What if your sleep struggles aren’t a discipline issue… but a signal?
In this episode, Dr. Christine Smith sits down with Adam Wertz, CEO and Founder of Rebis Health, to unpack a powerful reframe: sleep problems are often downstream symptoms of airway dysfunction, nervous system dysregulation, and impaired cellular energy.
Rather than labeling insomnia or sleep apnea and prescribing a CPAP or pill, Adam and his team take a systems-based, root-cause approach — looking at form, function, breathing mechanics, mitochondrial health, and circadian biology.
This conversation bridges airway dentistry, sleep medicine, functional medicine, and nervous system physiology — revealing how deeply sleep is intertwined with metabolism, hormones, cognition, mood, and long-term brain health.
Main Topics Covered
What sleep actually is: repair, restoration, and return to homeostasis
The glymphatic system and nighttime brain detox
Airway dysfunction as a root cause of sleep disorders
Why 3:00 a.m. wake-ups happen (REM sleep & breathing instability)
Mitochondria, oxygen, and the connection between sleep and cellular energy
Sleep issues in children (mouth breathing, ADHD-like symptoms, development)
REM disruption and links to neurodegenerative risk
HRV and wearables as markers of nervous system health
Circadian rhythm basics: why sleep starts in the morning
Connect with Adam Wertz
Website: https://www.rebishealth.org/team/adam-wertz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-wertz-63535712/
Connect with Dr. Christine Smith
Website: https://depthwellness.com/about-christine
Depth Wellness: https://depthwellness.com/