In North America alone, there are about 100 million people with sleep issues. Maybe you’re one of them. Every week, veteran broadcaster Neil Hedley sits down with celebrities, high achievers and the world’s top neuroscientists to try and find answers to his own 30-year battle with sleep issues in the hope that he might find an answer that works for you, too.

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In this episode:<ul><li>Jesse Cook, Cathy Goldstein and Olivia Walch grade their own sleep</li><li> Why the answer to “Do most people need granular sleep-stage data?” is no</li><li> Clinical sleep definitions versus consumer wearable outputs</li><li> Why an EEG headband has an advantage over a motion-only tracker — but still is not a polysomnogram</li><li> Sleep sensitivity, wake specificity and the trap hidden inside a 90% accuracy claim</li><li> Why REM and deep-sleep staging are harder than basic sleep/wake detection</li><li> What quiet wakefulness does to wrist-based algorithms</li><li> Why actionability can matter more than precision</li><li> Orthosomnia and the risks of sleep perfectionism</li><li> Why one bad nightly score should not become a crisis</li><li> How tracker validation changes across populations and sleep disorders</li><li> Why proprietary algorithm updates can age a validation study overnight</li><li> The case for access to raw sensor data and shared validation datasets</li><li> What the World Sleep Society and National Sleep Foundation now recommend for consumer sleep technology</li><li> Why healthy sleep includes more than duration</li><li> Sleep regularity, rhythmicity, continuity, timing and daytime functioning</li><li> Why a low consumer deep-sleep score cannot be translated directly into dementia risk</li><li> What glymphatic research actually says about sleep stages</li><li> Neil’s Dreem 2 data and which numbers catch the panel’s attention</li><li> Temperature, awakenings and using wearable trends to test practical hypotheses</li><li> Why mainstream trackers may be enough for most behavioral goals</li><li> The importance of comfort, adherence and battery life</li><li> FTC and FDA oversight of consumer health and wellness claims</li><li> What seven-to-nine-hour recommendations actually mean</li><li> Why trying too hard to sleep can become part of the problem</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Jesse Cook</h2>Jesse Cook, PhD, is a sleep researcher and clinical psychologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His work has examined sleep and mental health, hypersomnolence, athletes and the performance of wearable sleep technology. Cook previously joined The Snooze Button for a full episode devoted to the question of who validates the trackers themselves.<h2>About Dr. Cathy Goldstein</h2>Dr. Cathy Goldstein is a Clinical Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan and a sleep physician whose work includes consumer and clinical sleep technology, circadian rhythm disorders and the use of wearable data. Her research has included efforts to improve and openly evaluate algorithms used to characterize sleep from wearable sensors.<h2>About Dr. Olivia Walch</h2>Olivia Walch, PhD, is a mathematician and circadian scientist whose research focuses on biological rhythms, sleep timing and mathematical models of the human circadian system. She is affiliated with the University of Michigan Center for Sleep Science and is CEO of Arcascope, which develops circadian-health technology.Archive update, 2026: At the time of this conversation, Walch’s book was still on the way. Sleep Groove: Why Your Body&#39;s Clock Is So Messed Up and What To Do About It was published January 28, 2025 by Andrews McMeel. The book uses comics and circadian science to explain why sleep timing goes wrong and what people can realistically do about it.<h2>MENTIONED</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.psychiatry.wisc.edu/staff/cook-phd-jesse/" rel="nofollow">Jesse Cook — University of Wisconsin–Madison</a></li><li> <a href="https://medschool.umich.edu/profile/1032/cathy-goldstein" rel="nofollow">Cathy Goldstein — University of Michigan Medical School</a></li><li> <a href="https://medschool.umich.edu/center-sleep-science-faculty" rel="nofollow">University of Michigan Center for Sleep Science faculty</a></li><li> <a href="https://www.arcascope.com/about-us/" rel="nofollow">Olivia Walch and Arcascope</a></li><li> <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Sleep-Groove/Olivia-Walch/9781524892951" rel="nofollow">Sleep Groove: Why Your Body&#39;s Clock Is So Messed Up and What To Do About It</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38087674/" rel="nofollow">Selecting a sleep tracker: EEG-based, multisensor and actigraphy-only devices</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40303381/" rel="nofollow">2025 validation of six commercial wrist-worn sleep trackers</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41811282/" rel="nofollow">2026 rapid review: real-world use of consumer sleep devices</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40300398/" rel="nofollow">World Sleep Society recommendations for wearable consumer health trackers that monitor sleep</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41792005/" rel="nofollow">National Sleep Foundation position statement on consumer sleep technology</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39300985/" rel="nofollow">Screening for orthosomnia and sleep-related preoccupation</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39952070/" rel="nofollow">U.S. survey of consumer sleep technology use, trust and sleep-related worry</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29165696/" rel="nofollow">Which sleep health characteristics predict all-cause mortality in older men?</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37738616/" rel="nofollow">Sleep regularity as a predictor of mortality risk</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40223596/" rel="nofollow">American Heart Association statement on multidimensional sleep health</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36806170/" rel="nofollow">2023 mouse study: sleep-cycle-dependent vascular dynamics and predicted CSF flow</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39788123/" rel="nofollow">Norepinephrine-mediated slow vasomotion and glymphatic clearance during sleep</a></li><li> <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance" rel="nofollow">FTC Health Products Compliance Guidance</a></li><li> <a href="https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/general-wellness-policy-low-risk-devices" rel="nofollow">FDA General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices — 2026 guidance</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26039963/" rel="nofollow">AASM/SRS recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29073398/" rel="nofollow">National Sleep Foundation sleep-duration recommendations</a></li></ul>

All-Star Panel on Wearable Sleep Trackers

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In this episode:<ul><li>Why Jade Wu had just woken from a nap before the interview</li><li> Why she thinks of naps as snacks</li><li> What happens when trying to make sleep happen becomes the problem</li><li> Why Wu wrote Hello Sleep</li><li> The access problem surrounding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia</li><li> Who CBT-I is actually for — and what it does not treat</li><li> Why an overnight sleep study is not routinely necessary for uncomplicated insomnia</li><li> Neil&#39;s periodic limb movements and the case for treating comorbid sleep problems together</li><li> What happened when a sleep psychologist became a severely sleep-deprived new parent</li><li> Sleep disruption, postpartum depression and the danger of single-cause explanations</li><li> Why sleep can be foundational without being the explanation for everything</li><li> How sleep optimization and sleep trackers can create pressure</li><li> Why melatonin is a timekeeping hormone rather than a sedative</li><li> The label-accuracy problem in commercial melatonin products</li><li> When melatonin may have legitimate circadian uses</li><li> Why chronotype can collide with school and work schedules</li><li> How social media and streaming services compete with sleep</li><li> Why daytime light changes the brain&#39;s sensitivity to evening light</li><li> What the evidence does — and does not — say about screens and blue-light blocking</li><li> Mindfulness without turning mindfulness into another performance task</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Jade Wu</h2>Dr. Jade Wu, PhD, DBSM, is a board-certified sleep psychologist, researcher and author of Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications. Duke University currently lists her as an Associate in Research whose work focuses on treating sleep disorders in people with chronic illness. Her own site describes her broader work in behavioral sleep medicine, public education and her company Thrive; it also lists her as a Clinical Assistant Professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University and says she will join Cornell University&#39;s Psychology Department faculty in Fall 2026.Wu earned her undergraduate degree at Cornell, her PhD at Boston University, and completed medical psychology residency and clinical fellowship training at Duke University School of Medicine.<h2>MENTIONED</h2><ul><li><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250828415/hellosleep/" rel="nofollow">Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications — Jade Wu</a></li><li> <a href="https://neurology.duke.edu/personnel/jade-wu-phd-dbsm" rel="nofollow">Jade Wu — Duke Department of Neurology</a></li><li> <a href="https://www.drjadewu.com/" rel="nofollow">Dr. Jade Wu</a></li><li> <a href="https://aasm.org/new-guideline-supports-behavioral-psychological-treatments-for-insomnia/" rel="nofollow">AASM guideline: behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41342528/" rel="nofollow">2025 systematic review: CBT for adult insomnia in routine clinical care</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10737341/" rel="nofollow">AASM practice parameters: evaluation of chronic insomnia and use of polysomnography</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27855744/" rel="nofollow">2017 study: melatonin content variability and serotonin in commercial supplements</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37097362/" rel="nofollow">2023 study: melatonin and CBD quantities in U.S. melatonin gummies</a></li><li> <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medeffect-canada/health-product-infowatch/november-2023.html" rel="nofollow">Health Canada: melatonin as a natural health product</a></li><li> <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5263087/" rel="nofollow">AASM pharmacologic guideline: melatonin and chronic insomnia</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21224217/" rel="nofollow">The human circadian system adapts to prior photic history</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38806392/" rel="nofollow">2024 National Sleep Foundation consensus statement on screens and sleep</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41341515/" rel="nofollow">2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of blue-light blocking glasses and objective sleep</a></li><li> <a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/the-many-challenges-of-insomnia-dr-jade-wu/" rel="nofollow">The Many Challenges of Insomnia — Dr. Jade Wu</a></li><li> <a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/sex-and-sleep-was-it-good-for-you/" rel="nofollow">Sex &amp; Sleep: Was It Good For You?</a></li></ul>

Hello, Sleep! With Dr. Jade Wu

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In this episode:<ul><li>Why major changes in sleep science often take years to become visible</li><li> How scientific knowledge becomes more nuanced instead of simply replacing “wrong” answers with “right” ones</li><li> Why no single sleep stage should automatically be treated as the only stage that matters</li><li> REM sleep, deep sleep and the brain&#39;s overnight fluid dynamics</li><li> What p-values are trying to tell us about uncertainty</li><li> Why replication and converging evidence matter</li><li> The problem with treating scientific revision as scientific failure</li><li> What “normal sleepers” means in device-validation research</li><li> Why sleep trackers may mistake motionless wakefulness for sleep</li><li> Why disagreement between a wearable, a sleep lab and your memory does not have a simple answer</li><li> How to think about consumer sleep technology as a measurement tool rather than a truth machine</li><li> The evidence for later middle- and high-school start times</li><li> Teen driving safety and later school schedules</li><li> Why sleep and circadian researchers favor permanent standard time</li><li> The conflict between circadian biology and our preference for brighter evenings</li><li> Where the idea of a 90-minute sleep cycle comes from</li><li> Why 90 minutes is an approximation, not a sleep-planning rule</li><li> How the human appetite for “secret knowledge” turns useful observations into rigid sleep hacks</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Michael Grandner</h2>Dr. Michael Grandner is a licensed clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist at the University of Arizona. He directs the Sleep and Health Research Program and the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, with appointments across psychiatry, medicine, psychology and related programs. His research spans insufficient sleep, sleep health, cardiometabolic and neurocognitive outcomes, social and environmental influences on sleep, health disparities and behavioral interventions.On the day this episode was released — June 3, 2024 — Grandner was receiving the Associated Professional Sleep Societies&#39; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award, recognizing contributions to broadening access and representation and reducing sleep-health disparities. The award has since been renamed the APSS Inclusive Leadership Award.<h2>MENTIONED</h2><ul><li><a href="https://medicine.arizona.edu/person/michael-grandner-phd-mtr-cbsm-faasm" rel="nofollow">Michael Grandner — University of Arizona College of Medicine</a></li><li> <a href="https://www.sleepmeeting.org/about/2026-apss-inclusive-leadership-award/" rel="nofollow">APSS Inclusive Leadership Award and past recipients</a></li><li> <a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/dementia-and-sleep-its-not-just-deep-sleep-that-counts/" rel="nofollow">Dementia and Sleep: It&#39;s Not Just Deep Sleep That Counts with Dr. Laura Bojarskaitė</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36806170/" rel="nofollow">Bojarskaitė et al.: Sleep cycle-dependent vascular dynamics and predicted cerebrospinal-fluid transport</a></li><li> <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11874098/" rel="nofollow">2025 meta-analysis: consumer wrist-worn sleep trackers compared with polysomnography</a></li><li> <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleepadvances/article/7/2/zpag053/8673188" rel="nofollow">2026: Consumer sleep technologies — what we know and what comes next</a></li><li> <a href="https://aasm.org/resources/pdf/pressroom/school-start-times-position.pdf" rel="nofollow">AASM position statement on later middle- and high-school start times</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19110880/" rel="nofollow">Adolescent sleep, school start times and teen motor-vehicle crashes</a></li><li> <a href="https://aasm.org/new-position-statement-supports-permanent-standard-time/" rel="nofollow">AASM: Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and safety</a></li><li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15046198/" rel="nofollow">Review of human sleep architecture and 90–110 minute NREM/REM cycles</a></li></ul>

The Disconnect Between Scientific Evidence and The Real World with Dr. Michael Grandner

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<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why Lawrence Gowan says he often sleeps better on a moving tour bus than almost anywhere else</li><li> How sleep differs among members of Styx on the road</li><li> Why trust in the tour-bus driver matters to Gowan&#39;s ability to switch off</li><li> How touring fitness changes when musicians move through their 40s, 50s and beyond</li><li> Gowan&#39;s transition from hockey to weights, yoga, walking and cycling</li><li> Why performing more than 100 shows a year is physical work in its own right</li><li> How Gowan thinks about protecting and developing his singing voice with age</li><li> The deliberately classic progressive-rock sound of Crash of the Crown</li><li> Queen, Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, The Who, vintage keyboards and analog gear</li><li> Why Styx still isn&#39;t in the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame</li><li> Gowan&#39;s practical sleep habits: schedule, less phone time and writing down late-night worries</li><li> The autobiographical memory exercise he uses when awake at four in the morning</li><li> Why musicians can obsess for hours over a mistake the audience never noticed</li><li> Dr. Mark Boulos on restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movements and augmentation</li><li> Why suddenly worsening RLS should trigger a review of iron, sleep, medications and other conditions</li><li> Neil&#39;s experience of worsening movement symptoms after a mental-health medication change</li><li> Why vortioxetine/Trintellix should not be described as an SNRI</li><li> What current evidence does — and does not — say about antidepressants and RLS</li><li> How current RLS treatment guidance has shifted away from routine dopamine agonists such as pramipexole</li><li> Why bupropion as an antidepressant option is different from bupropion as an RLS treatment</li><li> The danger of crowdsourced medication advice when nobody knows the full clinical picture</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Lawrence Gowan</h2>Lawrence Gowan is a Canadian singer, songwriter and keyboardist whose solo career produced hits including A Criminal Mind, Strange Animal and Moonlight Desires. He joined Styx in 1999 and remains the band&#39;s keyboardist and one of its principal vocalists and songwriters. He contributed to Styx&#39;s 2025 album Circling From Above, the band&#39;s 18th studio album.<h2>About Dr. Mark Boulos</h2>Dr. Mark Boulos is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Toronto and staff neurologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. He serves as Medical Lead for the Sunnybrook Sleep Laboratory and Program Director for the University of Toronto Sleep Neurology Fellowship. His clinical and research interests include sleep-related movement disorders, sleep and stroke, home sleep monitoring, sleep data and novel approaches to diagnosing and treating sleep disorders.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Styx — current band and Circling From Above The band&#39;s current lineup, including Lawrence Gowan, and its 2025 studio album. <a href="https://styxworld.com/pages/band-1" rel="nofollow">Styx official band page</a> <a href="https://styxworld.com/pages/music" rel="nofollow">Styx official music page</a>Crash of the Crown — Styx The 2021 album discussed extensively in Neil&#39;s conversation with Gowan. <a href="https://styxworld.com/pages/music" rel="nofollow">Styx discography</a>Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame — 2026 The official nominee and inductee lists; Styx does not appear on either. <a href="https://rockhall.com/press-release/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-foundation-reveals-2026-performer-nominees-list/" rel="nofollow">2026 performer nominees</a> <a href="https://rockhall.com/2026-inductees/" rel="nofollow">2026 inductees</a>Dr. Mark Boulos — University of Toronto Current academic and clinical profile, including his roles with the Sunnybrook Sleep Laboratory and Sleep Neurology Fellowship. <a href="https://deptmedicine.utoronto.ca/faculty/mark-boulos" rel="nofollow">University of Toronto profile</a>AASM clinical practice guideline for RLS and PLMD The current guideline on iron assessment, exacerbating factors and treatment, including the shift away from standard dopamine-agonist use because of augmentation risk. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39324694/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline on PubMed</a>TRINTELLIX / vortioxetine prescribing information Current drug labeling describing vortioxetine&#39;s indication and serotonergic mechanism. <a href="https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=239215eb-be32-4286-9677-1e5556c6cccf&type=display" rel="nofollow">DailyMed prescribing information</a>Antidepressants, RLS and periodic limb movements — systematic review A review finding that antidepressant-associated RLS worsening is possible but appears uncommon overall, with meaningful differences among medications. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28822709/" rel="nofollow">Read the systematic review</a>Vortioxetine and RLS — conflicting case literature A 2019 case report linked vortioxetine to RLS; later reports described improvement in some patients. These small reports are useful mainly because they show why a single simple rule is not justified. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31433340/" rel="nofollow">2019 case report</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37424427/" rel="nofollow">2023 case series</a>Bupropion and RLS A small randomized trial found that bupropion did not exacerbate RLS and may have improved symptoms short term. Current AASM guidance nevertheless recommends against using bupropion as a treatment for RLS itself — a different question from choosing an antidepressant in someone who also has RLS. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21737767/" rel="nofollow">Read the randomized trial</a>

Two Rock Stars Talk About Sleep

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<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why sex and sleep are surprisingly difficult to study in a laboratory</li><li> How at-home sleep technology may make naturalistic research more practical</li><li> The difference between association, mechanism and an actual sleep intervention</li><li> Why trying too hard can interfere with both sleep and sexual function</li><li> Performance anxiety and the danger of turning intimacy into another sleep obligation</li><li> Why &#34;good sex&#34; does not automatically mean orgasm</li><li> Jade Wu on embodied attention, mindfulness and getting out of the insomnia thought loop</li><li> Wendy Troxel on relationship safety, vigilance and sleep as a social behavior</li><li> Michael Grandner on conditioned arousal and why the bed should not become &#34;the dentist chair&#34;</li><li> Cheryl Carroll on &#34;bed dread&#34; and making the bedroom feel safe rather than threatening</li><li> How fertility-related performance pressure can affect both sex and sleep</li><li> Why sleeping apart does not automatically mean relationship trouble</li><li> Possible psychological and physiological pathways linking intimacy with sleep</li><li> What later research found about partnered sex, orgasm, masturbation and sleep</li><li> The 2025 pilot study that measured sexual activity and sleep with at-home polysomnography</li><li> What newer research says about insomnia, sexual satisfaction and sexual dysfunction</li><li> A 2026 correction to the episode&#39;s statement about sleep deprivation and testosterone</li><li> Why the panel ultimately resists turning sex into a standardized sleep prescription</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About the panel</h2>Dr. Michael Grandner is a licensed clinical psychologist certified in behavioral sleep medicine and a professor at the University of Arizona. He directs the Sleep and Health Research Program and the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic. His research examines sleep health, insufficient sleep, sleep disparities and the relationship between sleep and cardiometabolic and daytime functioning.<a href="https://profiles.arizona.edu/person/grandner" rel="nofollow">University of Arizona profile</a>Dr. Jade Wu is a board-certified sleep psychologist, researcher and author of Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications. Her current research at Duke University School of Medicine focuses on treating sleep disorders in people with chronic illness.<a href="https://neurology.duke.edu/personnel/jade-wu-phd-dbsm" rel="nofollow">Duke University profile</a>Dr. Wendy Troxel is a senior behavioral and social scientist at RAND, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in behavioral sleep medicine, and an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Utah. She is the author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple&#39;s Guide to Better Sleep and is internationally recognized for research on sleep in couples and relationships.<a href="https://www.rand.org/about/people/t/troxel_wendy_m.html" rel="nofollow">RAND profile</a>Cheryl Carroll, DNP, CNM, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, CST, is a women&#39;s-health and mental-health clinician and an AASECT-certified sex therapist with more than thirty years of experience. She now owns StrongTower Counseling and Education in Durham, North Carolina, where she works with individuals, couples and families.<a href="https://strongtowercounseling.education/" rel="nofollow">StrongTower Counseling and Education</a><h2>MENTIONED</h2>Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett and Her Surprising Sleep Routine The earlier Snooze Button episode that started the sleep-and-sex question. <a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/congresswoman-stacey-plaskett-and-her-surprising-sleep-routine/" rel="nofollow">Listen / read the episode</a>Please Don&#39;t Make Us Call It a Sleep Divorce Neil&#39;s earlier conversation with Wendy Troxel about couples who sleep separately and what that choice does — and does not — say about a relationship. <a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/please-dont-make-us-call-it-a-sleep-divorce/" rel="nofollow">Listen / read the episode</a>Hello Sleep — Jade Wu Wu&#39;s book on insomnia, behavioral sleep medicine and building a healthier relationship with sleep. <a href="https://psychiatry.duke.edu/news/jade-wus-new-book-why-you-should-treat-sleep-friend" rel="nofollow">Duke University on Hello Sleep</a>Sharing the Covers — Wendy Troxel Troxel&#39;s book on sleep in couples and the intersection of sleep, relationships and health. <a href="https://www.rand.org/about/people/t/troxel_wendy_m.html" rel="nofollow">Wendy Troxel at RAND</a>Sex and Sleep: Perceptions of Sex as a Sleep Promoting Behavior in the General Adult Population The 2019 survey study showing that many adults perceive sexual activity involving orgasm as helpful for subsequent sleep. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30886838/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>The influence of sexual activity on sleep: A diary study The 2023 study that followed sexual activity and subjective sleep across fourteen days. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36646500/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Sleep on it: A pilot study exploring the impact of sexual activity on sleep outcomes in cohabiting couples The 2025 pilot study using portable polysomnography in participants&#39; homes — a practical answer to one of the methodological problems debated in this episode. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40016080/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Relationship of insomnia to sexual function and sexual satisfaction: Findings from the Sleep and Sex Survey II A 2023 study of 1,266 adults examining insomnia severity, sexual function and sexual satisfaction. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37871507/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Effect of partial and total sleep deprivation on serum testosterone in healthy males The systematic review and meta-analysis used for the archive correction to the episode&#39;s testosterone discussion.

Sex & Sleep: Was It Good For You?

