Earlier this year, the beer company Molson-Coors tried an experiment based on cutting edge research known as 'targeted dream activation'. Amazingly participants reported dreaming more of Coors beer after consuming audio and video content specifically designed to 'induce' images of their beers into the participant's dreams.

Concerned about the possibilities of dreams becoming the playground for unscrupulous marketers, or even as a means of societal manipulation, a group of sleep and dream researchers recently published an open letter, describing the ethical issues at stake, if we longer have sovereign control of our own dreams.

This episode’s guest:

Dr Sara C. Mednick is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of California, Irvine and author of the book, Take a Nap! Change your life. . She is passionate about understanding how the brain works through her research into sleep and cognition. Dr. Mednick’s seven-bedroom sleep lab at UCI works literally around-the-clock to discover methods for boosting cognition through a range of different interventions including napping, brain stimulation with electricity, sound and light, as well as pharmacological interventions. Her research findings have been published in such leading scientific journals as Nature Neuroscience and The Proceedings from the National Academy of Science, and covered by all major media outlets. She received a PhD in Psychology from Harvard University, and then completed a postdoc at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and UC San Diego.

Links

Website: http://www.saramednick.com/

Sleep and Cognition Lab:  http://sleepandcognitionlab.org/

University California Irvine: https://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=6491

Research Gate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sara-Mednick

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sara_Mednick

Other resources:

MIT Dream Engineering group: https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/theme-engineering-dreams/overview/

Coors beer promotion: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/05/advertisers-targeted-dream-incubation

Open letter: https://dxe.pubpub.org/pub/dreamadvertising/release/1

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/dreams-and-advertising/

But despite a now vibrant and eclectic body of research and evidence of scientific theories of dreaming, their relationship to memory, cognition and our emotional lives, up until now we've failed to come up with an overarching framework, a 'big idea' to describe the biological function of our dream lives.

In a new book, When Brains Dream, two world authorities in the science of sleep and dreams make a bold leap into proposing a new theory - NEXTUP,  Network Exploration to Understand Possibilities - which elegantly encompasses a vast swathe of previously gathered evidence in dream research, but also emphasises the vital importance of narratives, the subjective experience of dreaming, and the offline processing of weak memory associations.

This episode’s guests:

Robert Stickgold is a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Center for Sleep and Cognition. 

Harvard: http://brain.harvard.edu/?people=robert-stickgold

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stickgold

Antonio Zadra is a professor at the Université de Montréal and a researcher at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep

Website: https://antoniozadra.com/

University of Montreal: http://www.ceams-carsm.ca/chercheurs/zadra

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrZdreams

History of dreaming: https://sleepjunkies.com/the-science-of-dreams-and-dreaming-a-brief-history/


Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/a-unified-theory-of-dreaming/

You can listen to Part 1 here: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-supplements-part-1/

This episode’s guest:

Jesse Cook is a 4th year Clinical Psychology graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the active Sleep Research Society Trainee Member At-Large. Jesse completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona, where he established an initial passion and skillset for Sleep Research through his time as a research assistant in Dr. Richard Bootzin's Sleep Research Laboratory.

Jesse’s research primarily focus on the assessment and treatment of persons with unexplained excessive daytime sleepiness. Additionally, he has published multiple papers evaluating the utility and ability of wearable consumer technologies as a sleep assessor, relative to PSG. You can reach Jesse by email at jdcook4@wisc.edu

Resources:

Jesse Cook Researchgate:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jesse_Cook3

Jesse on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepAndSports

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-supplements-part-2/

Dietary Sources of Melatonin: https://res.mdpi.com/nutrients/nutrients-09-00367/article_deploy/nutrients-09-00367-v2.pdf

The problems stem from the fact that whilst there exists a modest body of scientific literature showing potential efficacy for solving some sleep issues,  the sleep supplement industry - devoid of regulatory restrictions -  is forging ahead to satisfy the enormous demand for novel, non-pharmaceutical based sleep solutions.

We take a deep dive into these murky waters, exploring many of the lesser-discussed issues including the marketing of products, the distinctions between medical, anxiety and lifestyle-based sleep problems, the dichotomy of 'pill's vs 'behaviour change', the overlap of diet and nutrition, and also examining the exciting future potential of a new era of 'nutritional sleep medicine'.

This episode’s guest:

Jesse Cook is a 4th year Clinical Psychology graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the active Sleep Research Society Trainee Member At-Large. Jesse completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona, where he established an initial passion and skillset for Sleep Research through his time as a research assistant in Dr. Richard Bootzin's Sleep Research Laboratory.

Jesse’s research primarily focus on the assessment and treatment of persons with unexplained excessive daytime sleepiness. Additionally, he has published multiple papers evaluating the utility and ability of wearable consumer technologies as a sleep assessor, relative to PSG. You can reach Jesse by email at jdcook4@wisc.edu

Resources:

Jesse Cook Researchgate:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jesse_Cook3

Jesse on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepAndSports

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-supplements-part-1/

This episode's guest:

Jade Wu, PhD, DBSM, is a Board-certified sleep psychologist and researcher at Duke University School of Medicine. She earned her PhD from Boston University and completed her clinical training at Duke. Her current research focuses on treating sleep disorders in those with chronic illness. In the clinic, her approach is grounded in both science and compassion.

Website: https://www.jadewuphd.com/

Savvy Psychologist Podcast: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/savvy-psychologist

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jadewuphd

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/pregnancy-baby-sleep/

Guests in order of appearance

Barry Mitzman - http://www.barrymitzman.com/

Kimberly Honn, PhD - https://medicine.wsu.edu/overview/faculty-and-staff/kimberly-honn-ph-d/

Jay Pea - https://savestandardtime.com/

Dr Michael Grandner - https://www.michaelgrandner.com/about.html

Emily Manoogian, PhD - https://panda.salk.edu/people/

Christine Blume, PhD - https://www.christine-blume.com/

Archive Material

The Reasoning Behind Changing Daylight-Saving - NPR interview with Melissa Block and Michael Downing

Daylight Saving Time - How Is This Still A Thing? - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - Youtube

Screen time and sleep - it's not just about the blue light - Sleep Junkies Podcast

Daylight Saving Time, Grandpa Jones; Louis M. Jones - Internet Archive 

Additional Credits

Consultancy and good vibrations - Jim Carey, Inventive Audio

Original music and sound design - Dark Trash


Episode url: https://sleepjunkies.com/standard-time-documentary/

Fast forward to 2021, where we're in the middle of an innovation explosion of all type of gadgets, wearables, apps, smart home technologies which not only track, but also actively attempt to promote better sleep.

In today's episode we talk to friend of the podcast, Dr Michael Grandner about this important distinction between sleep technology that measures, and tech that intervenes in our sleep.

Plus we explore some of the latest science-backed sleep devices that utilise light, sound, temperature and other esoteric techniques with strange acronyms like PEMF, TDCS, all in the mission to improve our sleep.

Dr Grandner helps us to understand where the science is at with all of the latest sleep-tech trends, including digital sleep coaching, Sp02 monitoring, light therapy wearables, bed cooling tech,  and more.

This episode's guest:

Dr. Michael Grandner is the Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UA College of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Psychology (UA College of Science), Nutritional Sciences (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), and Clinical Translational Science. In addition, he is a faculty member of the Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs. He is Certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and is a Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine.

Website: http://www.michaelgrandner.com/

University of Arizona: https://www.sleephealthresearch.com/team.html

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grandner/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Grandner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelgrandner

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/measurement-intervention-sleep-tech/

More Resources:

Guide to light therapy wearables - https://sleepgadgets.io/best-light-therapy-glasses-wearables/

PEMF and sleep - https://sleepgadgets.io/interview-welltiss-mind-pemf-device/

Matthew Walker on tDCS - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/make-new-memories-but-keep-the-old-with-little-help-from-electrodes-180955331/

MatthewWolf-Meyer PhD is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Binghamton University. His work focuses on medicine, science, and media in the United States, and draws on history, contemporary experiences, and popular representations of health and illness.work focuses on how medicine, science and media in the U.S. make sense of major modern-era shifts in the expert practices of science, medicine and popular representations of health. His first book, "The Slumbering Masses," offers insights into the complex lived realities of disorderly sleepers, the long history of sleep science and the global impacts of the exportation of American sleep.

Website: https://matthewwolfmeyer.com/

Binghamton University: https://www.binghamton.edu/anthropology/faculty/profile.html?id=mwolfmey

Twitter: https://twitter.com/m_wolf_meyer

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/slumbering-masses/

This episode's guest:

Anastasia Suraev is a clinical research officer at the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, a philanthropically-funded centre for cannabinoid research at the University of Sydney. She is also a PhD candidate at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research where she is leading a clinical trial assessing the effects of a cannabis-based therapy on sleep in people with chronic insomnia.

