Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

We tend to think of insomnia and sleep apnea as two completely different sleep disorders. One means you can't sleep. The other means you stop breathing. Simple, right? Not so fast. In reality, many people with sleep apnea don't complain about snoring or excessive daytime sleepiness. Instead, they complain that they wake up repeatedly throughout the night and can't stay asleep. In this episode we will:
Explain why sleep apnea often causes insomnia-like symptoms rather than daytime sleepiness 
 Explore the growing recognition of COMISA (comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea) 
 Discuss why women and non-traditional sleep apnea patients are especially likely to be misdiagnosed 
 Review the latest research on treating insomnia and sleep apnea together
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
Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child
Thanks for listening and sleep well!

This week marks the 12th month we have put out the Top 10 Sleep Threats Power Rankings, and this week, we have a special guest assessor, Upneet Chawla, MD (@sleeping.beauty_md). Upneet is an internist and board-certified sleep specialist.  In this episode, she has graciously provided us her list. In this episode we will:
Find out what Dr. Chawla thinks are the top threats to your sleep
Incorporate abstracts from the 2026 Sleep meeting to illustrate her points
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
Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child
Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Sleep duration has always been the headline number in sleep science, but mounting research is pushing the conversation toward something less obvious: how consistent your timing is from night to night. In this episode we dig into a debate that's far from settled, and into a statistical trap that may be quietly distorting it. WIn this episode we will:
Break down the four separable pillars of sleep health: duration, consistency, continuity, and circadian alignment
Walk through the landmark UK Biobank study showing sleep regularity outpredicting duration for all-cause mortality
Bring in brand-new data from SLEEP 2026 in Baltimore linking sleep consistency to long-term cardiovascular trajectories
Expose the "range restriction trap," why duration looks less important in these studies largely because almost nobody in them was severely sleep-deprived for years on end
Stress-test the theory with five hypothetical sleepers, each excelling at one dimension and failing at another, to figure out which variable really wins when you push it to the extreme
To find out more about this week's podcast sponsor Welltory, please use the following link: https://welltory.com/
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
Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child
Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Menopause has always been linked to sleep disruption, but the story has changed dramatically since we last covered it in episode 3. Hot flashes and night sweats still matter, but newer research is pushing us to think more broadly about brain temperature regulation, insomnia, mood, sleep apnea, cardiometabolic risk, and a new generation of nonhormonal medications that directly target vasomotor biology. In this episode we will:
 Revisit why menopause so often produces sleep-maintenance insomnia 
 Explore the KNDy neuron/neurokinin pathway and why drugs like fezolinetant and elinzanetant matter 
 Separate hot-flash awakenings from true insomnia disorder 
 Discuss CBT-I, hormone therapy, and nonhormonal treatment options 
 Explain why sleep apnea and cardiometabolic risk should not be overlooked in midlife women
To find out more about this week's podcast sponsor Moonbird, please use the following link: https://www.moonbird.life
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
Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child
Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Narcolepsy is often described as a disorder of excessive daytime sleepiness, but that description only tells part of the story. Many people living with narcolepsy also struggle with fragmented, restless, and unrefreshing sleep at night; and these symptoms that can look a lot like insomnia. In recent years, researchers have increasingly viewed narcolepsy as a disorder of sleep-wake instability, where the boundaries between wakefulness, non-REM sleep, and REM sleep become less secure. Understanding narcolepsy through this lens helps explain why someone can be profoundly sleepy during the day and still feel like they "can't sleep" at night. In this episode we will:
Explore why disrupted nighttime sleep is considered a core symptom of narcolepsy, not merely a side effect
 Discuss the role of orexin (hypocretin) in stabilizing sleep and wake states and what happens when that system fails
 Examine the surprising overlap between narcolepsy and insomnia symptoms, including frequent awakenings, vivid dreaming, and nonrestorative sleep
 Review key research supporting the concept of sleep-state instability as a unifying explanation for many narcolepsy symptoms
 Consider how treatments aimed at improving nighttime sleep consolidation may help patients feel more alert and functional during the day
To find out more about this week's podcast sponsor Sleep Reset, please use the following link: https://www.thesleepreset.com/podcast
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
Twitter: @drchriswinter
IG: @drchriwinter
Threads: @drchriswinter
Bluesky: @drchriswinter
The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child
Thanks for listening and sleep well!