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<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>How Diane Macedo&#39;s years in overnight and early-morning news contributed to her sleep problems</li><li> Why she stopped assuming she was simply a lifelong &#34;bad sleeper&#34;</li><li> The myth that every adult must get exactly eight hours</li><li> How circadian timing complicates sleep for shift workers</li><li> Light, darkness, meals, exercise and properly timed melatonin</li><li> Why anxiety about sleep can become a self-reinforcing insomnia loop</li><li> How the bed can become a cue for wakefulness instead of sleep</li><li> Why a &#34;perfect&#34; bedtime routine can sometimes become another source of pressure</li><li> Constructive worry: the notebook exercise Macedo uses to unload unfinished thoughts</li><li> What research does — and does not — show about bedtime writing</li><li> Why The Sleep Fix was almost called Insomnia Hacks</li><li> Dan Harris, meditation and the problem with product-driven sleep hacks</li><li> Macedo&#39;s experience with Ambien, tolerance and prescription sleep medication</li><li> Why &#34;I can&#39;t sleep&#34; can point to very different sleep disorders</li><li> Restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, narcolepsy and missed diagnostic clues</li><li> Why sleep medicine education in primary care has historically been limited</li><li> The story of Macedo&#39;s two-month-old sleeping through the night — and why it should not be treated as universal infant advice</li><li> How The Sleep Fix grew into an ongoing sleep-education project</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Diane Macedo</h2>Diane Macedo is a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, ABC News anchor and correspondent, bestselling author and sleep educator. She anchors ABC News Live First and serves as a breaking-news anchor and correspondent across ABC News platforms, including appearances on Good Morning America, World News Tonight with David Muir and Nightline. Her 2021 book, The Sleep Fix: Practical, Proven, and Surprising Solutions for Insomnia, Snoring, Shift Work, and More, grew from her own experience with insomnia and her reporting on sleep science. She now also runs The Sleep Fix Method.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>The Sleep Fix — Diane Macedo The book at the center of this episode, published December 14, 2021. <a href="https://www.sleepfixmethod.com/book" rel="nofollow">The Sleep Fix — official book page</a>Diane Macedo — ABC News biography Current biography and ABC News work. <a href="https://abcnews.com/author/diane_macedo" rel="nofollow">Read Diane&#39;s ABC News bio</a>The Sleep Fix Method Macedo&#39;s current sleep-education project, expanding the work that began with the book. <a href="https://www.sleepfixmethod.com/" rel="nofollow">Visit The Sleep Fix Method</a>AASM behavioral treatment guideline for chronic insomnia The guideline supporting CBT-I and its core behavioral and psychological components. <a href="https://aasm.org/new-guideline-supports-behavioral-psychological-treatments-for-insomnia/" rel="nofollow">Read the AASM summary</a>Recommended sleep duration for healthy adults AASM/Sleep Research Society consensus: seven or more hours regularly for most adults, with individual variation. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4434546/" rel="nofollow">Read the consensus statement</a>Constructive worry and pre-sleep cognitive arousal A small controlled study testing a structured worry-and-solutions exercise in people reporting insomnia. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16390282/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Constructive worry added to behavioral insomnia treatment A small randomized feasibility study examining whether constructive worry added benefit to behavioral treatment. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22574800/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Bedtime to-do lists and sleep onset A polysomnography study comparing writing future tasks with writing about completed activities. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29058942/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>AASM pharmacologic guideline for chronic insomnia Evidence-based recommendations on prescription insomnia medications, including zolpidem. <a href="https://aasm.org/resources/pdf/pharmacologictreatmentofinsomnia.pdf" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>FDA warning on zolpidem and other prescription insomnia medicines The boxed warning concerning rare but serious complex sleep behaviors. <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/123819/download?attachment=" rel="nofollow">Read the FDA safety announcement</a>Sleep education in medical school The international survey behind the long-running concern that physicians receive limited formal sleep education. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21924951/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>American Academy of Pediatrics infant feeding guidance Current parent guidance emphasizing hunger cues and individualized feeding rather than a single clock-based schedule for every infant. <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/How-Often-and-How-Much-Should-Your-Baby-Eat.aspx" rel="nofollow">Read the guidance</a>10% Happier — Dan Harris Harris appears in the conversation as a friend of Macedo&#39;s and the person she credits with helping move the book away from its original Insomnia Hacks title. <a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/" rel="nofollow">Visit 10% Happier</a>Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg Sleep psychologist discussed in the episode in connection with melatonin and sleep education. <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/lynelle-schneeberg/" rel="nofollow">Yale School of Medicine profile</a>Dr. Chris Winter Sleep neurologist and previous Snooze Button guest referenced during the conversation. <a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/the-rested-child-with-dr-chris-winter/" rel="nofollow">The Rested Child with Dr. Chris Winter</a>

ABC's Diane Macedo, Author of "The Sleep Fix"

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/22/22/89bf884a-aa87-4d40-b474-abae5817ebf8_ley_jesse_cook_insomnia_restless_legs_syndrome.mp3

<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why total sleep time and sleep-stage percentages deserve different levels of confidence</li><li> What a consumer sleep tracker can measure directly — and what it has to infer</li><li> Why motionless wake is still difficult for wearable algorithms</li><li> Wearables, nearables and the danger of assuming more sensors automatically mean better answers</li><li> How longitudinal tracker data can point toward a problem without diagnosing it</li><li> Orthosomnia and the downside of trying to perfect a sleep score</li><li> Periodic limb movements, restless legs syndrome and why the distinction matters</li><li> How RLS treatment guidance has changed since the original 2021 episode</li><li> Why the current AASM guideline moved away from routine dopamine-agonist treatment</li><li> A speculative discussion about trauma, hyperarousal and nighttime movement — and where the evidence stops</li><li> Neil’s Beditorial on celebrity, medical misinformation and transferable expertise</li><li> What Jesse Cook is doing now as Dr. Jesse Cook</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Jesse Cook</h2>Jesse Cook, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at UW–Madison and completed his pre-doctoral internship at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. His research focuses on sleep and mental health, particularly unexplained hypersomnolence, along with wearable sleep technology and the role of sleep and circadian health in athletic performance and well-being.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Jesse Cook, PhD — University of Wisconsin–MadisonCurrent UW profile and research interests.<a href="https://www.psychiatry.wisc.edu/staff/cook-phd-jesse/" rel="nofollow">Jesse Cook at UW–Madison</a>State of the science and recommendations for using wearable technology in sleep and circadian researchThe 2024 Sleep Research Society state-of-the-science review co-authored by Jesse Cook, covering wearable capabilities, accuracy, limitations and research use.<a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/47/4/zsad325/7501518" rel="nofollow">Read the review in Sleep</a>Wearable Technology as a Tool for Sleep-Wake Estimation in Central Disorders of HypersomnolenceCook and David Plante’s 2019 review of actigraphy and consumer sleep trackers in central disorders of hypersomnolence.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-019-00156-9" rel="nofollow">Read the paper</a>Plante Lab — wearable sleep technology publicationsA collection of Cook’s earlier validation work comparing Fitbit, Jawbone and actigraphy measurements with polysomnography.<a href="https://plantelab.psychiatry.wisc.edu/publications/" rel="nofollow">Browse the publications</a>AASM guideline update for restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorderThe newer treatment guidance explaining the move away from routine dopamine-agonist therapy, the risk of augmentation and the stronger recommendations for alpha-2-delta ligands and iron evaluation.<a href="https://aasm.org/summary-of-new-clinical-practice-guideline-for-rls-and-plmd/" rel="nofollow">Read the AASM summary</a>The Sleep Fix by Diane MacedoThe book Neil previews in this episode before Macedo’s appearance on the following week’s show.<a href="https://www.sleepfixmethod.com/book" rel="nofollow">The Sleep Fix</a>

Who Tracks The Trackers? Meet Dr. Jesse Cook

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/22/22/87298f8b-2f06-451a-8759-be94ccda7661_on_neil_hedley_erin_davis_drift_sleep_insomnia.mp3

<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>How Erin Davis went from morning-radio wakeups to bedtime stories</li><li> Why she calls retirement “rewirement”</li><li> How Drift was conceived and launched in 2021</li><li> The original Drift format: breathing, story and waves</li><li> Why bedtime narration requires a different broadcasting voice</li><li> Public-domain stories, original stories and choosing material that will not keep listeners awake</li><li> F. Scott Fitzgerald, Oscar Wilde, Edith Nesbit and why Edgar Allan Poe is risky bedtime material</li><li> What current research says about slow breathing before sleep</li><li> Why turning the bed into an office runs against stimulus-control therapy for chronic insomnia</li><li> Erin’s experience with L-tryptophan — and what the evidence actually says</li><li> Why alcohol’s effect on REM and deep sleep is more nuanced than the original conversation suggests</li><li> Neil’s complaint about the very blue Anderson Cooper 360 set</li><li> Evening screens, circadian light and why “blue light costs two hours” is too simple</li><li> Mourning Has Broken, Lauren, grief and nighttime awakenings</li><li> Lucid dreaming and the limited evidence for treating nightmares</li><li> Decades of broken-up sleep around Canadian morning radio</li><li> Why Drift is still publishing weekly in 2026</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Erin Davis</h2>Erin Davis is a Canadian broadcaster, author and podcaster best known for nearly three decades on the morning show at Toronto’s 98.1 CHFI. She was named a 2020 inductee into the Canadian Music &amp; Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame. Her memoir, Mourning Has Broken: Love, Loss &amp; Reclaiming Joy, was published by HarperCollins in 2019. After leaving daily morning radio, she moved to Vancouver Island and continued broadcasting through podcasting and voice work. In 2026 she remains the host of the weekly sleep-story podcast Drift with Erin Davis and co-hosts Gracefully &amp; Frankly with Lisa Brandt.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Drift with Erin DavisDavis’s weekly sleep-story podcast, launched in 2021 and still active in 2026.<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/drift-with-erin-davis/id1567665912" rel="nofollow">Listen on Apple Podcasts</a>Erin Davis — official siteCurrent biography, journal and links to Davis’s projects.<a href="https://www.erindavis.com/" rel="nofollow">Visit ErinDavis.com</a>Mourning Has Broken: Love, Loss &amp; Reclaiming JoyDavis’s 2019 memoir about Lauren, grief and rebuilding a life after loss.<a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Mourning_Has_Broken.html?id=zjZeDwAAQBAJ" rel="nofollow">Google Books — Mourning Has Broken</a>AASM behavioral and psychological treatment guideline for chronic insomniaCurrent evidence for CBT-I, stimulus control, sleep restriction and relaxation therapy.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33164742/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>Slow breathing before bedtime — 2026 systematic reviewNine studies involving 457 participants; subjective sleep measures improved more consistently than objective measures.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41886931/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>L-tryptophan and insomnia — AASM pharmacologic guidelineThe guideline suggests clinicians not use tryptophan as a treatment for chronic sleep-onset or sleep-maintenance insomnia based on the evidence it reviewed.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5263087/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>L-tryptophan and sleep quality — 2022 meta-analysisLater evidence suggesting a possible reduction in wake after sleep onset, particularly at doses of at least 1 gram, without improvements across all measured sleep outcomes.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33942088/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Alcohol and sleep — 2025 systematic review and meta-analysisTwenty-seven studies examining dose, timing and changes in sleep architecture after alcohol.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2024.102030" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>Electronic screen use and adult sleep — 2025A study of more than 122,000 adults examining pre-bed screen use, sleep duration, timing and self-reported quality.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11950897/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Lucid dreaming therapy for nightmares — 2023 systematic reviewEncouraging but limited evidence in adults; no included pediatric treatment studies.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37005191/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>World Sleep Society endorsement on nightmare disorder — 2025Supports lucid dreaming therapy as an option that may be used while noting the limited evidence base and stronger support for imagery rehearsal therapy.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2025.01.001" rel="nofollow">Read the endorsement</a>Earlier Snooze Button conversations<a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/waking-up-with-the-countrys-1-morning-radio-show/" rel="nofollow">Erin Davis &amp; Mike Cooper — Waking Up With The Country’s #1 Morning Radio Show</a><a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/boring-books-for-bedtime-with-sharon-handy/" rel="nofollow">Sharon Handy — Boring Books for Bedtime</a><a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/sleep-and-the-science-of-dreams-with-dr-celyne-bastien/" rel="nofollow">Dr. Célyne Bastien — Sleep and the Science of Dreams</a>

