention. In this episode, we will: 

• Define central sleep apnea 
• Differentiate central apnea from obstructive
• Understand the mechanisms that create central apnea
• Describe how obstructive and central apneas differ both physiologically as well as how they are differentiated diagnostically
• Contrast the forms of central sleep apnea seen in adults and children
• List the various types and causes of central sleep apnea
• Review the treatments of central sleep apnea

Produced by: Maeve Winter

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Sleep trackers are everywhere and depending on the voice you are listening to, they are either the secret to hacking your sleep or worthless pieces of plastic on your wrist. The world of consumer sleep trackers is vast and confusing. In this episode we will:

• Discuss the basics of monitoring sleep
• Understand the role of surrogates in the measurement of sleep
• Examine the history of research actigraphy devices and their evolution to become the first generation of sleep wearables
• Follow the development of second generation devices and the expansion of the parameters they measured
• Outline the uses for these devices
• Dive into the strengths and limitations of these devices
• Look at what current research has to say about these devices
• List the problems with this technology in the marketplace

Produced by: Maeve Winter

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Apple TV (not Max as stated in my episode) has a new show about two friends with Insomnia called Still Up. It is another example of the media portraying sleep disorders, but how accurate is the depiction, More to the point, is it a helpful perspective or does it simply perpetuate harmful ideas and stereotypes? In this episode we will:

• Consider the role media plays in illustrating, explaining, and sensationalizing insomnia
• Explore the use of sleep disorders like insomnia and narcolepsy for comedic effect
• Examine the role media plays in terms of disseminating good diagnostic and treatment information for sleep disorders
• Review research that evaluates trends in narcolepsy portrayal in the media
• Discuss Still Up in terms of accuracy and helpfulness in terms of a insomnia portrayal

Produced by: Maeve Winter

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Within the world of sleep disorders, there is often confusion surrounding disorders that feature nocturnal food consumption. These disorders share many similarities, but their distinctions are worth understanding. In this episode we will:

• Describe the disorders of nocturnal eating
• Characterize the incidence of these conditions
• List the comorbid diagnoses often seen with these disorders including eating disorders
• Define nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NSRED) and night eating syndrome (NES)
• Differentiate these disorders based upon consciousness/volitional eating and the characterizations of the eating
• Review the diagnostic criteria for each
• Touch upon theories behind these disorders
• List treatment options

Produced by: Maeve Winter

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

The Sleep Unplugged podcast is here to ease your holiday shopping stress with some of my favorite sleep product companies. In this episode, we will explore a host of sleep-themed gift ideas and product recommendations. many with unique discount codes for their purchases. In this episode, we will feature the following products:

• Ayo circadian lighting
• Beadgear pillows and linens
• Bearaby weighted blankets
• Eberjey pajamas 
• Hest travel pillow
• Lumi cold water recovery tank
• Manta sleep mask
• QuietOn sleeping earbuds
• SaunaBox home wet/steam sauna
• Sleepys pillows and pillow inserts
• Swanwick blue-blocking glasses and lighting solutions
• The Sleep Solution/The Rested Child books
• Withings ScanWatch Horizon sleep/fitness watch
• zDen personal/pet sleep environment

*I have no financial relationship with the companies listed above but may have received products to trial/demo. I am a paid consultant for Mattress Firm which owns Sleepys.

Produced by: Maeve Winter

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!

It can be hard to wake up. For some people, it is almost impossible. Sleep inertia is the medical term of an inability to awaken in the morning. In this episode we will:

• Define sleep inertia
• Describe how sleep inertia interacts with our homeostatic and circadian drives
• Understand the occupational hazards of sleep inertia
• Postulate what function sleep inertia might serve
• Review the symptoms of sleep inertia
• List the causes of sleep inertia 
• Touch upon the Sleep Inertia Questionnaire
• Look at potential sleep inertia treatments

Produced by: Maeve Winter

Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved

More

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

Thanks for listening and sleep well!