Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

Chris Winter, MD
  • 4.7 (78)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

No holds barred, unscripted discussion on a wide range of sleep topics - from sleep disorders to current research and controversies in the field. No topic is off limits! Dr. Chris Winter is a clinician, a board certified neurologist and double boarded sleep specialist with 30 years of clinical experience. He is the author of The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child, and is a popular consultant and speaker, working for many professional sports teams. He is well known for his unique perspective and ability to demystify sleep, all of which he brings to Sleep Unplugged. 

  1. 1D AGO

    #190 - Restless Legs Syndrome Shake-Up: Every Time a Problem Ends, Another One Begins

    Restless legs syndrome used to feel simple. If the legs were jumping, we reached for a dopamine agonist, the safer alternative to older meds. Over time, we learned that the very medication calming symptoms could make the condition worse. But just as guidelines changed in favor of gabapentin and related medications, new research raised concerns about the medications link to cognitive decline and dementia. So where does that leave patients? In this episode, we will: Define restless legs syndrome and review why dopamine agonists became the standard treatment in the first placeExplain augmentation and rebound in plain language, and why it led to guideline reconsiderationWalk through the AASM’s updated recommendations and why gabapentinoids are now considered first-line therapyExamine the recent study linking gabapentin exposure to increased dementia and mild cognitive impairment riskDiscuss what observational research can and cannot tell us about causationCompare the real-world risks of dopamine agonists versus the emerging safety signals around gabapentinExplore how these recommendations may be interpreted differently by sleep specialists versus primary care providersHighlight the “rock and hard place” many patients feel caught in when every option carries caveatsReview practical strategies: iron optimization, careful dosing, monitoring for augmentation, and individualized careOffer a balanced framework for making thoughtful, evidence-based decisions without panic or oversimplificationProduced by: Maeve Winter More Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

    37 min

  2. FEB 2

    #189 - Insomnia Electronics: Electricity So Fine

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

    37 min

  3. JAN 26

    #188 - Top 10 Sleep Threat Power Rankings: I’m Tired but I’m Working

    This week marks the 9th month we have put out the Top 10 Sleep Threats Power Rankings, and this week, we have a special guest assessor, Dr. Seem Khosla. In this episode we will: Find out what Seema thinks are the top threats to your sleepFocus on sleep priority failures...both of the patient and the clinicianLearn why Dr. Khosla's list marks a different view of sleep problems than lists beforeProduced by: Maeve Winter More Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

    32 min

  4. JAN 19

    #187 - Why is Donald Trump So Sleepy? My Mind Is Fading

    Recent headlines and viral clips have reignited conversation about Donald Trump appearing to fall asleep during public events. What’s actually going on? Trump has repeatedly said, in his own words and in interviews, that he doesn’t sleep much and doesn’t believe he needs much sleep. In this podcast we will: Provide a brief tour of presidential and political history that shows short sleep has been common among leaders, from Thomas Jefferson to Bill ClintonTalk about why sleep loss matters via a clear, science-based explanation of how chronic short sleep affects attention, decision-making, emotional regulation, and cognitive performanceDifferentiate between “functioning” and functioning well, and discuss why people often overestimate how well they perform when sleep deprivedPull in the cultural mythology of leaders who “never sleep” and why we tend to confuse exhaustion with strength, productivity, or toughnessTake a look at how sleep has become politicized, including nicknames, optics, and the public’s fixation on who looks tired and who doesn’tProduced by: Maeve Winter More Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

    27 min

  5. JAN 12

    #186 - EMF and Sleep: Rays of Violet and Electric Blue

    Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are everywhere—from our phones to our Wi-Fi to the wiring in our homes. But do they actually disrupt sleep… or is this another modern sleep villain that gets more attention than it deserves? In this episode of Sleep Unplugged, we will: Define what EMF actually is (ELF vs RF, and why “non-ionizing” matters)Learn what research says—and doesn’t say—about EMF and the brain, including why subtle EEG changes don’t always translate into real-world sleep problemsReview what studies show about EMF and sleep, from brain waves and spindles to subjective sleep qualityFocus on Chuck McGill (Better Call Saul) as a case study, and why his story mirrors what we see in insomnia, hyperarousal, and perceived sleep threatsDetermine if EMF-blocking devices actually work and look at physics vs marketing—and why many products overpromiseList some reasonable precautions without fear, and why chasing the “perfect sleep environment” can sometimes make insomnia worseProduced by: Maeve Winter More Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

    35 min

  6. JAN 5

    #185 - Insomnia Resolutions: Seeing My Past to Let It Go

    This week on the Sleep Unplugged podcast, we are looking at sleep resolutions made for the new year and why they often fail. In this episode, we present six insomnia resolutions that don’t ask you to “try harder” — because insomnia isn’t a motivation problem, a discipline problem, or a character flaw. In this episode we will: Reframe why New Year’s sleep resolutions failThink about insomnia as a brain trained to stay alert and how that reshapes our insomnia therapy goalsDiscuss how CBT-I actually retrains the brain (not willpower) and how it fits in with the way we view insomnia therapyLearn why fixing insomnia requires better systems, better language, and better care, and not more effortUnderstand why insomnia can be tough to fix aloneProduced by: Maeve Winter More Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

    30 min

  7. 12/29/2025

    #184 - 2025 Sleep Unplugged Awards: I Will Be King

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

    28 min

  8. 12/22/2025

    #183 - Top 10 Sleep Threat Power Rankings: You Can't Live Like This

    This week marks the 8th month we have put out the Top 10 Sleep Threats Power Rankings, and this week, we have a special guest assessor, Dr. Roxanne Prichard. In this episode we will: Find out what Roxanne thinks are the top threats to your sleepFocus on wealth inequalityLearn why Dr. Prichard's list does not contradict our previous lists, but may very well explain them.Produced by: Maeve Winter More Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

    42 min
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4.7
out of 5
78 Ratings

About

No holds barred, unscripted discussion on a wide range of sleep topics - from sleep disorders to current research and controversies in the field. No topic is off limits! Dr. Chris Winter is a clinician, a board certified neurologist and double boarded sleep specialist with 30 years of clinical experience. He is the author of The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child, and is a popular consultant and speaker, working for many professional sports teams. He is well known for his unique perspective and ability to demystify sleep, all of which he brings to Sleep Unplugged. 

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