University of Sydney: https://www.sydney.edu.au/science/about/our-people/academic-staff/anastasia-suraev.html

Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics: https://www.sydney.edu.au/lambert/:

Systematic Review: Cannabinoid therapies in the management of sleep disorders: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/cannabis-sleep-medicine/

On the other side however, there's a fast growing cohort of innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and sleep practitioners who recognise the unbounded potential of technology to improve, rather than detract from our sleep.

In this episode we talk to Julian Jagtenberg, co-founder of Somnox, a company at the vanguard of the vibrant, innovative 21st century consumer sleep technology industry. We talk to Julian about the world's first sleep robot, and how the new 'sleep economy' may offer exciting new pathways and opportunities to help people overcome sleep issues, without resorting to pills, or potions.

This episode's guest:

Julian Jagtenberg is Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder of Somnox, the world’s first sleep robot. Created to fight insomnia, help the sleep deprived and start a global sleep revolution, Somnox was borne from Julian’s desire to help his mother manage and overcome insomnia without the need for prescription medication.

He graduated with honors from the Delft University of Technology with a degree in Industrial Design, and also holds a minor in Robotics from the Delft Biorobotics Lab

As an industrial design engineer, Julian is on a mission to develop soft robotics to contribute to health and well-being. With multiple design and engineering awards, including the James Dyson Award, Philips Innovation Award, Robotdalen Innovation Award and Sprout’s 25 under 25, Julian passionately believes in the ability of robotics to help humans live happier and healthier lives.

Julian's website: https://julianjagtenberg.com/

Somnox website: https://somnox.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianjagtenberg/

More Resources:

Paro Therapeutic Robots: http://www.parorobots.com/

Our in-depth review of the Somnox Sleep Robot: https://sleepgadgets.io/somnox-sleep-robot-review/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/somnox-robot-sleep-economy/

Our work, our health, the cars we drive, even the media we consume - all will be radically transformed in the coming years and decades by 'intelligent machines'. Essentially, these are computers that have learnt how to do many of the tasks we thought only humans were capable of. But the difference is, AI can do things quicker, more accurately, and of course, without needing human intervention.

Sleep medicine will not be an exception to this march of progress. So much so, that earlier this year, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) issued a position statement, outlining a roadmap for sleep professionals to start engaging now with the multifaceted ways that AI will inevitably impact on patient care, diagnostics, staff allocation, treatment protocols and much more.

We talk to Dr Cathy Goldstein, neurologist, and chair of the AASM's committee on AI about how artificial intelligence will shape the field of sleep medicine in coming years, and also how Dr Goldstein's own research into longitudinal sleep tracking with consumer wearables may also play a role in expanding our vision for how we manage sleep health outside of the clinic.

This episode's guest:

Cathy Goldstein, MD, is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan and faculty in the Sleep Disorders Center. Her current research focus, through work with mathematics, is the improvement of sleep tracking via algorithm development and validation using consumer sensors.

The ultimate goal of this work is more accurate longitudinal sleep estimation for performance and precision health applications. Dr. Goldstein has a passion for teaching and her educational roles have included University of Michigan athletes, trainers, and coaches and medical school faculty and trainees. She has helped disseminate sleep health and wellness to the general public through pieces in numerous media outlets.

Dr. Goldstein works to promote the adoption of cutting edge technology in sleep medicine as the chair of the national committee on AI in sleep medicine.

Dr.Goldstein has a passion for education that spans colleagues, trainees, patients and the public. In addition to her clinical work, she holds various leadership roles including Associate Editor for the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Circadian Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorders Section Editor of UpToDate, and committee work through the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

University of Michigan: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/neurology/cathy-goldstein-md-ms

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathygo_sleep

More Resources:

AI in sleep medicine: an AASM position statement: https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.8288

A Consumer Sleep Tracker Researchers Can Actually Use

Artificial intelligence in sleep medicine: background and implications for clinicians

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/ai-sleep-medicine

This episode's guests:

Mark Blagrove is a Professor of Psychology at Swansea Univeristy. He studies the relationship between sleep and cognition, including effects of sleep loss, memory consolidation functions of sleep, causes and possible functions of dreaming, nightmares, and lucid dreams.

Swansea University: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/human-and-health-sciences/psychology/m.t.blagrove/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mark_Blagrove

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Blagrove

Julia Lockheart BA MA PhD FRSA SFHEA is a British artist, academic and researcher. She currently works as a metadesign researcher and Associate Lecturer in Design Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London; as a Senior Lecturer, Head of Contextual Practices, and Director of the Metadesign Research Centre at Swansea College of Art, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and also as a design and language consultant to several educational institutions internationally.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Lockheart

Goldsmiths: https://www.gold.ac.uk/design/people/lockheart-julia/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrLockheart

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julia_Lockheart

More Resources:

DreamsID: http://dreamsid.com/

Study - Empathy & Dream Sharing: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01351/full

Article from Sublime Magazine: https://sublimemagazine.com/dream-sharing

Wired Magazine: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/coronavirus-dreams-sleep

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/covid-dreams-empathy/

More Episodes:

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But scientists and health experts are slowly coming to realise that the melatonin-blocking function of short-wavelength light is only part of the story regarding the reasons why technology keeps us awake at night.

In this episode we talk to renowned sleep expert Dr Michael Grandner about the complex and nuanced ways that technology can contribute to a lack of sleep - discussing not just the role of blue light, but also the addictive nature of social media algorithms, how different types of digital media affect sleep, and offering some practical tips to help you manage your smartphone addiction.

This episode's guest:

Dr. Michael Grandner is the Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UA College of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Psychology (UA College of Science), Nutritional Sciences (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), and Clinical Translational Science. In addition, he is a faculty member of the Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs. He is Certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and is a Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine.

Website: http://www.michaelgrandner.com/

University of Arizona: https://www.sleephealthresearch.com/team.html

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grandner/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Grandner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelgrandner

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/screens-and-sleep/

More Episodes:

[powerpress_playlist limit=20]

This episode's guest:

Jonathan Cedernaes MD, PhD is a senior researcher at Uppsala University where he completed both his medical degree and his PhD in the Department of Neuroscience.

Uppsala: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N7-789

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jonathan_Cedernaes

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cedernaes-176b3159

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCedernaes

Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-immunity-and-coronavirus/

This Episode's Guest

Christian Benedict Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in neuroscience at Uppsala University where he heads up a team of scientists at the Benedict lab, which studies the effects of circadian disruption and sleep loss on health and performance, with a particular focus on the relationship between sleep loss and metabolism. 

Christian holds a Master's degree in nutritional science,  a Ph.D. in human biology, is a teacher in the medical and biomedicine program at UU and is also the author of the book "Sömn, Sömn, Sömn". 

Benedict Lab: https://www.benedictlab.org/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian_Benedict

Uppsala University: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N9-480

The book: https://www.bonnierfakta.se/bocker/223532/somn-somn-somn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleep_advocate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleep_advocate/

Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-diet-obesity-part-2/

Studies mentioned in this episode:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662

One night of sleep loss increases ’ideal’ portion size, Sleep loss may enhance snack intake, despite satiety
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Sep;38(9):1668-74

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.49053.001

One night of sleep loss increases blood concentration of the hunger hormone ghrelin by about 15%
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014 Aug;22(8):1786-91

Recurrent partial sleep loss decreases mean blood concentration of the appetite hormone leptin by about 19%
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Nov;89(11):5762-71

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119845/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31098615

This Episode's Guest

Christian Benedict Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in neuroscience at Uppsala University where he heads up a team of scientists at the Benedict lab, which studies the effects of circadian disruption and sleep loss on health and performance, with a particular focus on the relationship between sleep loss and metabolism. 

Christian holds a Master's degree in nutritional science,  a Ph.D. in human biology, is a teacher in the medical and biomedicine program at UU and is also the author of the book "Sömn, Sömn, Sömn". 

Benedict Lab: https://www.benedictlab.org/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian_Benedict

Uppsala University: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N9-480

The book: https://www.bonnierfakta.se/bocker/223532/somn-somn-somn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleep_advocate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleep_advocate/

Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-diet-obesity-part-1/

Studies mentioned in this episode:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662

One night of sleep loss increases ’ideal’ portion size, Sleep loss may enhance snack intake, despite satiety
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Sep;38(9):1668-74

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.49053.001

One night of sleep loss increases blood concentration of the hunger hormone ghrelin by about 15%
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014 Aug;22(8):1786-91

Recurrent partial sleep loss decreases mean blood concentration of the appetite hormone leptin by about 19%
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Nov;89(11):5762-71

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119845/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31098615

In this episode we try to cut through the marketing hype, dispel some myths, and find out what the real facts are about melatonin and its role in sleep, as we speak to Professor Helen Burgess, one of the leading researchers in the United States in this area.

As well as discussing the basic biology concerning the role of melatonin we talk about the practical ins and outs, dosages, timing, use cases, side effects and also some of the latest findings in scientific research about how melatonin may play an important role outside of sleep issues, having implications for health conditions such as inflammation, some cancers and diabetes.