Erin Davis and Drift: The Sleepy Side of the Pillow

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/22/21/c0c4ea7a-6bb5-4a53-90af-18423238c67a_ey_dr_chris_winter_rested_child_sleep_insomnia.mp3

<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why Season Three begins with children’s sleep</li><li> How sleep problems can overlap with ADHD, depression, anxiety and learning difficulties</li><li> Why screening for sleep problems should complement — not replace — appropriate diagnosis</li><li> Sleep “crutches” versus optional sleep enhancements</li><li> White noise as a household-noise buffer and the modern volume-safety caveat</li><li> What structured behavioral sleep-training studies actually show about attachment</li><li> The Mad About You “cry it out” episode with Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt</li><li> Dr. Winter’s skepticism about the SNOO as a device that “teaches” sleep</li><li> The SNOO’s later FDA De Novo authorization and the 2026 FDA warning letter</li><li> Why Winter emphasizes wake time instead of putting enormous pressure on bedtime</li><li> Age-based pediatric sleep-duration recommendations</li><li> What COVID school closures taught researchers about later mornings and adolescent sleep</li><li> Why the evidence for later school starts is stronger for sleep and mood than for test scores</li><li> Winter’s prediction of a pandemic childhood growth surge — and what later evidence does and does not show</li><li> Simone Biles, the Tokyo Olympics and why “I could barely nap” mattered as a warning sign</li><li> Why learning healthy sleep early may be easier than repairing fear of sleep decades later</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Chris Winter</h2>W. Chris Winter, MD, is a sleep medicine specialist and neurologist who has studied sleep since the early 1990s. He owns Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and has worked extensively on sleep and athletic performance with professional and collegiate sports organizations. He is the author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It and The Rested Child: Why Your Tired, Wired, or Irritable Child May Have a Sleep Disorder — and How to Help.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>The Rested Child by W. Chris Winter, MDPublisher page for Winter’s 2021 book on pediatric sleep disorders and daytime symptoms.<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667926/the-rested-child-by-w-chris-winter-md/9780593330081/" rel="nofollow">Penguin Random House — The Rested Child</a>Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep MedicineDr. Winter’s current clinical practice.<a href="https://www.cvilleneuroandsleep.com/" rel="nofollow">Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine</a>Recommended sleep duration for children and teenagersAmerican Academy of Sleep Medicine pediatric sleep-duration consensus.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27250809/" rel="nofollow">Read the consensus statement</a>Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and ADHD — 2026 meta-analysisUpdated evidence on the overlap between OSA and ADHD symptoms in children.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41910119/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Pediatric OSA and depression — 2025 meta-analysisEvidence supporting screening across sleep and mood symptoms rather than assuming they are unrelated.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39662148/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Behavioral interventions for infant sleep problemsA randomized trial of graduated extinction and bedtime fading with 12-month attachment and behavioral follow-up.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27221288/" rel="nofollow">Read the trial</a>Five-year follow-up of behavioral infant sleep interventionLong-term follow-up examining child, parent-child and parental outcomes.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22966034/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>SNOO Smart Sleeper — FDA De Novo authorizationThe 2023 FDA decision establishing the device category and authorized indication for facilitating supine sleep.<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/reviews/DEN210039.pdf" rel="nofollow">Read the FDA decision summary</a>FDA warning letter to Happiest Baby — June 2026FDA concerns involving unreviewed SNOO modifications, hospital use and product-quality issues.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/happiest-baby-inc-718306-06152026" rel="nofollow">Read the warning letter</a>Infant sleep machines and noise exposureAmerican Academy of Pediatrics guidance on safer use of white-noise sleep machines.<a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/152/5/e2023063752/194468/Preventing-Excessive-Noise-Exposure-in-Infants" rel="nofollow">Read the AAP policy statement</a>Remote learning, adolescent sleep and moodActigraphy study comparing in-person and remote learning during COVID-19.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34273194/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>School start times, sleep and youth outcomes — 2022 meta-analysisTwenty-eight studies and more than 1.7 million participants.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35593065/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>School start times and academic achievementSystematic review examining grades and test scores separately from sleep and mood outcomes.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34968850/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>Sleep and growth hormone in childrenA 2024 review of the complex and still limited evidence connecting pediatric sleep and growth-hormone physiology.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10847528/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>COVID lockdown and preschool height growthA later study relevant to Winter’s on-air prediction of a pandemic growth surge.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38234429/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Simone Biles after withdrawing from the Tokyo team finalThe press-conference context for the “could barely nap” comment discussed in the episode.<a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31897727/why-simone-biles-withdrew-team-final-be-100-percent" rel="nofollow">ESPN — Biles explains the withdrawal</a>Earlier Snooze Button conversations<a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/high-performance-athletes-high-performance-kids-with-dr-chris-winter/" rel="nofollow">Dr. Chris Winter — High Performance Athletes, High Performance Kids</a><a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/14-paul-reiser-helen-hunt/" rel="nofollow">Paul Reiser &amp; Helen Hunt — the Mad About You sleep-training episode</a>

“The Rested Child” with Dr. Chris Winter

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/22/21/b84905c2-15d5-475b-86a3-7a87add8d52a_r_alex_auerbach_nba_sleep_insomnia_performance.mp3

<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why injury can become an identity crisis for an elite athlete</li><li> Marcus Stroman’s 2015 ACL comeback — and what the original episode got slightly wrong about the timeline</li><li> Why younger and older athletes may value recovery differently</li><li> How modern sports performance moved from “more work” toward specialized recovery</li><li> Why preparation improves the odds without guaranteeing performance</li><li> The psychology behind searching for a competitive edge</li><li> Why sleep complaints are so common in athletes</li><li> Phones, social media, arousal and small behavioral sleep experiments</li><li> Why sleep hygiene is not the same thing as treating chronic insomnia</li><li> Why Game 7 sleep starts in the preseason</li><li> Michael Grandner’s idea of sleep as an investment in tomorrow’s performance</li><li> What the 2020 NBA bubble taught researchers about travel and home-court advantage</li><li> NBA and WNBA evidence on travel, circadian disruption and performance</li><li> What Neil got right — and wrong — about Ravi Allada’s MLB jet-lag study</li><li> Why Neil’s historical Ambien and melatonin claims needed more nuance</li><li> How sleep loss can show up in attention, decision-making and emotion regulation</li><li> DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Love and the normalization of athlete mental-health conversations</li><li> Why Auerbach believes everyone is a performer in their own domain</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Alex Auerbach</h2>Alex Auerbach, PhD, MBA, is a performance psychologist and executive coach. At the time of this 2021 interview he was Director of Wellness and Development for the Toronto Raptors, responsible for mental health, mental performance and player development. He later served as Senior Director of Wellness and Development before leaving the organization. His work has included athletes in the NBA, NFL, WNBA and NCAA, elite military units and business leaders. In 2026 his work is focused on private performance and talent advisory for executives and high performers.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Alex AuerbachAuerbach’s current performance psychology and executive advisory work.<a href="https://www.alexauerbach.com/" rel="nofollow">Alex Auerbach — official site</a>Alex Auerbach and the Toronto RaptorsA 2021 Raptors feature from the period of this interview, discussing the organization’s mental-health work and Auerbach’s role.<a href="https://www.nba.com/raptors/when-it-comes-mental-health-we-are-all-same-team" rel="nofollow">Toronto Raptors: When it comes to mental health, we are all on the same team</a>Marcus Stroman’s 2015 return from ACL surgeryMLB’s report on Stroman returning in September after initially being ruled out for the season.<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/marcus-stroman-returns-to-blue-jays-roster/c-148697532" rel="nofollow">MLB: Stroman returns to the Blue Jays</a>Sleep and the athlete — 2021 expert consensusConsensus recommendations emphasizing individualized athlete sleep needs, travel, training, stress and recovery.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33144349/" rel="nofollow">Read the consensus statement</a>NBA COVID bubble, travel and circadian disruptionThe natural experiment Auerbach remembers in the interview.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33311539/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Jonathan Charest — NBA back-to-back travel studyTravel distance, direction, recovery and outcomes across the 2013–2020 NBA seasons.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34170248/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Eastward jet lag and NBA performanceA later analysis finding worse home-team performance as eastward jet lag increased.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9245584/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>WNBA travel, jet lag and home-court advantage — 2026An 18-season analysis extending the travel/circadian-performance question to professional women’s basketball.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13350567/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Sleep extension and basketball performanceThe 2011 Stanford study of sleep extension, sprint speed, shooting accuracy, reaction time and mood in collegiate basketball players.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21731144/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Sleep and basketball — systematic reviewA review of 28 studies on sleep, basketball performance and recovery.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36421894/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>Ravi Allada and MLB jet lagThe 20-season, 46,535-game study Neil discusses in the episode.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28115724/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>AASM behavioral insomnia guidelineCurrent evidence hierarchy for CBT-I, sleep restriction, stimulus control, relaxation and sleep hygiene.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33164742/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>Zolpidem, melatonin and chronic insomniaThe AASM pharmacologic guideline discussed in the 2026 archive clarification.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27998379/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>FDA warning for Ambien and other Z-drugsThe boxed warning covering rare but serious complex sleep behaviors.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/medical-product-safety-information/certain-prescription-insomnia-medicines-new-boxed-warning-due-risk-serious-injuries-caused" rel="nofollow">FDA safety communication</a>Melatonin for circadian rhythm sleep-wake disordersThe AASM guideline showing why the episode’s “melatonin does nothing” claim was too broad.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26414986/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>Kevin Love — Everyone Is Going Through SomethingThe 2018 essay Auerbach references as part of the changing public conversation around athlete mental health.<a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/kevin-love-everyone-is-going-through-something" rel="nofollow">The Players’ Tribune</a>

Sleep and The Mental Game in the NBA Finals

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/22/21/fd953598-cc1e-4f6a-a909-e2764a20f347_ow_to_sleep_on_the_international_space_station.mp3

<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why this interview was recorded on the day Ingenuity first flew on Mars</li><li> Nicole Stott’s 104 days in space and becoming the 10th woman to perform a spacewalk</li><li> What 16 daily sunrises and sunsets mean for circadian timing aboard the ISS</li><li> How adjustable LED lighting helps create stronger day-and-night signals</li><li> Why Earth-gazing can make an astronaut lose track of bedtime</li><li> How sleeping bags and private crew quarters work in microgravity</li><li> Why Stott’s spine elongated and made her first nights in space uncomfortable</li><li> Why she later experienced some of the best sleep of her life in orbit</li><li> Why Stott’s sleep experience was better than the average seen in astronaut sleep studies</li><li> The 2009 airlock campout procedure before her spacewalk — and why NASA no longer uses it routinely</li><li> Stott’s rule for the night before a high-stakes event: do not introduce a brand-new sleep routine</li><li> Earplugs, regular bedtime and preparing the morning before going to sleep</li><li> Michael Grandner on sleep performance anxiety</li><li> Paradoxical intention and why trying to stay awake can sometimes help insomnia</li><li> Sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control and the modern CBT-I evidence hierarchy</li><li> Why Neil’s “melatonin only works for jet lag” claim needs narrowing</li><li> Space for Art and Stott’s post-NASA mission</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Nicole Stott</h2>Nicole Stott is a veteran NASA astronaut, aquanaut, engineer, artist and author. She flew twice in space and logged 104 days in orbit, including service as a flight engineer on ISS Expeditions 20 and 21. She became the 10th woman to perform a spacewalk, was the first person to use the ISS robotic arm to capture a free-flying cargo vehicle, and painted the first watercolor in space. She is a founding director of the Space for Art Foundation and currently serves as an ISS Advisory Committee member.<h2>About Dr. Michael Grandner</h2>Michael Grandner, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist at the University of Arizona. He directs the Sleep and Health Research Program and the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic, and his research focuses on sleep health, insomnia, circadian timing and the relationship between sleep and physical and mental health.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Nicole Stott — NASANASA’s current biography, including Stott’s 104 days in space and her place as the 10th woman to perform a spacewalk.<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/people/nicole-stott/" rel="nofollow">NASA biography</a>Nicole Stott’s September 1, 2009 spacewalkNASA’s record of Stott and John Olivas’s six-hour, 35-minute EVA.<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-spacewalks/" rel="nofollow">NASA spacewalk archive</a>Sleeping and circadian rhythms aboard the ISSNASA’s overview of sleep environment, schedules, lighting and the 16 daily sunrises experienced in low-Earth orbit.<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/seven-ways-astronauts-improve-sleep-may-help-you-snooze-better-on-earth/" rel="nofollow">NASA: Seven Ways Astronauts Improve Sleep</a>NASA’s current inadequate-sleep risk pageCurrent agency framing of sleep loss, circadian desynchronization and work overload as human-spaceflight risks.<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/reference/risk-from-inadequate-sleep-and-irregular-schedules" rel="nofollow">NASA Human Research Program</a>Sleep deficiency and hypnotic use in astronautsThe 2014 actigraphy study covering shuttle and ISS crews, including average inflight sleep and sleep-medication use.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25127232/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>ISS airlock “campout” prebreathe protocolNASA technical background on the overnight reduced-pressure procedure used during the era of Stott’s spacewalk.<a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20000108920" rel="nofollow">NASA Technical Reports Server</a>Paradoxical intention for insomniaA 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 trials.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34405469/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>AASM behavioral insomnia guidelineThe modern evidence hierarchy for CBT-I, sleep restriction, stimulus control and relaxation therapy.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33164742/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>Melatonin and chronic insomniaThe AASM pharmacologic guideline, which suggests against melatonin as a treatment for chronic sleep-onset or sleep-maintenance insomnia in adults.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27998379/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>Melatonin and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disordersThe guideline showing why “melatonin only works for jet lag” is too broad.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26414986/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>Ingenuity’s first flight on MarsThe April 19, 2021 flight that had happened only hours before this interview was recorded.<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-succeeds-in-historic-first-flight/" rel="nofollow">NASA: Ingenuity’s first flight</a>Space for Art FoundationThe organization Stott discusses near the end of the interview.<a href="https://www.spaceforartfoundation.org/" rel="nofollow">Space for Art Foundation</a>Back to EarthNicole Stott’s 2021 book about what spaceflight taught her about Earth and our responsibility to it.<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/nicole-stott/back-to-earth/9781541675032/" rel="nofollow">Book information</a>Michael Grandner — University of ArizonaCurrent university profile for Grandner and his behavioral sleep medicine work.<a href="https://medicine.arizona.edu/person/michael-grandner-phd-mtr-cbsm-faasm" rel="nofollow">University of Arizona profile</a>

Sleeping In Space - Insomnia's Final Frontier? With Astronaut Nicole Stott

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<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why Sara Mednick rated her previous night’s sleep a six out of ten</li><li> Alcohol, sleep onset, REM sleep and fragmented sleep</li><li> The China Jintan study of 3,819 children and midday napping</li><li> Academic performance, happiness, grit, behavior and IQ — and what the study can and cannot prove</li><li> Why daytime naps may tolerate more light and stimulation than nighttime sleep</li><li> Sleep pressure, slow-wave sleep and the difference between an early short nap and a late long nap</li><li> Why insomnia treatment can be an exception to generic nap advice</li><li> Habitual nappers, non-nappers and sleep inertia</li><li> Why Mednick says you should stop trying if naps repeatedly make you feel terrible</li><li> The 2003 “a nap is as good as a night” perceptual-learning experiment — and what that phrase actually means</li><li> Why taking a break may matter even when sleeping does not work for you</li><li> The coffee-nap argument and the evidence that complicates Mednick’s rejection of it</li><li> Why a strategic nap and chronic long daytime sleeping are not the same research question</li><li> Restless legs syndrome and its circadian pattern</li><li> How guidance on pramipexole/Mirapex for RLS has changed since 2021</li><li> Mednick’s then-upcoming book, The Power of the Downstate, published in 2022</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Sara Mednick</h2>Sara C. Mednick, PhD, is Professor of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. She directs the Sleep and Cognition Lab, where her work examines memory consolidation, sleep, aging, pharmacology and brain stimulation. She is the author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life and The Power of the Downstate: Recharge Your Life Using Your Body’s Own Restorative Systems.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Dr. Sara Mednick — University of California, IrvineCurrent UCI profile for Mednick, her research areas and Sleep and Cognition Lab.<a href="https://experts.communications.uci.edu/profile.php?e=sarah.mednick" rel="nofollow">UCI expert profile</a>Midday napping in childrenThe 2019 China Jintan Cohort Study of 3,819 elementary-school children discussed in the episode.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31135911/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Sleep-dependent learning: a nap is as good as a nightMednick, Nakayama and Stickgold’s 2003 perceptual-learning study.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12819785/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Nap habit and four weeks of nap practiceMednick-group research examining whether habitual and non-habitual nappers respond differently and whether nap practice changes that pattern.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6180010/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Memory in habitual and non-habitual nappersA 2021 study finding long-term memory benefits from a 90-minute nap even in non-habitual nappers.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33313925/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Light during daytime sleepThe 2011 experiment exposing young adults to narrowband green light during afternoon naps.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21281656/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Caffeine plus a short napThe controlled 1997 driving study that complicates the episode’s dismissal of the coffee nap.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9401427/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Afternoon naps and subsequent nighttime sleepA 2025 randomized crossover study of 25- and 90-minute nap opportunities in student athletes.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40537913/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Daytime napping and health outcomesA 2026 umbrella review separating the performance benefits of shorter naps from associations seen with longer habitual daytime sleep.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41710553/" rel="nofollow">Read the umbrella review</a>Circadian rhythm in restless legs syndromeA modern review of the evening/night pattern Mednick speculates about during the interview.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36908590/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>Current AASM guideline for restless legs syndromeThe 2025 guideline explaining the changed recommendation on pramipexole and other dopamine agonists.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11701286/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>The Power of the DownstateThe book Mednick previews in the episode, published April 19, 2022.<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sara-c-mednick-phd/the-power-of-the-downstate/9780306925795/" rel="nofollow">Book information</a>Dementia and Sleep: It’s Not Just Deep Sleep That CountsThe Snooze Button interview with Laura Bojarskaitė referenced during the discussion of sleep architecture.<a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/dementia-and-sleep-its-not-just-deep-sleep-that-counts/" rel="nofollow">Listen/read in the archive</a>

The Art of The Nap with Dr. Sara Mednick

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/22/21/29d5ef18-a7af-456f-babf-b0271dced5da_gresswoman_stacey_plaskett_dr_michael_grandner.mp3

<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>How Stacey Plaskett usually sleeps — and why she says she has never been a great sleeper</li><li> The effect of the 2017 Virgin Islands hurricanes on her nighttime stress</li><li> Teeth grinding, a custom mouth guard and repeated awakenings</li><li> What Plaskett did the night before presenting in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial</li><li> Why cleaning and cooking function as therapy for her</li><li> Warm showers, body temperature and sleep onset</li><li> What newer evidence says about lavender and aromatherapy</li><li> Why bourbon can feel sedating while still disrupting sleep architecture</li><li> Dr. Dayna Johnson’s work on racial disparities in sleep</li><li> Why the archive now treats the episode’s slavery-to-sleep claim with more nuance</li><li> Later school start times and Plaskett’s idea for examining post-hurricane school shifts in the Virgin Islands</li><li> The origin of the episode’s 16.5% teen-crash statistic</li><li> Plaskett’s not-quite-spoken suggestion about sex and sleep</li><li> Grandner’s scientific take on sexual activity as a possible sleep aid</li><li> What 2023–2025 research added to that question</li><li> How Season Two’s celebrity-tip → scientific-filter → Neil-tests-it format was supposed to work</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About the guests</h2>Stacey E. Plaskett is the at-large Delegate representing the U.S. Virgin Islands in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2021, Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed her as one of nine House impeachment managers for the second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. She continues to represent the Virgin Islands in the 119th Congress, serving on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Ways and Means Committee and Budget Committee.Michael A. Grandner, PhD, is a behavioral sleep-medicine specialist at the University of Arizona. He directs the Sleep and Health Research Program and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic, and his research examines sleep health, insufficient sleep, cardiometabolic and neurocognitive outcomes, sleep disparities and behavioral interventions.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Congresswoman Stacey E. PlaskettOfficial House biography and current committee assignments.<a href="https://plaskett.house.gov/biography/" rel="nofollow">Official biography</a>Donald Trump’s second impeachment trialHouse history of the impeachment and the nine managers appointed to conduct the case in the Senate.<a href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Impeachment/Impeachment-List/" rel="nofollow">U.S. House History, Art &amp; Archives</a>Dr. Michael Grandner — University of ArizonaCurrent profile for the director of the Sleep and Health Research Program and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic.<a href="https://sleep.arizona.edu/people" rel="nofollow">Center for Sleep and Circadian Studies</a>Warm showers and baths before bedtime2019 systematic review and meta-analysis of passive body heating and sleep.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31102877/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Lavender essential oil and sleep2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40600743/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Alcohol and subsequent sleep2024 systematic review and meta-analysis showing REM disruption even at relatively low doses.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39631226/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Alcohol, snoring and sleep apneaSystematic review and meta-analysis examining apnea severity and oxygen saturation after alcohol.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32513091/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Sleep inequality — Dr. Dayna JohnsonEmory overview of Johnson’s work on racial disparities, neighborhoods and sleep.<a href="https://news.emory.edu/features/2020/10/sleep-inequality/" rel="nofollow">Read the Emory feature</a>Black–White differences in sleepReview of established racial differences in sleep quantity, quality and sleep-disorder risk.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25754383/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>Discrimination and sleepSystematic review finding consistent associations between discrimination and poorer sleep outcomes.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25770043/" rel="nofollow">Read the systematic review</a>Later school start times — 2024 evidenceMeta-analysis of 37 studies linking later starts with longer weekday sleep and less social jet lag.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39098151/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>The 16.5% teen-crash studyThe county study behind the specific crash statistic mentioned in the episode.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19110880/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Sex and sleep — 2019 surveyThe study already available when this episode aired, examining perceived sleep effects of sexual activity and orgasm.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30886838/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Sex and sleep — 2023 diary studyPartnered sex with orgasm was associated with shorter perceived sleep latency and better sleep quality.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36646500/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Sex and sleep — 2025 pilot experimentA small cohabiting-couple study examining objective and subjective sleep after sexual activity.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40016080/" rel="nofollow">Read the pilot study</a>How Your Race Impacts Your Sleep with Dr. Dayna JohnsonThe Snooze Button episode referenced during the Plaskett interview.<a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/how-your-race-impacts-your-sleep-with-dr-dayna-johnson/" rel="nofollow">Listen/read in the archive</a>Chilina Kennedy and the Science of ComfortThe earlier Season Two episode referenced in the conversation.<a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/chilina-kennedy-and-the-science-of-comfort/" rel="nofollow">Listen/read in the archive</a>

Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett and her Surprising Sleep Routine

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/22/21/5ae4f8b7-ddc0-49f2-a61b-536324906d81_utton_podcast_s2e3_neil_hedley_dr_chris_winter.mp3

<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why falling asleep instantly everywhere may indicate sleepiness rather than “great sleep”</li><li> The middle ground between medical sleep disorders and self-inflicted sleep problems</li><li> How expectations, culture and education shape insomnia</li><li> Why subjective sleep and objective sleep do not always tell the same story</li><li> Rare genetic natural short sleepers — and why most short sleepers are not one of them</li><li> Why athletes make unusually measurable subjects for sleep-performance work</li><li> The corrected timeline and scale of Ravi Allada’s Major League Baseball jet-lag study</li><li> Why sleep should be trained before the playoffs, not treated as a playoff emergency</li><li> Sleep extension, naps and the performance cost of sleep deprivation</li><li> Why wakeful rest is useful without being a replacement for sleep</li><li> Tiger Woods, Kevin Ollie and the relationship between recovery and athletic longevity</li><li> Why The Rested Child looks beyond infant sleep</li><li> The case for later school start times</li><li> What later evidence says about Winter’s prediction of long-lasting pandemic effects on children</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Chris Winter</h2>W. Chris Winter, MD, is a neurologist and sleep-medicine physician in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has spent decades treating adults and children with sleep disorders and consulting with professional athletes and teams. He is the author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It and The Rested Child: Why Your Tired, Wired, or Irritable Child May Have a Sleep Disorder — and How to Help. Since 2022, he has also hosted the weekly Sleep Unplugged podcast.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep MedicineDr. Chris Winter’s current clinical practice.<a href="https://www.cvilleneuroandsleep.com/" rel="nofollow">Visit the clinic</a>Sleep UnpluggedWinter’s weekly sleep-science podcast, launched in 2022.<a href="https://www.sleepunplugged.com/" rel="nofollow">Visit Sleep Unplugged</a>The Sleep SolutionWinter’s first book on sleep, insomnia and sleep myths.<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/540559/the-sleep-solution-by-w-chris-winter-md/" rel="nofollow">Penguin Random House</a>The Rested ChildWinter’s guide to sleep problems and sleep disorders from infancy through adolescence.<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667926/the-rested-child-by-w-chris-winter-md/" rel="nofollow">Penguin Random House</a>How Jet Lag Impairs Major League Baseball PerformanceThe Ravi Allada study discussed in the episode: 20 MLB seasons, 1992–2011.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28115724/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>The Impact of Sleep Interventions on Athletic PerformanceA 2023 systematic review of sleep extension, naps and other athlete sleep interventions.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37462808/" rel="nofollow">Read the systematic review</a>Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Sports PerformanceA 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis examining endurance, power, speed, skill and perceived exertion.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40236824/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Natural Short Sleeper GeneticsA review of rare genetic variants associated with familial natural short sleep.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34722012/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>Wakeful Rest and Memory ConsolidationA 2025 meta-analysis showing real cognitive benefits from quiet wakeful rest — without making rest equivalent to sleep.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40087245/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Later School Start Times and Adolescent SleepA 2024 meta-analysis of 37 studies examining later school starts, sleep duration, chronotype and social jet lag.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39098151/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Delayed School Start Times — 2026 Meta-analysisA newer synthesis finding an average increase of about 69 minutes of sleep after delayed school starts, with substantial heterogeneity.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42449039/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>

High Performance Athletes, High Performance Kids with Dr. Chris Winter

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/22/21/62dbdf8f-fab9-4011-bb3b-cc608838de92_e_button_s2e2_chilina_kennedy_michael_grandner.mp3

<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why sleep headlines and affiliate-driven product claims deserve more scrutiny</li><li>What the evidence did — and did not — say about white noise in 2021</li><li>Why a 5:30 a.m. productivity routine tells you almost nothing without bedtime and total sleep duration</li><li>The corrected eight-year comparison from Adrian Owen’s sleep-and-cognition study</li><li>How the pandemic interrupted Chilina Kennedy’s theatre work</li><li>Why portraying Carole King felt different from playing a fictional character</li><li>The difference between Kennedy’s Broadway debut and the later night Carole King secretly attended</li><li>Why Kennedy specifically did not want to know when famous people were in the audience</li><li>“Tomorrow doesn’t happen until tomorrow” as a way of reducing performance anxiety</li><li>How Kennedy responds when she cannot sleep without turning wakefulness into an emergency</li><li>Reading, guided imagery, body scanning and calm bedtime routines</li><li>How she uses the same principles with her son</li><li>Grandner’s distinction between relaxation and actually inducing sleep</li><li>Why one bad night does not have to become two</li><li>Where Kennedy’s routine overlaps with behavioral insomnia treatment</li><li>What Nightfood meant by “sleep-friendly ice cream” — and what happened to the company afterward</li><li>How Kennedy’s musical Call It Love evolved into Wild About You</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Chilina Kennedy</h2>Chilina Kennedy is a Canadian actor, singer, songwriter and musical-theatre creator. She is best known for playing Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway for more than 1,200 performances, with additional Broadway and Off-Broadway credits including Paradise Square and The Great Gatsby. She is an Artistic Producer Emeritus of Toronto’s Eclipse Theatre Company. Her musical project discussed in this episode as Call It Love later evolved into Wild About You, with music and lyrics by Kennedy.<h2>About Dr. Michael Grandner</h2>Michael Grandner, PhD, MTR, CBSM, FAASM, is Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program and Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the University of Arizona. His work examines how sleep and circadian health affect cardiovascular disease, mental health, performance and public health, with particular attention to the real-world social and behavioral forces that shape sleep.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Chilina KennedyKennedy’s official site and current work.<a href="https://www.chilinakennedy.com/home" rel="nofollow">Visit Chilina Kennedy’s site</a>Wild About YouThe musical discussed in this episode as Call It Love continued development under a new title.<a href="https://www.wildaboutyoumusical.com/" rel="nofollow">Official Wild About You site</a>Eclipse Theatre CompanyThe Toronto theatre company Kennedy helped build and where she is now Artistic Producer Emeritus.<a href="https://eclipsetheatre.ca/" rel="nofollow">Visit Eclipse Theatre</a>Dr. Michael Grandner — University of ArizonaGrandner’s current faculty profile and research roles.<a href="https://medicine.arizona.edu/person/michael-grandner-phd-mtr-cbsm-faasm" rel="nofollow">University of Arizona profile</a>Behavioral and Psychological Treatments for Chronic Insomnia Disorder in AdultsThe 2021 American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline covering CBT-I, stimulus control, relaxation therapy and related treatments.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33164742/" rel="nofollow">Read the AASM guideline</a>Noise as a Sleep Aid: A Systematic ReviewThe 2020 review behind the episode’s skepticism about universal white-noise claims.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33007706/" rel="nofollow">Read the systematic review</a>White Noise and Sleep — 2025 Meta-analysisA later randomized-trial meta-analysis finding benefits in some populations while substantial heterogeneity remained.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41151421/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Dissociable Effects of Self-Reported Daily Sleep Duration on High-Level Cognitive AbilitiesThe Adrian Owen study referenced in the Beditorial, including the published eight-year cognitive-performance comparison.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30212878/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>

Chilina Kennedy and The Science of Comfort

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/22/21/fa155c5f-06e1-4de2-ae8f-bebc6b7c9331_cognition__covid_and_continuation.mp3

<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why Season Two shifts from learning about sleep to testing sleep interventions</li><li>The role cognition was intended to play in judging whether a sleep experiment worked</li><li>Why adolescent biology clashes with very early school start times</li><li>Where the 16.5% teen-car-crash figure actually came from</li><li>What later meta-analyses found about delayed school starts and sleep duration</li><li>How sleep labs adapted to COVID with PAP precautions, ventilation, screening and telemedicine</li><li>Pandemic stress, insomnia and disrupted schedules</li><li>Early questions about COVID’s effects on the brain and what later long-COVID research found</li><li>The association between obstructive sleep apnea and worse COVID outcomes</li><li>Why a possible PAP benefit should not be confused with proof of protection</li><li>Sleep duration and vaccine antibody response</li><li>Adrian Owen’s large study of habitual sleep duration and cognition</li><li>Why the published “brain aging” comparison was eight years, not ten</li><li>Reasoning and verbal performance versus short-term memory</li><li>Why self-reported, observational sleep data cannot establish causation</li><li>How repeated cognitive testing can reduce — but not eliminate — practice effects</li><li>Baselines, changing one variable at a time and washout periods</li><li>Why an N-of-1 experiment can be useful personally without becoming clinical evidence</li><li>How Cambridge Brain Sciences became Creyos</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Seema Khosla</h2>Seema Khosla, MD, FCCP, FAASM, is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care medicine and sleep medicine. She is Medical Director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep in Fargo and the longtime host of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine podcast Talking Sleep, where she discusses research, technology and clinical practice across sleep medicine.<h2>About Dr. Adrian Owen</h2>Adrian Owen, PhD, OBE, is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging in the Departments of Psychology and Physiology &amp; Pharmacology at Western University in London, Ontario. He leads the Owen Lab, where his research combines neuroimaging with cognitive studies in healthy participants and people with brain injuries and neurological disease. He is also Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Creyos, formerly Cambridge Brain Sciences.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>School Start Times, Sleep, Behavioral, Health, and Academic OutcomesThe 2016 review of 38 reports discussed on the original episode page.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4824552/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>Adolescent Sleep, School Start Times, and Teen Motor Vehicle CrashesThe Kentucky study behind the 16.5% reduction in teen crash rates quoted in the episode.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19110880/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>School Start Times, Sleep, and Youth OutcomesA 2022 meta-analysis of 28 studies and more than 1.7 million participants.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35593065/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>2026 Delayed School Start-Time Meta-analysisA newer analysis finding an average increase of about 69 minutes of sleep, with high heterogeneity between studies.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42449039/" rel="nofollow">Read the 2026 study</a>Talking SleepThe American Academy of Sleep Medicine podcast hosted by Seema Khosla.<a href="https://aasm.org/professional-development/talking-sleep-podcast/" rel="nofollow">Talking Sleep</a>Obstructive Sleep Apnea and COVID-19 OutcomesA 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis of 21 studies and 54,276 COVID patients.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33892451/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>OSA, PAP Therapy and COVID-19 OutcomesA 2026 retrospective cohort study examining whether PAP adherence modified COVID outcomes.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42029862/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Sleep Duration and Vaccine ResponseA 2023 meta-analysis linking objectively measured short sleep around vaccination with reduced antibody response.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36917932/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Long-Term Neurological and Cognitive Effects of COVID-19A large systematic review and meta-analysis examining persistent cognitive, memory, concentration and sleep symptoms after COVID.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40514644/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>Dissociable Effects of Self-Reported Daily Sleep Duration on High-Level Cognitive AbilitiesThe 2018 sleep-and-cognition study by Conor Wild, Adrian Owen and colleagues discussed throughout the interview.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30212878/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Creyos — formerly Cambridge Brain SciencesThe cognitive-assessment platform discussed in the episode was renamed Creyos in November 2022.<a href="https://creyos.com/blog/cambridge-brain-sciences-now-creyos" rel="nofollow">About the rebrand</a>Adrian Owen at Western UniversityOwen’s current Western University faculty profile and research roles.<a href="https://psychology.uwo.ca/people/faculty/Owen.html" rel="nofollow">Western University profile</a>

