Better in Bed with The Sleep Doctor

Epizodes

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  Why Sleeping Apart Might Save Your Marriage with Dr. Wendy Troxel 16.09.2026 40min

  Is sleeping in separate beds a red flag for your relationship — or could it save it? Dr. Michael Breus talks with clinical psychologist and sleep scientist Dr. Wendy Troxel, author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple's Guide to Better Sleep, about why the modern assumption that intimacy requires sharing a bed doesn't hold up. They cover the stigma around snoring and sleep apnea testing, how mismatched CPAP struggles can quietly breed resentment, and share practical fixes like the Scandinavian sleep method. Plus, a listener needs help navigating a toddler who's taken over the marital bed.  For more information about the episode, head here: https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/podcast. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at lemonadapremium.com. Upgrade your sleep. Visit coopsleepgoods.com/BETTERINBED to get 20% off your first order. Chapters: 0:00 Resentment in the bedroom 2:35 How Wendy went from relationship researcher to sleep scientist 3:55 A brief history of couples' sleeping arrangements 5:51 Why sleeping apart feels taboo (but isn't) 7:34 When Wendy recommends a trial separation 11:04 Snoring, invalidation, and resentment 12:14 Sponsor break: Coop Sleep Goods 13:38 Why people resist sleep testing 16:17 Case study: CPAP struggles and switching to an oral appliance 17:21 Couples based sleep apnea treatment (WEPAP) 19:20 Dr. Breus opens up about his own sleep apnea 21:01 Listener question from Zack 22:52 Wendy unpacks a common parent issue  26:43 Dr. Breus's on call parenting schedule idea 28:57 Sponsor break: Sleep Doctor 29:46 Temperature differences and the Scandinavian sleep method 31:10 Real red flags: when a sleep divorce signals deeper issues 33:39 Wendy's #1 tip for better sleep 34:41 Where to find Wendy Troxel and her book 35:37 Recap and closing thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Morning Habits to Rewire Your Brain with Jim Kwik 09.09.2026 40min

  Ever wonder what your brain is actually doing while you sleep? In this episode, Dr. Michael Breus sits down with legendary brain coach Jim Kwik — who also happens to be his former sleep patient — to break down the powerful link between sleep and brain performance. Jim opens up about his childhood brain injury, years of severe sleep deprivation, and the surgery that changed his life after being diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. Then he shares the ideas behind his new book, Limitless Daily, including the phenomenon of ‘sleep inertia’ — that foggy window right after you wake up when your mind is most open. For more information about the episode, head here: https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/podcast. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at lemonadapremium.com. Upgrade your sleep. Visit coopsleepgoods.com/BETTERINBED to get 20% off your first order. Chapters: 0:00 What your brain does while you sleep 0:20 Meet Jim Kwik, the Brain Coach 2:43 Jim's childhood traumatic brain injury and "the boy with the broken brain" 5:06 Rock bottom: 90 minutes of sleep a night and hospitalization 6:38 Diagnosis: severe obstructive sleep apnea and the surgery  7:59 Does poor sleep undermine brain training techniques? 9:17 Introducing Limitless Daily and sleep inertia 9:43 Sponsor: Coop Sleep Goods pillows 11:11 What is sleep inertia? 15:36 Building a mental morning routine 17:43 Dr. Breus's physical morning routine (breaths, water, sunlight) 19:06 The power of reading fiction for the mind 22:16 Human intelligence vs. AI and cognitive offloading 22:44 The MIT ChatGPT study on memory and mental effort 24:13 Sponsor: Sleep Doctor home sleep study 26:27 Mailbag question: Is cramming worth losing sleep? 26:57 Sleep, memory consolidation, and the brain's "night shift" 27:45 Dreams, creativity, and famous ideas born from sleep 30:15 The Pomodoro Technique for studying 33:33 The "end of day" visualization exercise 34:22 Doom scrolling and sleep procrastination 35:32 Setting your "true north" each morning 36:16 Closing and takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Know Your Chronotype, Own Your Day 02.09.2026 42min

  In this solo episode, Dr. Michael J. Breus dives deep into chronotypes — the individual biological patterns that determine when we naturally wake, sleep, and perform at our best. He explains the science behind sleep drive and circadian rhythm, then breaks down his four chronotype categories: Lions, Bears, Wolves, and Dolphins — the last being his own addition to the traditional three-category model, developed to account for people with chronic insomnia and heightened anxiety. Dr. Breus walks through optimal timing across each chronotype for sleep, naps, exercise, and work. Take the chronotype quiz here: https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/chronotypes/chronotype-quiz For more information about the episode, head here: https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/podcast. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at lemonadapremium.com. Upgrade your sleep. Visit coopsleepgoods.com/BETTERINBED to get 20% off your first order. Chapters: 00:00 What are chronotypes? 02:11 How melatonin and cortisol create your chronotype 04:16 Taking the Chrono Quiz 05:26 Chronotype 1: Lions (early birds) 06:30 Chronotype 2: Bears (the middle 55%) 07:28 Chronotype 3: Wolves (night owls) 08:27 Chronotype 4: Dolphins (insomnia-linked type) 10:21 How menopause can shift your chronotype 11:34 Sponsor: Coop Sleep Goods pillows 12:53 Sleep cycles by chronotype 14:19 Ideal wake and bed times for each chronotype 16:24 Napping rules by chronotype 18:38 Best exercise timing: running, fat burning, strength training 22:00 Sponsor: Sleep Doctor 25:00 Adapting your day if you're a Lion 26:37 Adapting your day if you're a Bear 28:49 Adapting your day if you're a Wolf 30:37 Adapting your day if you're a Dolphin 33:05 Case study 1: The Lion who runs out of gas 35:00 Case study 2: The Wolf forced into an early schedule 37:59 Key takeaways for chronotype adaptation 39:02 Closing and credits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Sleep Anxiety Fix No One Talks About with Mollie Eastman 26.08.2026 45min