This Episode's Guest

Helen Burgess, Ph.D. is aProfessor in the Department of Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan. Her scientific research examines basic sleep and circadian rhythm mechanisms and also sleep and circadian rhythms in the context of various clinical disorders including alcohol use disorders, autism, chronic pain, depression, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, HIV, jet lag, migraine, shift work, sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Professor Burgess is also a member of the scientific advisory board for Natrol.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-burgess-45759a19/

ResearhGate: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/39697916_Helen_J_Burgess

Rush University: https://www.rushu.rush.edu/faculty/helen-burgess-phd

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/the-truth-about-melatonin/

This Episode's Guest

Dr Brian A. Sharpless is a licensed psychologist and author with interests in unusual psychological disorders, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and the history and philosophy of clinical psychology. He received a PhD in clinical psychology and MA in philosophy from Pennsylvania State University and completed post-doctoral clinical and research fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his three books with Oxford University Press, he has published over 40 journal articles and chapters. He also maintains a clinical practice in the greater Washington, DC area (i.e., Maryland and northern Virginia) and is a frequent lecturer.

Dr Brian Sharpless' website: http://briansharpless.com/

Published research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hGAbs68AAAAJ&hl

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brian-A-Sharpless/e/B01E606M42

UNSW Empirical Musicology Lab: http://bit.ly/2OFtOSZ

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/exploding-head-syndrome/

This Episode's Guest

Τhomas Dickson is a PhD student at the University of New South Wales, Australia, specialising in the use of music as a sleep aid. Thomas has combined music psychology research, and app development skills to build a world-first sleep app that composes relaxing music.

How Does Music Aid Sleep? Literature Review: http://bit.ly/2DA8g40

Can't Sleep App: https://cantsleepapp.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-dickson-77012262/

UNSW Empirical Musicology Lab: http://bit.ly/2OFtOSZ

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/science-of-music-sleep/

These changes to sleep timing are no doubt at the root of the lazy teenager myths, so today we talk to Dr Valerie Crabtree, a sleep researcher, clinical psychologist and mother of two teenagers, about the science of the teenage brain, the risk factors for adolescents who don't get enough sleep, societal challenges, and also offer some practical advice for parents who want to ensure the best possible sleep for their teens.

This Episode's Guest

Valerie Crabtree Ph.D is an Associate Member, Department of Psychology and Chief of Psychosocial Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. When she arrived at St. Jude, she focused her research on sleep disturbances in pediatric oncology patients, and her clinical work on sleep complaints, as well as psychological adaptation to cancer and treatment. In 2015, Dr. Crabtree and her co-author, Dr. Lisa Meltzer, published a book, “Pediatric Sleep Problems: A Clinician’s Guide to Behavioral Interventions.”

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/directory/c/valerie-crabtree.html

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Valerie_Crabtree

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-crabtree-b656157/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drvcrabtree

TedX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng1i8KuOqVc

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-and-the-teenage-brain/

This Episode's Guest

Professor Christopher French is the Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has published over 150 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims.

Goldsmiths: https://www.gold.ac.uk/psychology/staff/french/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher_French2

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chriscfrench

More Resources

Article in the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/oct/02/sleep-paralysis

Sleep Paralysis Project: https://sleepparalysisproject.wordpress.com

Cheyne et al Factor Analysis: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S105381009990404X

http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Paralysis-Historical-Psychological-Perspectives/dp/0199313806/

http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Paralysis-Night-mares-Connection-Anthropology/dp/0813548861

Article from Sleep Junkies: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-paralysis-demons-nightmares/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-paralysis-explained/

This Episode's Guest

Vicki Dawson is the founder and CEO of The Sleep Charity (formerly, the Children's Sleep Charity). The charity use behavioural approaches to children's sleep issues and offers accredited training to both parents and practitioners around sleep issues, and trains NHS staff to deliver sleep services.The charity is involved with a range of innovative projects in partnerships with universities and hospitals nationally and internationally.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-dawson-43094325/

More Resources

The Sleep Charity: https://www.thechildrenssleepcharity.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesleepcharity

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChildrensSleepCharity/

Video 2019 GSK IMPACT Awards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeHDYOik9N4

Vicki's Ted Talk: 

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/the-sleep-charity/

This Episode's Guest

Lois Maharg is a health journalist who writes about sleep, exercise, and food. Lifelong insomnia gave rise to her new book, The Savvy Insomniac: A Personal Journey through Science to Better Sleep. Her blog, http://www.thesavvyinsomniac.com, is dedicated to sharing new information about insomnia and sleep. She gives speaking presentations on how to get a better night’s rest.

The Book: The Savvy Insomniac: A Personal Journey through Science to Better Sleep

Website: https://thesavvyinsomniac.com/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/taking-the-fear-out-of-insomnia/

This episode's guest:

Linda Geddes is a Bristol-based journalist writing about biology, medicine and technology. Born in Cambridge, she graduated from the University of Liverpool with a first-class degree in cell biology. She spent nine years as an editor and reporter for New Scientist magazine and has received numerous awards for her journalism, including the Association of British Science Writers’ award for Best Investigative Journalism, European School of Oncology’s Best Cancer Reporter, The Endocrine Society’s Health Writer of the Year, and BT’s Information Security Journalist of the Year. She was also shortlisted for the Paul Foot Award in 2011 and the Press and Periodicals Association’s Writer of the Year award in 2009 and 2011.

The Book: Chasing the Sun: The New Science of Sunlight and How it Shapes Our Bodies and Minds

Website: https://www.lindageddes.com/

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/linda-geddes-medical-writer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindaGeddes

This episode's guest:

Adam Amdur is the chief patient officer of the American Sleep Apnea Association and co-principal investigator. He was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea in 2008, more than thirty years after he first showed symptoms. As the first patient principal investigator and co-founder of the Sleep Apnea Patient-Centered Outcomes Network, a part of the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, Adam worked to bring together patient leaders from other networks in order to discover a common patient voice as it relates to research best practices and collaboration with diverse stakeholders. He has increased awareness through multiple media interviews and has been a lead presenter at the National Institutes of Health’s Precision Medicine Initiative.  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-amdur-7b794310/

More Resources:

American Sleep Apnea Association: https://www.sleepapnea.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sleepapneaorg/

Twitter : https://twitter.com/sleepapneaorg

SleepApnea.org Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_rc835UoOe-r_J7mJYzNA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-sleep-apnea-association/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-apnea-org/

This episode's guest:

Dr Robert Meadows is a Reader in Sociology at the University of Surrey. His interests include social relations and health with particular emphasis on the sociology of sleep, sociology of mental health, body and embodiment and (quantitative) methodology.

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert_Meadows

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertMeadows16

More Resources:

Surrey University Sociology of Sleep Dept: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/sociology-of-sleep

Sociology of Sleep (Chapter from Sleep, Health, and Society) : https://bit.ly/2MnGqvI

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)30098-3
 

2) Why Should We Abolish Daylight Saving Time?

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0748730419854197

3) Shift work and cancer

Carcinogenicity of shift work

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(19)30455-3/fulltext

Night shift work and risk of breast cancer in women: the Generations Study cohort

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-019-0485-7
 

4) High sensitivity and interindividual variability in the response of the human circadian system to evening light

https://www.pnas.org/content/116/24/12019

This episode's guest:

Jonathan Cedernaes MD, PhD is a senior researcher at Uppsala University where he completed both his medical degree and his PhD in the Department of Neuroscience.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cedernaes-176b3159

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCedernaes

Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/

More Resources:

Sleep 4 Performance podcast with Sean Cain: https://bit.ly/2nGEhme

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/research-roundup-sep-2019/

This episode's guest:

Dr Terra Ziporyn Snider is an award-winning novelist, playwright, science writer and the co-founder and Executive Director of Start School Later, a coalition of health professionals, sleep scientists, educators, parents, students, and other concerned citizens dedicated to increasing public awareness about the relationship between sleep and school hours and to ensuring school start times compatible with health, safety, education, and equity.

A former associate editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), she is the author of many popular health and medical publications including The New Harvard Guide to Women’s Health. Terra has a BA in both history and biology from Yale University, where she studied playwriting with Ted Tally, and a PhD in the history of science and medicine from the University of Chicago.

Start School Later website : https://www.startschoollater.net/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terra-ziporyn-b442911/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/terraziporyn

More Resources:

Sleep in Adolescents: The Perfect Storm (publication by Dr Mary Carskadon) : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3130594/

Interview with Phyllis Payne: https://sleepjunkies.com/start-school-later-interview/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/start-school-later-movement/

Much of the antagonism stems from the misunderstanding that sleep training is synonymous with so-called 'Cry It Out' techniques (aka extinction), most famously popularised by Dr Richard Ferber. But as our guest Dr Craig Canapari explains in this episode, sleep training encompasses much more than extinction methods, and includes a wide array of strategies and techniques for tackling sleep problems in babies, toddlers and even school-age kids.

Join us as we bust the myths, the stigmas and the misconceptions of what sleep training really is, and explore some of the techniques that Dr Canapari uses in his practice at Yale and in his book, It's Never Too Late to Sleep Train.

This episode's guest:

Dr. Canapari is an Associate Professor and the director of the Pediatric Sleep Program at the Yale University School of Medicine. He is Board Certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Pulmonology, and Sleep Medicine. His interests include general pulmonary issues, pediatric sleep problems, and the respiratory issues of children with neuromuscular disease, as well as the use of emerging technology to disseminate useful information about sleep disorders to families.

Dr Canapari's website: https://drcraigcanapari.com/

The book: https://www.amazon.com/Its-Never-Late-Sleep-Train-ebook/dp/B07GD4NN48

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-canapari-b7247350/

Yale: https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/craig_canapari/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drcanapari

More Resources:
Ferber vs Sears: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-training-cry-it-out/

Baby Sleep Training Basics: https://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-sleep-training-the-basics_1505715.bc

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/redefining-sleep-training/

But alongside the fantasy narratives of movies like Inception, and its adoption  into mysticism and New Age beliefs, lucid dreaming is also steeped in a rich and diverse body of modern scientific research.

In today's podcast we speak to two guests, who as well as being lucid dreamers themselves, are also at the forefront of the science of lucid dreaming. 

We take a wide-ranging, science-based look at exactly what lucid dreaming is, the physiology of the sleeping brain, a brief history of lucid dreaming research, and a breakdown of the different types of techniques to induce lucid dreaming, including cognitive methods, utilizing wearables and external stimuli, and pharmacological approaches.

This episode's guests:

Curzio Vasapollo is the inventor of Zmax, an EEG-based sleep acquisition tool for monitoring sleep accurately outside of the sleep lab with applications for sleep research, lucid dreaming and bio/neuro-feedback

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Curzio_Vasapollo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/curzio-vasapollo-a36003101/

Zmax Platform: http://hypnodynecorp.com/

Achilleas Pavlou is a 3rd year Ph.D. candidate investigating lucid dream induction techniques and individual differences in lucid dream frequency. His interests include sleep research, lucid dream science, neuro/biofeedback & wearable technology. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/achilleas-pavlou/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Achilleas_Pavlou

Review of Portable Devices for Lucid Dreaming: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2019.00428/full

More Resources:

Brief history of lucid dreaming research: https://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/is-lucid-dreaming-real.html

MILD induction technique: https://www.sciencealert.com/science-has-found-a-drug-free-way-to-unlock-the-power-of-lucid-dreaming

Tim Ferris on lucid dreaming - https://tim.blog/2009/09/21/how-to-lucid-dream/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/lucid-dreaming-a-users-guide/

But a mounting body of evidence shows us that poor sleep can also affect our moral and ethical behaviour, our basic sense of what's right and wrong.

Indeed studies have shown that sub-optimal sleep can increase the likelihood of people cheating, lying and even abusive behaviour.In today's episode we talk to management professor Christopher M. Barnes, who specialises in looking at how sleep loss affects our moral and ethical behaviours, how sleep deprivation affects work outcomes, leadership and employee relations.

This episode’s guest:

Christopher M. Barnes is an Associate Professor of Management in the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. His research examines the relationship between sleep and work. He examines how sleep and sleep deprivation influence work outcomes, as well as how work influences sleep.

Resources:

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher_Barnes5

Foster School of Business: https://foster.uw.edu/faculty-research/directory/christopher-barnes/

Chris @ Huffington Post: https://www.huffpost.com/author/chris24b-363

Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8rpaCSm708

Twitter @chris24barnes: https://twitter.com/chris24barnes

More about sleep and ethical behaviour: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-morality-ethical-behavior/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/ethical-behaviour-work-leadership/

But in the past 10 years, researchers at Flinders University have been researching and testing a novel behavioural therapy for insomnia called Intensive Sleep Retraining which, incredibly, can be administered during a single 24-hour period. 

In this episode we talk to Hannah Scott one of the researchers at Flinders, about the theoretical underpinnings behind Intensive Sleep Retraining (ISR), its administration, and how ISR is beginning to make its way out of the sleep lab and into the hands of consumers.

This episode’s guest:

Hannah Scott is a sleep researcher and PhD  Candidate at Flinders University. She was awarded her Bachelor of Psychology (Honours – First Class) from Flinders University in 2016. Her Honours project tested the accuracy of a smartphone application for estimating sleep onset called Sleep On Cue, the results of which have been recently published in a top sleep journal.

Drawing upon her Honours project, Hannah collaborated with her PhD Supervisors, Emeritus Prof Leon Lack and Dr Nicole Lovato, and Re-Time Pty Ltd to develop a new sleep wearable device called THIM.

Resources:

2019 review paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1556407X19300050

Hannah Scott @ Flinders: https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/hannah.scott

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-scott-sleep/

Twitter @1HannahScott: https://twitter.com/1hannahscott

Thim wearable: https://thim.io/

Sleep On Cue App: https://sleeponq.com/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/intensive-sleep-retraining/

Despite millions claiming that ASMR induces relaxation and helps them to get to sleep, there is still only a tiny body of scientific research to lend any credence to this often bizarre phenomenon.

In today's episode we speak to sleep physiologist Stephanie Romiszewski, who teamed up last year in a video collaboration with popular ASMR content creator Emma Smith aka 'Whispers Red' to produce the first ever sleep education video in an ASMR format.We take a deep dive into ASMR, exploring the science, the history, and how ASMR fits into the existing tools and techniques that ordinary folks and sleep professionals can employ to aid relaxation and perhaps better sleep too.

This episode’s guest:

Stephanie Romiszewski is a specialist sleep physiologist and Director of Sleepyhead Clinic. With a Master's degree focused in Behavioural sleep Medicine, Stephanie has a demonstrated history of working in the sleep medicine and wellness industry, as a research scientist, clinician and spokesperson.

Stephanie is skilled in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders, disseminating science to the public through television media and medical/legal work. Sleepyhead Clinic ASMR video collaboration with WhispersRedASMR

Resources:

Sleepyhead Clinic: https://sleepyheadclinic.co.uk/

Stephanie's ASMR Video with WhispersRed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHE3fFgTr2U

Twitter @sleepyclinic: https://twitter.com/sleepyclinic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sleepyheadclinic

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-romiszewski-31b85049/

Secrets of Sleep TV Series: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-secrets-of-sleep

More about ASMR: https://sleepjunkies.com/what-is-asmr/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/asmr-and-sleep/

From hugely successful apps like Headspace and Calm to corporate wellness programs and government initiatives, mindfulness and meditation techniques have captured the public imagination.
One of the most popular uses of mindfulness is to facilitate relaxation and help with sleep problems. In today's podcast we talk to mindfulness expert Hope Bastine to explain the origins, the science and the practice of modern mindfulness and the ways it can be used if you're experiencing issues with your sleep.

This episode’s guest:

Hope Bastine is the founder of wellbeing company, Fresh Perception and is a Mental Health Foundation certified Mindfulness Cognitive Trainer incorporating positive psychology, yoga, and mindfulness-based concepts in her work.

She has specialized in insomnia and trauma recovery research with an MSc in Applied Mental Health Research at King's College London. She is currently researching her PhD in Human Flourishing at the University of Nottingham.She works as a sleep psychology consultant for Simba Sleep and leads mindfulness and welbeing workshops across Europe. She is an event guest speaker (JAN and HR HiBoB) and a sought-after lifestyle psychology expert contributor to leading publications.

Resources:

Fresh Perception: https://www.freshperception.com/

Twitter @FPWellbeing : https://twitter.com/FPWellbeing

Instagram @freshperception: https://www.instagram.com/freshperception/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hopebastine

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/mindfulness-meditation-and-sleep/

Today we're talking to Dr Amy M. Bender, a sleep scientist who has spent her life involved in many competitive sports activities, about the importance of sleep with regards to fitness, exercise and sports, but not just for competitive athletes, but for anyone who wants to ensure they're making the most of their fitness regime. 

This episode’s guest:

Dr Amy M. Bender is currently a Senior Research Scientist at Calgary Counselling Centre. Previously she was the Clinical Program Director of Athlete Services at Centre for Sleep and Human Performance and  also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at University of Calgary.

She received her PhD and Master of Science degrees in Experimental Psychology from Washington State University specializing in sleep EEG. 

She has developed sleep intervention protocols for numerous Canadian National Teams. She's an athlete herself, a Hall of Fame basketball player, has summited a handful of volcanoes, completed an Ironman in 2009, and is also mom to 3 young children all under the age of five.

Resources:

Twitter @sleep4sport : https://twitter.com/Sleep4Sport

Instagram @sleep4sport: https://www.instagram.com/sleep4sport

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-m-bender-ms-phd-b8087884/

Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29869021Sleep

Fitness Infographic: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-fitness-routine/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/exercise-fitness-sports-performance/

So what are the best practices for shift workers to balance the demands of working shifts, disrupted sleep schedules and all the health, emotional implication this entails? 

We speak to Carolyn Schur who has been helping employers and workers develop practical, evidence-based strategies to cope with all the challenges of working shifts and nights.

This episode’s guest:

Carolyn Schur is a sleep educator and coach who helps shiftworkers and those with insomnia sleep better. Carolyn works with organizations throughout Canada and the United States using her expertise to optimize employee performance and minimize absenteeism, risk and health costs. Her specialities include shiftwork, fatigue management, insomnia and sleep disorders, 'night owl' behavior, relationships, communication, conflict.

Resources:

Website: https://carolynschur.com/

Twitter @schurgoodesleep : https://twitter.com/schurgoodesleep

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynschur/

Episode homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/managing-night-shift-work/

In the second part of this discussion we talk about the problems of proprietary algorithms, raw data access, and the challenges that need to be met by both science and commerce.

Skip to sections:

2:52 The difficulty in creating validation standards for consumer sleep trackers

4:17 Do consumer sleep trackers need to be regulated?

5:45 Getting 'under the hood', proprietary algorithms, raw data access

7:02 Understanding commercial incentives, intellectual property

8:25 Stability of data, algorithm updates, lack of transparency 

9:12 People are basing health decisions on consumer sleep trackers

10:18 Consumer wearables have great potential but they are 'black boxes'

13:29 Actigraphs and the first generation consumer sleep wearables 

15:23 The danger of using a sleep wearable if you have a sleep disorder

19:10 Putting manufacturer's claims into the spotlight

24:08 Wearables that have already been validated, Fitbit, Jawbone, Oura Ring

25:19 Choosing a demographic for the validation studies 

26:28 Total sleep time (TST) estimations are pretty good in consumer wearables 

27:21 Will consumer wearables ever be able to do accurate sleep staging?

29:33 Sleepscore - are commercial, proprietary validation systems useful?

31:54 What's are some general tips for choosing a sleep tracker?

35:43 Why there's no such thing as the 'best sleep tracker'36:38 Orthosomnia, when sleep tracking can cause anxiety

40:47 A summary of all the issues discussed

Jesse Cook is a Clinical Psychology PhD Student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research interests include Unexplained Excessive Sleepiness and Wearable sleep-tracking technology. You can reach Jesse by email at jdcook4@wisc.edu

Resources:

Jesse Cook Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jesse_Cook3

Jesse on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepAndSports

Review: Wearable Sleep Technology in Clinical and Research Settings: https://bit.ly/2K4e9MV

Fitbit Alta HR validation study: https://bit.ly/2Ufbqor

Fitbit Flex validation study: https://bit.ly/2TVPLga

Jawbone UP3 validation study: https://bit.ly/2UeilhT

American Academy of Sleep Medicine: https://aasm.org/

In this first instalment of a 2-part episode, we talk about the rapid improvement that consumer sleep tracker have made in a short amount of time, and how, compared to expensive validated technology like actigraphy, could potentially unleash powerful new ways to advance sleep science.

Skip to sections:

2:48 Introducing Jesse Cooke

4:43 Discussing the review 'Wearable Sleep Technology in Clinical and Research Settings'

6:50 The lack of incentives for rigorous validation of consumer sleep trackers (CST)

10:18 CST have great potential but they are 'black boxes'

13:29 Actigraphs and the first generation consumer sleep wearables 

16:20 Newer generation sleep wearables are getting much more accurate

21:52 Is it worth paying $1000 for a clinical actigraph?

25:21 Comparing CST measurement techniques to polysomnography 

31:32 REM sensitivity of CST has improved from 30% to 60% in only a few years

32:40 The problem with detecting sleep from 'motionless wake'

37:02 Machine learning - the 'low hanging fruit' to improve accuracy of CST

40:09 Challenge for doctors when patients report use consumer sleep trackers

41:37 Fitbit, NIH and big data initiatives and future potential

How accurate is your sleep tracker? Are consumer sleep wearables good enough to used for research and clinical purposes? Join us as we navigate the complex issues surrounding marketing claims, scientific validation, reliability, raw data and why 'black boxes' technology is an impediment to research.

In this first instalment of a 2-part episode, we talk about the rapid improvement that consumer sleep tracker have made in a short amount of time, and how, compared to expensive validated technology like actigraphy, could potentially unleash powerful new ways to advance sleep science.

Skip to sections:

2:48 Introducing Jesse Cooke

4:43 Discussing the review 'Wearable Sleep Technology in Clinical and Research Settings'

6:50 The lack of incentives for rigorous validation of consumer sleep trackers (CST)

10:18 CST have great potential but they are 'black boxes'

13:29 Actigraphs and the first generation consumer sleep wearables 

16:20 Newer generation sleep wearables are getting much more accurate

21:52 Is it worth paying $1000 for a clinical actigraph?

25:21 Comparing CST measurement techniques to polysomnography 

31:32 REM sensitivity of CST has improved from 30% to 60% in only a few years

32:40 The problem with detecting sleep from 'motionless wake'

37:02 Machine learning - the 'low hanging fruit' to improve accuracy of CST

40:09 Challenge for doctors when patients report use consumer sleep trackers

41:37 Fitbit, NIH and big data initiatives and future potential

This episode’s guest:

Jesse Cook is a doctoral student within the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the primary mentoring of David Plante, MD, PhD.
Previously, he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona, whereby he assisted in projects directed by Dr Richard Bootzin.Jesse's research primarily focus on the assessment and treatment of persons with unexplained excessive daytime sleepiness.

Additionally, he has published multiple papers evaluating the utility and ability of wearable consumer technologies as a sleep assessor, relative to PSG.

Resources:

Jesse Cook Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jesse_Cook3

Jesse on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepAndSports

Review: Wearable Sleep Technology in Clinical and Research Settings: https://bit.ly/2K4e9MV

Fitbit/NIH research collaboration: https://bit.ly/2RUzsDa

Orthosomnia: http://jcsm.aasm.org/viewabstract.aspx?pid=30955

Philips Actigraphy devices: http://www.actigraphy.com/solutions/actigraphy.html

Sleep tracking guide: https://sleepjunkies.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-sleep-tracking/

Skip to sections:

2:51 Introduction

4:05 The decision to travel and study yoga in India

4:45 Bihar School of Yoga, travelling to Thailand, Buddhist monasteries

6:46 How yoga, meditation is conceived in India, contrasted with Western notions

8:22 Yoga and meditation, it's not just about the physical practice

9:51 Finding value in stillness, savasana

11:29 Life changes and the onset of sleep problems

12:05 Yoga and meditation couldn't fix the problems

13:00 Unconscious thought processes, going deeper to explore the root causes

14:32  Going beyond the 'top layers' of stress and anxiety

16:05  Trauma: dealing with deep-rooted issues

17:01  Diving into the specific practises

18:08 Deep pressure weight, weighted blankets, the enteric nervous system, serotonin

19:55  Bedtime yoga, calming poses you can do in bed

21:48  Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems 

23:08 Embodied mindfulness, taming the monkey mind 

24:55 Deep breathing, guided breathing exercises, Dr Andrew Weil 

26:14 Yoga nidra

27:00 Craniosacral therapy, osteopathy

28:38 Final thoughts, coming from a place of extraordinary anxiety

This episode’s guest:

Deirdre O'Connor has been exploring, training, teaching yoga for over 20 years. She began at the Bihar School of Yoga in India exploring many different Yoga styles – Hatha, Bhakti, Jhana and Karma Yoga.

She trained further in meditation and Buddhist philosophy, living in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, Thai forest retreat centres and Yogic ashrams in Rishikesh.

In 2013 she created and developed her Deep Sleep Workshops and Trainings, initially in response to her own experience of restless, sleepless nights, and wanting to find a way through them without resorting to sleep medication .  

Resources:

Deep Sleep Clinic Website:  http://www.deepsleepclinic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Deep-Sleep-Clinic-348304698694772/

What is Yoga Nidra?: https://sleepjunkies.com/yoga-nidra-for-sleep/

Craniosacral therapy: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318490.php

We talk to sleep and dream researcher Dr Antonio Zadra about the history of dream research, from ancient ideas, to the leading modern theories of the function of dreams.

Skip to sections:

[1:45] Introduction

[2:30] The lucid dream that inspired Dr Zadra's interest in the field

[4:38] Dr Zadra's current research interests

[7:05] Public perceptions of dreaming, dream interpretation

[9:01] Ancient ideas: dreams as 'messages from the gods'

[11:02] Dreams as results of 'bodily processes'

[14:18] Why Freud's ideas were not as original as most people think

[16:06] The forgotten pioneers of dream research

[20:50] Jung, archetypes and dreams as collective experiences

[23:21]  Dream symbolism, are dream dictionaries accurate?

[26:37]  Is dream interpretation connected to the function of dreams?

[32:14]  The 20th century and the discovery of REM sleep

[34:37]  Why REM sleep is often associated exclusively with dreaming

[37:15]  An overview of modern theories of the function of dreams

[37:59]  Dreams as a way to solve problems

[39:00] The threat-simulation theory of dreaming

[40:00] Dreams as a means to simulate social interactions

[41:10] Dream as spandrel's, epiphenomena

[43:06] The overlap between sleep research and dream research

[44:57] The overwhelming evidence to show that dreams are not random experiences

[47:11] What does the future hold for dream research?

This episode’s guest:

Dr. Antonio Zadra is currently Full Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Université de Montréal and is a researcher at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine (CARSM). Together with his students and a team of collaborators, he has published over 100 research articles and book chapters on dreams and parasomnias. In addition, Dr. Zadra has given over 160 conference presentations along with dozens of invited talks, including in the United States, Canada, England, Switzerland, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan.

Resources:
Zadra Lab:  https://antoniozadra.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrZdreams

We analyse the findings, examine how and why the results are significant and ask what the implications for these new discoveries yields for future findings.

[1:45] Introduction

[3:22] Study 1: Adults enjoy better sleep in a rocking bed

[6:39] Evolutionary biology, sleeping in trees

[9:43] Explaining sleep spindles

[13:19] Study 2: New parents face up to six years of sleep deprivation

[17:44] Do journalists read the actual scientific paper?

[20:37] Study 3: How exercise can shift a person's body clock

[26:15] Could exercise be used to help coping with shift work?

[29:35] Study 4: Some animals do not appear to need sleep

[39:23] How modern humans are under less stress in evolutionary terms

Here are the links to the four news stories we looked at:

[7:20] 'Whole-Night Continuous Rocking Entrains Spontaneous Neural Oscillations with Benefits for Sleep and Memory'
Publication: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdfExtended/S0960-9822(18)31662-2

News report: https://digest.bps.org.uk/2019/02/01/rock-a-bye-adult-study-shows-grown-ups-enjoy-better-sleep-and-memory-consolidation-in-a-rocking-bed/

[13:15] 'Long-term effects of pregnancy and childbirth on sleep satisfaction and duration of first-time and experienced mothers and fathers'
Publication: https://academic.oup.com/sleep/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/sleep/zsz015/5289255
News report: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-parents-may-face-six-years-disrupted-sleep-180971583/

[22:25] 'Human Circadian Phase‐Response Curves for Exercise'
Publication: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP276943
News report: https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/tps-eim021819.php#

[35:42] 'Most sleep does not serve a vital function: Evidence from Drosophila melanogaster'
Publication: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/2/eaau9253
News report: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/02/scientists-say-every-animal-needs-sleep-these-fruit-flies-didn-t-get-memo?

This episode’s guest:

Dr Neil Stanley has been been involved in sleep research for over 30 years, and describes himself plain and simply as a ‘sleep expert’.

Dr Stanley’s website – www.sleepconsultancy.com 
How To Sleep Well book – https://amzn.to/2PjTZfl

Jet lag is a physiological condition that arises from the disruption to our circadian rhythms when travelling east to west across different time zones. For 200,000 years, humans have evolved to live in synchrony with the natural 24 hour cycle of day and night.

When these cycles are disrupted, for instance by crossing the globe to the other side of the world, it plays havoc with our health, causing an array of problems, not just to our sleep, but also digestion, hormone regulation, body temperature, cognitive function and many other factors.

Despite all of the progress we've made in science and medicine in the last , up until now, there's never been a reliable, effective treatment for travellers to combat jet lag, and people have relied on hacks and tricks to mitigate the effects, for instance with sleeping pills, staying awake, or just attempting to power through the debilitating symptoms of fatigue and circadian disruption.

In today's podcast we talk to an entrepreneur who has teamed up with one of the world's leading scientists in combating the effects of jet lag. Together they have developed a new app, Timeshifter, which is based on decades of research into how timed light exposure can be used to shift an individual's body clock.

We talk to Timeshifter CEO Mickey Beyer-Clausen about the science behind the app,  based on the work of co-founder Dr Steven Lockley, a pioneer in sleep science and circadian biology.

This Episode's Guest:

Mickey Beyer-Clausen is a Danish-born, New York-based serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. In the ’90s, he was one of the first to launch successful Internet businesses and today he's building companies around innovations that have the potential to improve the human or planetary condition. Mickey is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Timeshifter, which is building a platform for circadian shifting to solve major performance and health challenges with an initial focus on jet lag.

[03:14] Introducing Mickey Beyer-Clausen  

[05:24] The significant consequences of jet lag for business and vacations 

[08:07] Common myths, hacks and misconceptions about jet lag

[08:24] Why generic solutions for jet lag don't work - it has to be personalized

[10:41] There are little bits of truth in many jet lag solutions, but not the whole truth

[12:29] Meeting Dr Steven Lockley of Harvard Medical School - 'a real gift'

[15:10] Dr Lockley's work with elite athletes, NASA astronauts and Formula 1 drivers

[16:32] Timed light exposure - the basic science behind the Timeshifter app

[20:46] The 'magical' effects of timed light exposure

[24:01] Using melatonin to treat jet lag with Timeshifter

[28:38] Energy level components in Timeshifter - caffeine, power-napping

[32:18] Everyone else is doing it wrong... 

[34:32] The fun element of Timeshifting

[39:32] Walkthrough of the Timeshifter app

[42:40] 'This is not a gimmick'...

[44:35] The future - a platform for circadian shifting

Resources:

Website: https://www.timeshifter.com/

2012 NY Times Article about light and jet lag:  https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/travel/a-battle-plan-for-jet-lag.html

Podcast homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/timeshifter-jet-lag-app/

Dr Corn works as a primary care provider in the state of Oregon and graduated from National University of Natural Medicine, the oldest accredited naturopathic medical university in North America and a leader in natural medicine education and evidence-based research.

As well as discussing some of the most common natural, plant based sleep remedies, including valerian, passionflower, ashwagandha, chamomile, hops, we talk about the wider perceptions of naturopathy, the philosophy of treating the patient’s wellbeing as a whole, and the differences between traditional medical care providers and naturopathy.

This Episode’s Guest

Dr Josh Corn is a licensed naturopathic doctor, natural medicine researcher and public speaker from Portland Oregon. Dr Corn graduated graduated from the National College of Natural Medicine with a Master of Science in Integrative Medicine Research. He uses botanical medicine, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and lifestyle medicine to help patients achieve their health goals.

Resources

Website: https://www.drjoshcorn.com/

Instagram: @dr.joshcorn

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians: https://www.naturopathic.org/

More about natural sleep remedies: https://sleepjunkies.com/natural-remedies/

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/natural-medicine-and-sleep/

Highlights

[3:23] Introducing Dr Josh Corn

[4:59] Dr Josh Corn’s training and research background

[6:10] What is a naturopath? How does naturopathy fit into the wider world of medicine and healthcare

[8:10] How and why natural medicine treats the ‘whole patient’

[9:20] Why the Wikipedia description of naturopathy is fake news

[14:50] Why sometimes a naturopathic doctor will prescribe big pharma medications

[16:30] The intersection between naturopathy, ancient medicine, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine

[18:40] Dealing with critics and skeptics

[20:28] The main distinction between natural sleep supplements and herbs and pharmaceutical meds/ sleeping
pills

[25:44] Diagnosing sleep disorders and working alongside sleep specialists

[27:30] How to choose over the counter sleep supplements, herbs

[29:44] Social media, advertising, regulation and the problems in choosing and buying supplements

[32:26] Melatonin for sleep, issues with dosages

[34:14] Medicinal cannabis for sleep

[37:30] Valerian root for sleep

[39:43] Passion flower for sleep

[40:43] Ashwaganda for sleep

[43:07] Chamomile for sleep

[44:04] Hops for sleep

[46:33] Kava for sleep

[50:10] Magnesium for sleep

[52:33] Phosphatidyl serine for sleep

[54:44] 5-HTP for sleep

[56:08] General guidelines for choosing herbs and supplements for sleep

For 200,000 years, human physiology has adapted to live in sync with the daily cycle of night and day.
And natural light is the most important environmental cue that helps to synchronise our biology to the 24 hour, or circadian rhythm.

But in the 21st century, artificial lighting, technology and 24/7 society has separated us from nature, and as a result, many of us, as a result of spending too much time indoors, too much time in front of screens, or staying up too light, suffer the health consequences of disrupting our circadian rhythms.

In today's podcast we talk to biohacker Thaddeus Owen, who for the last 12 years has been studying, and implementing ways to achieve optimal health, including using the latest research into how light affects our physiology and our sleep.

In this episode we go in-depth into explaining some practical ways to improve your sleep health, and general well-being with 'light hacking' including:

tips and strategies for achieving optimal sunlight exposure in the morning and throughout the day
how sunlight contains information that triggers hormone production at different times during the day
how to choose the best pair of blue light blocking glasses
comparing blue light blocking apps like F.lux and Iris
and lots more. We hope you enjoy the episode!

This Episode's Guest

Thaddeus Owen is the co-founder or PrimalHacker.com. A certified Bulletproof Coach from the first ever class of coaches, holds a personal training certification, nutrition certification, Master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition and studied Chemical Engineering a long time ago.

Resources

Primal Hacker website: https://primalhacker.com/

Instagram:  @primalhacker https://www.instagram.com/primalhacker/

Study: Infra-red light/ Skin conditioning https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4745411/

Article about non-visual photoreceptors: https://theconversation.com/seeing-without-eyes-the-unexpected-world-of-nonvisual-photoreception-79166

Article about skin/sun exposure: https://www.outsideonline.com/2380751/sunscreen-sun-exposure-skin-cancer-science

Tan through clothing https://www.kiniki.com/

f.lux: https://justgetflux.com/

Iris: https://iristech.co/

Episode Highlights

[1:45] What is biohacking?

[04:59] Dave Asprey and modifying your biology

[06:21] The pivotal moment when Thaddeus decided to pursue a life of optimal health

[09:01] Primal Hacker: combining cutting edge science and ancestral health

[10:33] Jumping into ice-holes, cold adaptation and cryotherapy

[13:24] Thaddeus' TED Talk on light hacking

[15:05] Light hack #1: getting sun exposure in the morning

[16:16] How morning sunlight stimulates hormone and neurotransmitter production

[17:41] How morning sunlight preconditions your skin to withstand ultraviolet light 

[20:41] New research which shows there are photoreceptors in the skin

[21:31] How to be naked in the sun, even in a busy urban environment 

[22:53] Lux levels, indoor vs outdoor light intensity

[26:24] Using consumer light therapy technology, Retimer glasses

[31:09] How morning sunlight acts as a 'brake' for melaton  

[33:50] How do I get natural light if I work indoors all day?

[37:31] Why do we need to block out blue light at night?

[40:37] Blue blockers; wearing at night vs wearing in the day

[43:52] Blue light blocking apps and software for laptops, phones and tablets

[45:20] F.lux vs Iris - pros and cons 

[48:17] How to choose a pair of blue-blocking glasses

[50:43] BPI 550 tint glasses

[52:53] Recommended brands for best blue blocking glasses

[54:34] How to check if your glasses are blocking the right wavelengths

[56:53] How to create a blackout in your bedroom at night

[59:29] Thoughts on smart lighting/circadian lighting for the home

[01:01:48] Summing up: Light is free. It doesn't have to be complicated.

But once past the infant and toddler years, sleep tends to become more manageable as routines ingrain themselves and habits become established.

However, for many children sleep problems persist beyond the early years into school age and when this happens, help can be harder to find.

Our guest for this episode of our podcast is the esteemed Professor Michael Gradisar who has a wealth of experience in dealing with the sleep problems of babies, children and adolescents in both clinical practice and research.

Discussing his new book, we talk to the professor about some of the evidence-based techniques he and his team have developed to help hundreds of children and their parents cope with sleep issues such as bedtime separation anxiety, insomnia, night-terrors and bedwetting.

This Episode's Guest

Dr Michael Gradisar is a Professor in Clinical Child Psychology and the director of the Child & Adolescent Sleep Clinic at Flinders University, Australia.

Dr. Gradisar has specialized in the treatment of pediatric sleep problems since 2006 and has over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Resources

Book - https://www.amazon.com/Helping-Your-Child-Sleep-Problems/dp/1472138724

Faculty page - https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/michael.gradisar

Professor Gradisar's clinic - https://www.flinders.edu.au/engage/community/clinics/child-adolescent-sleep-clinic

Epsiode homepage - https://sleepjunkies.com/school-age-children-sleep-problems/

Episode Highlights

[02:04] Introducing Professor Michael Gradisar

[03:44] Dr Leon Lack and Flinders University special history of sleep education

[05:38] Specialising in sleep interventions for school age children

[08:36] What types of sleep problems do school age kids experience? 

[11:30] What is 'normal' sleep for school age kids, and when is it 'problematic'?

[14:39] Sleep hygiene basics for children, caffeine and soft drinks 

[15:59] More sleep hygiene tips: naps, sleep routines, technology

[17:53] Screen time, blue ligght and sleep: why the associations are not as obvious as you might think

[22:09] How do you decide when it's a good time to put your child to bed?

[24:32] Chronotype, and why all kids' sleep need are different

[27:07 ] Sleep restriction therapy - does it work for children?

[33:25] Bedtime restriction therapy for kids, what is it?

[36:13] Recognising the similarity in sleep deprivation and ADHD symptoms

[39:29] Should parents give their kids melatonin?

[41:11]  How to find ways to get kids to voice their bedtime worries

[46:28] Why do kids get anxious before bedtime?

[50:14] What are child's parasomnias?

[53:34] What's the difference between nightmares and night terrors?

[55:57] Evidence-based techniques for dealing with childhood parasomnias

[58:05] The difference between childhood and adolescent sleep problems

[01:00:04] More about the book, Helping Your Child with Sleep Problems: A self-help guide for parents**

But apart from the discussion around the economic advantages or disadvantages of DST, there's been little public debate, or enquiry into what's arguably a much more important factor - the widespread health impacts of disrupting our circadian clocks twice a year.

The most obvious impact of DST is how it affects our sleep patterns. And indeed, studies have suggested many associations between fatigue related accidents and reduced cognitive functions around the time of the clocks changing.

However, new research, in the field of circadian medicine is revealing that widespread circadian disruptions such as those caused by daylight saving time could be having a far wider impact on our health than previously thought.

In this episode we speak to researcher and sleep scientist Professor Miguel Meira e Cruz about a new report he has co-authored which examines the many detrimental effects of daylight saving time on our circadian timing system.

This Episode's Guest

Dr Miguel Meira e Cruz is an academic researcher, professor and coordinator of the postgraduate course in Chronobiology and Sleep Medicine at CESPU, Porto, Lisbon. He is an affiliate of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory of the Cardiovascular Center, University of Lisbon, where he coordinates the sleep unit. 

Resources

Website: http://miguelmeiracruz.com/me.html

Link to study on DST impact: https://www.ejinme.com/article/S0953-6205(19)30013-5/abstract

Episode Highlights

[02:45] Introducing Dr Miguel Meira e Cruz

[04:13] Recent proposals to abolish Daylight Saving Time (DST)

[06:11] The origins and history of Daylight Saving Time

[09:33] Sleep is only one of the many  functions affected by DST

[11:27] How DST impacts on  sleep loss and circadian disruption 

[12:24] The difficulty of making associations between DST and sleep loss

[13:45] Why sleep-related road traffic accidents are worse than drunk driving accidents

[14:52] Does DST affect ethical decision making?

[16:27] Why DST is not the same as jet-lag

[20:14] The emerging field of circadian medicine

[22:52 ] Chronopharmacology - the importance of taking medicines at the right time

[25:10] Why permanent standard (winter) time is the appropriate time to maintain

The reason for the rise in popularity of CBT-I is that studies have repeatedly shown positive, lasting effects that when patients successfully complete a course of treatment.

CBTI combines a suite of psychological and behavorial tools and techniques, and is designed to challenge the negative thought patterns associated with insomnia, and introduce behavorial changes to reduce the anxieties associated with sleep.

For this episode we talked to Chartered Psychologist and sleep therapist, Dr Lindsay Browning all about CBT-I, how it works, what a typical CBT-I treatment plan looks like, plus lots more.

Show highlights

[02:04] introduction to Dr Lindsay Browning

[03:51] the importance of a checking a sleep expert's credentials

[08:49 ] the difference between counselling and cognitive therapy

[11:19] intentional bias and how negative thoughts influence reinforce negative behaviors

[15:00] how CBT-I has replaced sleeping pills as a recommended first-line treatment for insomnia

[18:10] different CBT-I delivery systems: therapist, group therapy, online, self-directed

[21:55] CBT-I group therapy vs one-to-one- therapy

[23:45] explaining how a typical CBT-I therapy session works

[26:22]  completing a sleep diary

[28:47] can you use a sleep tracker when doing CBT-I

[32:35] behavorial recommendations and sleep restriction

[34:45] Pavlov's dog and classical conditioning

[41:55] stimulus control

[44:34] CBT-I is not a magic bullet 

[45:42] cognitive aspects of CBT-I

[49:54] keeping a bedside journal to clear your thoughts before bedtime

[53:16] how long does a course of CBT-I last?

This Episode's Guest:

Dr Lindsay Browning is a neuroscientist and sleep consultant from the UK with a Doctorate (DPhil) from the University of Oxford, an MSc. in Neuroscience and a BSc. in Psychology.

Having realised that there was a desperate need for help for people suffering from insomnia she founded Trouble Sleeping in 2006.

Dr Browning is a Chartered Psychologist, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a member of the British Sleep Society and a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Resources:

Trouble Sleeping - https://troublesleeping.co.uk/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/DrBrowningSleep

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/DrBrowningSleep/

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/DrBrowning/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DrBrowningSleep

Episode homepage - https://sleepjunkies.com/cognitive-behavior-insomnia-explained/

Some of the world's biggest companies like Google are embracing this sleep science as a means of boosting productivity, creative thinking, memory, cognition and combatting the general effects of fatigue in the workplace.

In addition, the world of elite sports is starting to understand how longer naps can be used to stimulate additional recovery in the daytime, allowing for more flexible training schedules.