Cognition, COVID and Continuation

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<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>What “COVIDsomnia” meant in 2020 — and why it was never one formal new sleep disorder</li><li> Lynelle Schneeberg’s three drivers of children’s pandemic sleep problems: schedules, physical activity and anxiety</li><li> Why family activity sometimes had to replace recess and school-based exercise</li><li> How bedtime can become accidentally associated with worry</li><li> The “worry jar” and scheduled worry time</li><li> Why taking a child’s concern seriously does not require solving it in bed at night</li><li> Remote school, later wake times and adolescent circadian biology</li><li> The case for later middle- and high-school start times</li><li> What later research found about sleep duration, mood and academic performance after delayed school starts</li><li> Seema Khosla’s firsthand observations of COVID in a sleep-medicine practice</li><li> Changes in CPAP downloads and unusually long sleep during acute illness</li><li> Stress-related insomnia versus sleep disturbance during and after COVID infection</li><li> How persistent sleep disturbance became part of the long-COVID picture</li><li> CBT-I, sleep medication and the importance of an exit strategy</li><li> What the 2026 AASM insomnia guideline adds to that treatment discussion</li><li> Remote work, telemedicine and the sleep gained by eliminating long commutes</li><li> Which pandemic-era schedule changes were worth keeping</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg</h2>Lynelle Schneeberg, PsyD, is a behavioral sleep psychologist, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Connecticut Children’s Sleep Center. She treats sleep difficulties in children, adolescents and adults, with specialties including insomnia, circadian sleep disorders and pediatric sleep problems. She is the author of Become Your Child’s Sleep Coach: The Bedtime Doctor’s 5-Step Guide, Ages 3–10.<h2>About Dr. Seema Khosla</h2>Seema Khosla, MD, FCCP, FAASM, is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care medicine and sleep medicine. She is Medical Director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep in Fargo and remains the host of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine podcast Talking Sleep, where she covers current clinical research, technology and treatment in sleep medicine.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Lynelle Schneeberg at Yale School of MedicineCurrent Yale profile and clinical/research roles.<a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/lynelle-schneeberg/" rel="nofollow">Lynelle Schneeberg, PsyD</a>Lynelle Schneeberg at Connecticut Children’sHer current pediatric sleep-medicine role and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program.<a href="https://www.connecticutchildrens.org/doctors/lynelle-schneeberg-psyd" rel="nofollow">Connecticut Children’s profile</a>Become Your Child’s Sleep CoachSchneeberg’s 2019 guide for parents of children ages 3–10.<a href="https://www.hachette.com.au/dr-lynelle-schneeberg/become-your-childs-sleep-coach-the-bedtime-doctors-5-step-guide-ages-3-10" rel="nofollow">Publisher information</a>Worry Jars and Worry TimeConnecticut Children’s current explanation of the bedtime tool discussed in this episode.<a href="https://www.connecticutchildrens.org/growing-healthy/3-bedtime-challenges-how-to-solve-them" rel="nofollow">3 Bedtime Challenges Your Kids Might Be Having Now — and How to Solve Them</a>Children’s Sleep During COVID-19A 2024 meta-analysis of 57 studies and 206,601 children and adolescents.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38191533/" rel="nofollow">Prevalence of Sleep Disturbances in Children and Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic</a>School Start Times, Sleep and Youth OutcomesThe 2022 Pediatrics meta-analysis covering 28 studies and more than 1.7 million participants.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35593065/" rel="nofollow">School Start Times, Sleep, and Youth Outcomes: A Meta-analysis</a>2026 Delayed School Start-Time Meta-analysisA newer synthesis estimating roughly 69 additional minutes of sleep after delayed starts, with substantial heterogeneity.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42449039/" rel="nofollow">Delayed School Start Times to Improve Sleep Duration and Mitigate Depression in Adolescents</a>Sleep Disturbance Across the COVID-19 PandemicA systematic review and meta-analysis of 250 studies and nearly half a million participants.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35131664/" rel="nofollow">Sleep Disturbances During the COVID-19 Pandemic</a>Sleep and Long COVIDA meta-analysis of sleep disturbances in 13,935 patients with long COVID.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37898059/" rel="nofollow">Prevalence of Sleep Disturbances in Patients With Long COVID</a>2026 AASM Insomnia Treatment GuidelineCurrent guidance on combining CBT-I with medication for chronic insomnia.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41975142/" rel="nofollow">Combination Treatment for Chronic Insomnia Disorder in Adults</a>Talking SleepThe American Academy of Sleep Medicine podcast hosted by Seema Khosla.<a href="https://aasm.org/professional-development/talking-sleep-podcast/" rel="nofollow">Talking Sleep</a>

COVIDsomnia - How It's Hurting Adults & Kids Alike

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<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Eileen Leary’s Stanford dissertation on REM sleep and mortality</li><li> The difference between association and causation</li><li> The 13% higher all-cause mortality rate associated with each five-point reduction in REM percentage in MrOS</li><li> Replication in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort</li><li> Why sleep apnea, depression, antidepressants and sleep duration did not explain away the central association</li><li> The important nuance in the cause-specific mortality results</li><li> The possible mortality threshold below about 15% REM sleep</li><li> The third Sleep Heart Health Study cohort and the later 10,000-plus-participant meta-analysis</li><li> A 2026 replication signal in coronary artery disease plus obstructive sleep apnea</li><li> Why the evidence still does not prove that increasing REM will extend life</li><li> Machine learning and the relative importance of REM among the measured sleep stages</li><li> Why consumer wearable REM percentages are not interchangeable with polysomnography</li><li> Eileen’s current work in orexin-agonist clinical development</li><li> Michael Grandner on scientific literacy, animal models and amateur epidemiology</li><li> Why access to a scientific paper is not the same thing as knowing how to interpret it</li><li> The University of Helsinki pandemic-dream study</li><li> What the Helsinki study actually found — and what the original on-air summary overstated</li><li> Seema Khosla on ordinary bad dreams versus nightmare disorder</li><li> Imagery rehearsal therapy and “rewriting” recurring nightmares</li><li> How REM sleep behavior disorder differs from simply having nightmares</li><li> Sleep testing and obstructive sleep apnea during COVID</li><li> What later evidence found about OSA and COVID outcomes</li><li> Neil’s first weeks sleeping with the Dreem 2 EEG headband</li><li> Dreem versus Fitbit sleep-duration and staging discrepancies</li><li> Why “the trend is your friend” remains useful wearable advice</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Eileen Leary</h2>Eileen Leary, PhD, RPSGT, is an epidemiologist and sleep researcher with more than two decades of clinical-research experience. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology and Clinical Research from Stanford University, where her dissertation examined the relationship between REM sleep and mortality. She has worked across academic sleep research and biopharmaceutical development and is currently Senior Director of Clinical Development at Centessa Pharmaceuticals, with work that includes orexin-receptor agonist programs for disorders of excessive sleepiness.<h2>About Dr. Michael Grandner</h2>Michael Grandner, PhD, MTR, CBSM, FAASM, is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. He directs the Sleep and Health Research Program and the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at Banner – University Medical Center, with research spanning sleep health, behavioral sleep medicine, circadian health and population-level sleep.<h2>About Dr. Seema Khosla</h2>Seema Khosla, MD, FCCP, FAASM, is a pulmonary, critical-care and sleep-medicine physician and medical director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep. She has held multiple leadership and technology roles with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and is the longtime host of the AASM podcast Talking Sleep.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Eileen Leary: REM Sleep and MortalityThe 2020 JAMA Neurology paper at the center of this episode.<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2767713" rel="nofollow">Association of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep With Mortality in Middle-aged and Older Adults</a>Sleep and Death: Leary’s Stanford Dissertation ProjectEileen’s project page includes the three-cohort work, poster and dissertation material.<a href="https://www.eileenleary.com/project/rem-mortality" rel="nofollow">The Association Between REM Sleep and Mortality in Three Independent Cohorts</a>The Third REM-Mortality CohortThe 2021 reply reporting the Sleep Heart Health Study replication and meta-analysis of more than 10,000 participants.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.0056" rel="nofollow">Living to Dream — Reply</a>2026 REM-Mortality Follow-ThroughA later study in patients with coronary artery disease and obstructive sleep apnea that again found lower REM associated with greater mortality.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12923483/" rel="nofollow">RICCADSA REM Sleep and Mortality Study</a>Eileen LearyCurrent CV, publications and clinical-development work.<a href="https://www.eileenleary.com/elearycv" rel="nofollow">Eileen Leary’s CV</a>Michael GrandnerCurrent University of Arizona profile.<a href="https://medicine.arizona.edu/person/michael-grandner-phd-mtr-cbsm-faasm" rel="nofollow">Michael Grandner at the University of Arizona</a>Pandemic DreamsThe University of Helsinki study discussed with Seema Khosla.<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.573961/full" rel="nofollow">Pandemic Dreams: Network Analysis of Dream Content During the COVID-19 Lockdown</a>Imagery Rehearsal Therapy for NightmaresThe AASM position paper supporting the nightmare-rewriting treatment Seema describes.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5991964/" rel="nofollow">AASM Position Paper for the Treatment of Nightmare Disorder in Adults</a>REM Sleep Behavior DisorderThe current AASM clinical-practice guideline for RBD.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36515157/" rel="nofollow">Management of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder</a>Sleep Disturbances and COVID-19 OutcomesA 2024 meta-analysis of 48 observational studies covering more than 8.6 million people.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39070174/" rel="nofollow">Pre-existing Sleep Disturbances and Risk of COVID-19</a>Dementia and Sleep: It’s Not Just Deep Sleep That CountsThe earlier Snooze Button conversation with Laura Bojarskaite referenced during the REM discussion.<a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/dementia-and-sleep-its-not-just-deep-sleep-that-counts/" rel="nofollow">Listen to the Laura Bojarskaite episode</a>Tracking My Sleep: Forget Everything I’ve Ever SaidThe immediately preceding Seema Khosla episode about consumer trackers and the Dreem 2 headband.<a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/tracking-my-sleep-forget-everything-ive-ever-said/" rel="nofollow">Listen to the sleep-tracker episode</a>