  Dr. Michael J. Breus sits down with Mollie Eastman, founder of Sleep Is a Skill, to explore the connection between anxiety and sleep. Mollie shares her personal journey from debilitating sleep anxiety and acute insomnia—rooted in a chaotic upbringing and years of benzodiazepine use—to discovering alternative paths to rest and healing like psychedelics and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Insomnia (ACT-I). The episode closes with practical safety guidelines for anyone considering recreational substances as a sleep aid, and Mollie's two core anchor habits: a consistent wake time and morning bright light exposure. Note: This episode discusses recreational drug use for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice—listeners should consult a healthcare professional before trying anything discussed. Learn more about Mollie Eastman at sleepisaskill.com and follow her on TikTok and Instagram. For more information about the episode, head here: https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/podcast. Upgrade your sleep. Visit coopsleepgoods.com/BETTERINBED to get 20% off your first order. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at lemonadapremium.com. Chapters: 00:00 Medical disclaimer 01:31 How Mollie slept last night (and her psychedelic journey) 03:14 Defining sleep anxiety 03:22 How international travel triggered Mollie's insomnia 04:44 "Sleep is like love" — chasing sleep makes it worse 05:01 Doctors, benzos, and the fear of a pharmaceutical path 06:00 How Mollie pulled herself out of insomnia 06:48 Connecting psychedelics and sleep 07:16 Mollie's trauma background and psilocybin experimentation 08:19 Tracking HRV and sleep improvements with Oura data 10:12 Beckley Institute and legal psychedelic retreats 11:04 How to safely screen for and prepare for a retreat 13:10 Nervous system dysregulation and unresolved trauma 14:04 "Hardware vs. software" — why psychedelics target the root cause 15:27 Fear as the root of insomnia 16:36 Sponsor: Coop Sleep Goods pillows 18:06 Listener question: THC gummies for sleep 18:41 Dr. Breus on THC, CBN, and CBD dosing 20:33 Mollie on THC for sleep onset vs. optimization 22:09 Cannabis risks for seniors 24:40 ACT-I therapy, explained 25:15 CBT-I vs. ACT-I  28:28 Sponsor: Sleep Doctor 29:32 Insights from Dr. Satchin Panda (Salk Institute) 30:16 Eating timing, digestion, and melatonin 33:05 Living in Austin as a "healthy geography" 33:23 Latitude, sunlight strength, and mitochondrial health 35:05 Time spent indoors (EPA data) and vitamin D 36:23 Mollie's top two anchor habits for better sleep 37:03 Where to find Mollie Eastman (Sleep Is a Skill) 39:06 Recap: understanding sleep anxiety 40:25 Guidelines for safely exploring recreational drugs for sleep 41:56 Outro & credits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Eat This Before Bed For Great Sleep with Mona Sharma 19.08.2026 39min

  What if getting better sleep was as simple as the last meal you ate before bed? In a lot of ways, it is! Dr. Michael J. Breus speaks with celebrity nutritionist Mona Sharma about when to eat dinner based on your bedtime, the best meals to set you up for sleep success, and what to do when that inevitable sweet tooth emerges. Learn more about Mona Sharma at monasharma.com and follow her on Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram. For more information about the episode, head here: https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/podcast. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at lemonadapremium.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why Menopause Destroys Your Sleep — And How to Fix It with Dr. Vonda Wright 19.08.2026 38min

  Did you know that menopause technically only lasts one day? Tell that to your sleep! If your sleep hygiene has gotten out of whack during your menopausal years, this episode is for you. Together, Dr. Michael J. Breus and double-board certified orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright explain why you’re experiencing irregular, unpredictable sleep and what to do about it. They dig into brain chemistry, hormone replacement therapy, hot flashes, restless leg syndrome, and their exact supplement regimen. Plus, a listener question from Laura, whose brain wants to fall asleep but her body keeps waking her up. Learn more about Dr. Vonda Wright at drvondawright.com and follow her on Youtube and Instagram. For more information about the episode, head here: https://sleepdoctor.com/pages/podcast. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at lemonadapremium.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Better in Bed with The Sleep Doctor (Official Trailer) 06.08.2026 1min

  Better sleep changes everything—and this podcast is here to help you get it. Join Dr. Michael J. Breus, The Sleep Doctor, and expert guests as they separate sleep fact from fiction, unpack the science behind how we sleep, and share practical advice you can actually use. From insomnia and sleep apnea to toddler sleep struggles, supplements, and those frustrating 3 a.m. wakeups, no topic is off limits. You'll also hear smart conversations about the latest research on wearables, psychedelics, longevity, and the trends shaping the future of sleep. Whether you're looking to sleep better tonight or better understand what's keeping you up, Better in Bed with The Sleep Doctor will give you the knowledge and tools to wake up feeling your best. From Lemonada Media and Sleep Doctor. New episodes begin August 19. Learn more about Sleep Doctor at sleepdoctor.com and follow Dr. Michael Breus on Youtube and Instagram. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at lemonadapremium.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices