Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter
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.
Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter
#11 - Sleeping Pills: Sleeping With The Enemy
As a sleep physician, I am constantly confronted with sleeping pills and the misunderstanding that seems to be inherent to their existence. While I do feel like there are specific instances where sleeping pills are helpful, I think the vast majority of sleep experts and behavioral sleep therapists would generally frown upon their use. In this episode, we will cover:
- why I feel sleeping pills are largely unnecessary, particularly given the fact that everyone sleeps (Episode 2)
- to whom these pills are marketed and how ad prey upon fear of sleeplessness as a means to create a market for their product
- the surprisingly modest sleep improvement results (sleep latency, sleep efficiency) these medications produce and how these stand in direct opposition to what the average user thinks is happening
- the risk of sleeping pills
- how the relevance of these promoted benefits is of unclear significance
- failure of sleeping pill research to prove health or performance benefits
- the repetitive history of the sleeping pill cycle and how history has judged the fate of many that have come before
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!