The REM Sleep You're Not Getting Could Be Killing You with Dr. Eileen Leary

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<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Why Neil abandoned Fitbit as the primary measurement tool for his sleep-experiment project</li><li> Seema Khosla’s box of sleep technology</li><li> AYO blue-light glasses and circadian timing</li><li> Why the timing of bright light matters as much as the light itself</li><li> Ravi Allada’s Major League Baseball jet-lag study — and the corrected 20-season dataset</li><li> Forehead oximetry and the arrival of blood oxygen on Apple Watch Series 6</li><li> Why more sensors do not automatically mean better clinical information</li><li> Apple’s original simpler sleep-tracking approach</li><li> Orthosomnia and the danger of letting a sleep score decide how you feel</li><li> Why Seema first asks patients what prompted them to start tracking</li><li> Consumer tracker data as a reason to ask a clinician a better question</li><li> The Dreem 2 EEG headband and why it changed Neil’s book plan</li><li> What EEG adds that an ordinary wrist tracker does not directly measure</li><li> How Dreem later performed in PSG validation studies</li><li> Why a Dreem movement count cannot be compared directly with a laboratory PLMI</li><li> The current Waveband descendant of Dreem technology</li><li> CBT-I inside a consumer sleep device</li><li> Why dose and timing matter when talking about melatonin</li><li> Internet sleep advice, cannabis anecdotes and evidence</li><li> Why the tracker should contribute information rather than dictate reality</li><li> Seema’s continuing role as host of AASM’s Talking Sleep</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Dr. Seema Khosla</h2>Seema Khosla, MD, FCCP, FAASM, is medical director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep in Fargo and a physician board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine and sleep medicine. She has served in multiple leadership and technology roles with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, including chairing its Consumer and Clinical Technology Committee. She is the longtime host of the AASM podcast Talking Sleep.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Dr. Seema KhoslaCurrent professional bio and sleep-medicine work.<a href="https://aasm.org/professional-development/talking-sleep-podcast/" rel="nofollow">Seema Khosla and Talking Sleep at the AASM</a>Consumer Sleep Technology: AASM Position StatementThe 2018 position statement led by Khosla on how consumer-generated sleep data can — and cannot — be used clinically.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5940440/" rel="nofollow">Read the AASM statement</a>World Sleep Society Recommendations for Sleep TrackersThe 2025 recommendations on fundamental sleep measures, proprietary metrics, clinical use and device selection.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40300398/" rel="nofollow">Read the recommendations</a>2025 Wrist-Worn Sleep Tracker Meta-AnalysisTwenty-four studies and 798 participants comparing consumer wrist devices with polysomnography.<a href="https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.11460" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>OrthosomniaThe original 2017 clinical case series that introduced the term for unhealthy perfectionism around tracker-generated sleep data.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27855740/" rel="nofollow">Read the paper</a>Dreem Headband vs. PolysomnographyThe 2020 EEG and sleep-staging validation study discussed in the archive update.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32433768/" rel="nofollow">Read the Dreem validation study</a>Dreem in Older Adults and Alzheimer’s DiseaseA 2025 independent evaluation showing both useful accuracy and important stage- and signal-specific limitations.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40319389/" rel="nofollow">Read the 2025 evaluation</a>Beacon Biosignals / WavebandThe current descendant of Dreem’s clinical EEG-headband technology.<a href="https://beacon.bio/press-releases/beacon-biosignals-acquires-dreem-launches-at-home-sleep-monitoring-services-for-clinical-trials/" rel="nofollow">Beacon’s Dreem acquisition and Waveband</a>Apple Watch Series 6 and Blood OxygenApple’s September 2020 announcement that had just happened when this conversation was recorded.<a href="https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2020/09/apple-watch-series-6-delivers-breakthrough-wellness-and-fitness-capabilities/" rel="nofollow">Apple’s 2020 announcement</a>Apple Watch Sleep Apnea NotificationsThe 2024 regulatory milestone showing how consumer sensors later moved toward a specific validated clinical screening use.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-roundup-september-17-2024" rel="nofollow">FDA clearance notice</a>Ravi Allada: Jet Lag and Major League BaseballThe 20-season, 46,535-game study discussed during the light-therapy segment.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28115724/" rel="nofollow">Read the baseball study</a>Personal Light Treatment DevicesNewer work on wearable blue-light and blue-blocking devices for circadian alignment in an operational setting.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11725645/" rel="nofollow">Read the study</a>Talking Sleep: Wearable Sleep TechSeema’s 2026 follow-through with members of the World Sleep Society tracker task force.<a href="https://aasm.org/talking-sleep-wearable-sleep-tech-clinical-use-and-best-practices/" rel="nofollow">Listen at the AASM</a>Julie Flygare on NarcolepsyThe earlier Snooze Button episode highlighted here for World Narcolepsy Day.<a href="https://thesnoozebutton.com/narcolepsy-or-wide-awake-and-dreaming-with-julie-flygare/" rel="nofollow">Listen to Julie Flygare on The Snooze Button</a>

Tracking My Sleep: Forget Everything I've Ever Said with Dr. Seema Khosla

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<h3>In this episode</h3><ul><li>Beth Wyatt’s “rest instead of sleep” approach when sleep will not come</li><li> Breath awareness, racing thoughts and reducing pressure at bedtime</li><li> Why chronic insomnia is rarely solved by another generic sleep-hygiene tip</li><li> How Beth ended up with a mild sleep-apnea diagnosis when she expected narcolepsy or hypersomnia</li><li> The first-night effect in polysomnography</li><li> Neil’s repeat sleep-lab experience and the modern correction on pramipexole for RLS</li><li> Short naps, comfort and feeling safe enough to sleep</li><li> How COVID-19 changed Beth’s coaching work and her clients’ sleep</li><li> Listener Amy’s questions about upper airway resistance syndrome</li><li> Why UARS is now considered part of the OSA spectrum rather than a separate disease</li><li> RERAs, arousal-based scoring and why AHI can miss part of the clinical story</li><li> Whether cone-beam CT can diagnose an airway-related sleep problem</li><li> Small or recessed jaws, anatomy, loop gain, airway muscles and arousal threshold</li><li> Why permanent dental or surgical intervention deserves caution when the diagnosis is uncertain</li><li> What to do when an airway-focused treatment has not worked</li><li> Why the patient’s own symptoms and treatment response belong in the decision</li><li> The 936-million global OSA estimate</li><li> The 2020 open-source framework for validating consumer sleep trackers</li><li> Michael Grandner’s argument that sleep stages are useful human categories, not perfect boundaries in nature</li><li> How hypnodensity and multisensor wearables later followed the direction Michael predicted</li><li> The prediction that Alzheimer biomarker testing would become easier — and the 2025 blood-test milestone</li><li> The 2020 white-noise systematic review and what newer evidence says now</li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>About Beth Wyatt</h2>Beth Wyatt is a sleep coach, author, podcaster and meditation teacher. She is the author of The Calm &amp; Cozy Book of Sleep: Rest + Dream + Live and host of the archive of The Calm &amp; Cozy Podcast. Her current coaching work focuses particularly on sleep in midlife, including stress and hormonal change.<h2>About Dr. Atul Malhotra</h2>Atul Malhotra, MD, is a professor of medicine and sleep-medicine specialist at UC San Diego Health whose research focuses on obstructive sleep apnea, respiratory physiology, OSA endotypes, treatment adherence and personalized approaches to sleep-disordered breathing.<h2>About Dr. Michael Grandner</h2>Michael Grandner, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep-medicine specialist at the University of Arizona, where he directs the Sleep and Health Research Program and the Behavioral Sleep and Circadian Medicine Clinic. He later served as president of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine and is now a past president of the organization.<h2>MENTIONED</h2>Sleep Coach BethBeth Wyatt’s current sleep-coaching work and resources.<a href="https://www.sleepcoachbeth.com/" rel="nofollow">Sleep Coach Beth</a>The Calm &amp; Cozy Book of SleepBeth’s 2020 book from Rock Point/Quarto.<a href="https://www.quarto.com/books/9781631066870/the-calm-and-cozy-book-of-sleep" rel="nofollow">Book details from Quarto</a>Behavioral Treatment of Chronic InsomniaThe AASM clinical guideline supporting multicomponent CBT-I and advising against sleep hygiene as a stand-alone treatment.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33164742/" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline</a>2025 VA/DoD Insomnia and OSA GuidelineCurrent evidence-based guidance for chronic insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.<a href="https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/CD/insomnia/index.asp" rel="nofollow">Read the guideline resources</a>First-Night Effect in PolysomnographyA 2024 review of how the first night of sleep monitoring can alter sleep architecture.<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/slp2.12" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>AASM Restless Legs Syndrome GuidelineThe modern guideline that conditionally recommends against standard pramipexole use because of augmentation risk.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39324694/" rel="nofollow">RLS and PLMD treatment guideline</a>Dr. Atul MalhotraUC San Diego Health profile and current clinical work.<a href="https://providers.ucsd.edu/details/22362/sleep-medicine-pulmonology-(lung)" rel="nofollow">Atul Malhotra at UC San Diego Health</a>Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome and OSAThe 2023 international consensus statement explains why UARS is no longer treated as a separate diagnostic entity and why RERAs still matter.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10359192/" rel="nofollow">International Consensus Statement on OSA</a>Arousal-Based Scoring in OSAThe AASM position statement on hypopneas, RERAs and respiratory disturbance index.<a href="https://aasm.org/advocacy/position-statements/polysomnography-for-obstructive-sleep-apnea-should-include-arousal-based-scoring-an-american-academy-of-sleep-medicine-position-statement/" rel="nofollow">AASM position statement</a>Global Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep ApneaThe 2019 analysis, coauthored by Malhotra, estimating 936 million adults aged 30–69 with mild-to-severe OSA.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31300334/" rel="nofollow">Read the global prevalence study</a>OSA Endotypes and PhenotypesMalhotra and colleagues on airway anatomy, muscle responsiveness, ventilatory control and arousal threshold.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7544644/" rel="nofollow">Read the review</a>Standardized Framework for Testing Sleep TrackersThe open-source validation framework Michael was excited about in this episode.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32882005/" rel="nofollow">Read the paper</a>Hypnodensity and Probabilistic Sleep StagingA modern approach to representing stage ambiguity rather than forcing every epoch into one perfectly clean box.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41426496/" rel="nofollow">Read the hypnodensity review</a>World Sleep Society Recommendations for Consumer Sleep TrackersThe 2025 recommendations on fundamental sleep measures, proprietary metrics and responsible tracker use.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40300398/" rel="nofollow">Read the recommendations</a>Noise as a Sleep AidThe 2020 systematic review of white and continuous broadband noise discussed with Michael.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33007706/" rel="nofollow">Read the systematic review</a>2025 White-Noise Meta-AnalysisNewer randomized-trial evidence showing benefits in some populations while retaining substantial heterogeneity.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41151421/" rel="nofollow">Read the meta-analysis</a>FDA-Cleared Alzheimer’s Blood TestThe 2025 milestone that followed Grandner’s prediction that Alzheimer biomarker testing would become easier and less invasive.<a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFDA/bulletins/3e0c769" rel="nofollow">FDA announcement</a>

The Coach, The Expert and The President

In North America alone, there are about 100 million people with sleep issues. Maybe you’re one of them. Every week, veteran broadcaster Neil Hedley sits down with celebrities, high achievers and the world’s top neuroscientists to try and find answers to his own 30-year battle with sleep issues in the hope that he might find an answer that works for you, too.