In this episode we talk with power nap specialist Dr Kasper Janssen, a sports doctor who has in recent years began to focus his efforts in teaching and coaching both companies and athletes about the benefits and practicalities of doing napping the right way.

Along the way we discuss:

• the different cultures of napping round the world

• the stigma of napping in the workplace

• how societal factors have changed the ways we've slept through the ages

• how naps fit in with consolidated sleep, biphasic sleep and polyphasic sleep

• sleep inertia and why some people feel lousy whenever they nap

• research which shows how naps improve learning and short-term memory

• a detailed step-by-step how-to guide to learning how to power nap 

This Episode's Guest:

Kasper Janssen is a sports physician, researcher, speaker and power nap specialist from the Netherlands. He has worked with several sports federations in recent years, including as a doctor for the rowing team at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 . He also owns Nap @ work, which advises companies and gives workshops on utilizing power naps at work and is the author of The Powernap Paradox (currently only available in Dutch)

Resources:

Nap at Work - http://napatwork.nl/

The Powernap Paradox - http://www.powernapparadox.nl/

Twitter - @KasperJanssen  https://twitter.com/kasperjanssen

10 science backed reasons for napping - https://sleepjunkies.com/science-of-napping/

Episode homepage - https://sleepjunkies.com/the-science-of-power-napping/

Episode homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/podcast/sleep-research-roundup-dec-2018/

The four news stories we look at are:

1) "Not just blue light, study says prolonged screen time alone disrupts sleep"
https://www.technochops.com/forget-blue-light-study-says-prolonged-screen-time-alone-disrupts-sleep/13080/
Study link: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(18)31754-6

2. "Light pollution may cause insomnia in older adults"
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181130120446.htm
   Study link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30373695

3. "Too Much Sleep Can Kill You, Scientists Say"
   https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/324475
   Study link: https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy695/5229545#126392935

4) "Starting School Later Really Does Help Teens Get Sleep"
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/well/mind/starting-school-later-really-does-help-teens-get-sleep.html
Study link: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/12/eaau6200

This episode’s guest:

Dr Neil Stanley has been been involved in sleep research for over 30 years, and describes himself plain and simply as a ‘sleep expert’.

Dr Stanley’s website – www.sleepconsultancy.com 
How To Sleep Well book – https://amzn.to/2PjTZfl

Links:

Articles about blue light and sleep - https://sleepjunkies.com/tag/blue-light/

Start School Later interview - https://sleepjunkies.com/kids-and-family/start-school-later-interview/

Article about light pollution - https://sleepjunkies.com/blog/sleep-deprived-or-darkness-deprived/

The mattress industry was revolutionised when Casper introduced the 'bed in a box' business model in 2014, offering competitive pricing and doorstep mattress delivery, all at the click of a button. But the convenience of buying online comes with a hidden cost.

Instead of selecting a mattress on how good it feels, we base our decisions on marketing and the word of mattress review sites. Bed industry veteran Jerry cuts through the hype and gives us the low down on what's really important about choosing the right mattress, and offers advice you won't commonly find on the internet.

This Episode's Guest:

Jerry Chesire the 'Beducator'

Owner/Director of Surrey Beds, award winning entrepreneur and author; bed & mattress expert and sleep specialist.

Links:

Surrey Beds - https://www.surreybeds.co.uk/

The Beducator - http://www.beducator.co.uk/

Sleeping Blissfully Book - https://amzn.to/2QQ7kAB

Jerry Cheshire on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thebeducator

Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/podcast/mattress-buying-mistakes/

Highlights:

03:14 Introducing Jerry Cheshire the Beducator

05:48 The mattress industry from the 1990's to 'the disruptors'

08:25 Mattress types explained

10:19 The dominance of foam mattresses 

12:19 Mistake #1: You don't try before you buy

18:22 Mistake #2: Assuming a firm mattress is best

24:32 Mistake #3: Choosing a mattress based on the number of springs

26:35 Mistake #4: Not checking the quality of the memory foam

32:53 Mistake #5: Not spending enough money

An extremely wide ranging and in-depth talk with Curzio Vasapollo about the practicalities and challenges of measuring the sleeping brain using EEG (electroencephalography). We also discuss what happens in a sleep lab vs tracking your sleep at home, consumer wearables, AI, biotech and loads more. 

This episode's guest:

Curzio Vasapollo, developer of Zmax
Curzio (Kurt) Vasapollo is the inventor of Zmax, an EEG-based sleep acquisition tool for monitoring sleep accurately outside of the sleep lab with applications for sleep research, lucid dreaming and bio/neuro-feedback

Links:

Zmax website - http://hypnodynecorp.com/
ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Curzio_Vasapollo

Overview of EEG and sleep (Medscape) - https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1140322-overview
Sleep tracking guide - https://sleepjunkies.com/features/the-ultimate-guide-to-sleep-tracking/

Episode Highlights:

03:52 Description of ZMax platform

04:13 Zmax applications - research, lucid dreaming, neuro-feedback

07:47 What is EEG?  

12:01 Misconceptions of 'brain-waves' 

15:24 What is a hypnogram?

16:58 What is light sleep (N1 sleep)?

19:46 N2 sleep, K-complexes and sleep spindles 

22:28 Slow wave (deep) sleep or N3 sleep

26:28 REM detection and lucid dreaming

31:15 Why a sleep cycles is not 90 minutes

32:33 Contrasting EEG sleep recording at home and in the sleep lab

32:33 The limitations of FitBits and movement based sleep trackers 

35:04 Challenges of building an accurate EEG wearable

56:14 Turning raw EEG data into a usable hypnogram with AI

65:01 Lucid dreaming research using ZMax

69:05 Detecting sleep apnea with a wearable

73:05 the future of sleep technology is in biotech, not hardware

Jeff Mann talks with Soundly CEO Dr Brian Krohn about snoring, innovation, digeridoos and space invaders.. amongst other other stuff

Way back in 2013, I wrote about a fascinating but bizarre sleep study which proved that playing the digeridoo was an effective alternative therapy for treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

I forget about this diverting piece of research until I met Brian Krohn at the Somnex Sleep Show in London last month. He was there to talk about his new app Soundly, a natural way to treat snoring which gamifies some of the therapeutic principles behind the digeridoo study.

Still in his early thirties, Dr Brian Krohn’s career has criss-crossed the fields of academia, innovation and entrepreneurship in an impressive array of projects both serious….. and not so serious.

These include pioneering a new method of manufacturing clean biodiesel, co-founding one of the largest hop-farms in the Midwest, developing diagnostic tools for neurosurgery, and oh, yeah, a Kickstarter that makes ‘magic wizard staffs‘

But now Brian’s mission is sleep, so we caught up after the show to talk more about his work as a scientist and entrepreneur, and how he’s created a natural method of reducing snoring by playing a retro video game. Enjoy!

Episode Highlights:

1:47 Introducing Dr Brian Krohn
2:41 What is the Soundly app?
4:16 Dr Brian Krohn explains his eclectic career
6:46 Academia and business. Oil and water?
8:50 Creating a research-led product
10:06 From climate change research to sleep science
14:46 A brief overview of snoring
18:06 Sleep apnea, snoring and digeridoos – the research
19:53 A ‘push-up’ for your breathing airway muscles
23:05 Space invaders: how to gamify a clinical therapy
25:37 Soundly: the clinical study
28:04 How long does it take to work?
31:02 Thoughts on the future of sleep medicine
34:34 Where to get the Soundly app
This episode’s guest:

This episode's guests:

Dr Brian Krohn

Still in his early thirties, Dr Brian Krohn’s career has traversed the fields of academia, innovation and entrepreneurship. We catch up with Dr Krohn to hear more about his eclectic career, his journey into sleep medicine and his revolutionary snoring app, Soundly.

Links:

Soundly App – http://sleepsound.ly/

Can a Digeridoo Cure Sleep Apnea – https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-apnea/digeridoo-treatment-for-os/

Magic Wizard Stuff – https://magicwizardstaff.com/

Episode homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/podcast/busting-sleep-myths/

This episode’s guest:

Dr Neil Stanley

Dr Neil Stanley has been been involved in sleep research for over 30 years, and describes himself plain and simply as a ‘sleep expert’.

Links:

Dr Stanley’s website – www.sleepconsultancy.com
How To Sleep Well book – https://amzn.to/2PjTZfl
More sleep myths – https://sleepjunkies.com/features/the-33-biggest-myths-about-sleep-and-insomnia-de-bunked/

Skip to section:

1:53 Introducing Dr Neil Stanley

3:22 What is a sleep expert?

11:00 Myth 1: Sleep is a passive activity

18:59 Myth 2: The older you get the less sleep you need

25:10 Myth 3: You can catch up with sleep at the weekends

31:16 Myth 4: You can learn to be a morning person

36:08 Myth 5: Teenagers are lazy and like to lie in bed in the mornings

40:53 Myth 6: Snoring is harmless

50:37 Myth 7: Alcohol is an effective sleep aid