Episode 1: Welcome to Sleep Talking with Dr. Shelby
Listen as we dive into what the podcast is about, how we hope it will help you get better sleep, and where you can find us.

Episode 2: Does It Really Matter What Kind of Mattress I Sleep On? And Other Burning Questions You Didn’t Know You Had
Dr. Harris and Sleepopolis Senior Staff Writer Amelia Jerden explore all things mattresses – you’ll be a mattress-shopping pro by the end.

Episode 3: Smells Like Teen Spirit
No, your teen isn’t trying to annoy you by staying up all night – her circadian rhythm really does differ from yours, and it impacts how much sleep she needs.

Episode 4: When Midnights Become Your Afternoon: Shift Work and Your Sleep
In this episode, Dr. Harris talks with a travel nurse working the night shift about what it’s like to be awake from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and how she manages to get good sleep.

Episode 5: You Can’t Hack Your Way to Better Sleep… Or Can You?
If you’ve been on TikTok lately, it’s been impossible to avoid the proliferation of sleep tips, tricks, and hacks. But do they actually work? In this episode, Dr. Shelby separates fact from fiction so you know which ones are worth trying – and which to avoid.

Episode 6: Honey, I Want a (Sleep) Divorce
Today, we’re talking about sleep divorce. Even if you don’t know the phrase, you know the story. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl move in together and realize they have wildly different sleeping schedules, habits, and preferences. Now what? Dr. Wendy Troxel discuss couples’ experiences and solutions.

Episode 7: I Love You, But I Can’t Sleep With You
What do you do if you and your sleeping partner clash? If you can’t agree on room temperature? If the sound of their snoring or their phone keeps you from falling asleep? In our last episode, we discussed sleep divorce, or sleep alliance as Dr. Troxel says, but today, we’re sharing other strategies to help you find a better balance with your bed partner.

Episode 8: What It’s Really Like to Test Mattresses For a Living
Ever wondered how we test mattresses and whether or not we REALLY sleep on them? Well, we do, and in this episode, we’ll pull back the curtain and show you exactly how. In Dr. Shelby Harris’s conversation with Marten Carlson, Lead Reviewer for Pillar4 Media, we’ll even share what mattresses our editors sleep on.

Episode 9: How to Harness the Power of Mindfulness for Better Sleep
“When I’m mindful,” says Dr. Jason Ong, “I actually notice more flavors in my food. And in fact, sometimes we make the analogy to wine tasting. Because in a sense, when you’re wine tasting, it’s a practice of mindfulness. Because you have to use all your senses to actually not just taste the wine, but smell it, right? They teach you to do that.”

Episode 10: Sleep Apnea in Women Is More Common Than You Think
Sleep apnea is often thought of as a disorder for old white men, but women can have it too. In fact, women are more likely to be diagnosed at a later date and suffer from complications more than white men. In this episode, Dr. Harris talks with Emma Cooksey. Cooksey, who was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2008 after falling asleep at the wheel with her baby in the backseat, launched her podcast, Sleep Apnea Stories, in 2020, to help other women navigate the same journey she had gone through.

Episode 11: The Fourth Trimester and Sleep
“Sleep when the baby sleeps.” Stop us if you’ve heard that one before! This advice is well-intentioned (and may work for some) but it’s hardly a good solution to the very real, very frustrating phenomenon of sleep deprivation that parents (especially first-time parents) experience. In this episode, Dr. Harris will talk through the importance of getting good sleep during the “fourth trimester,” why it can be so hard and how your sleep changes postpartum (hormonal shifts, newborn baby sleep schedules, etc.), provide some tips on how to actually get sleep, and answer reader Qs from new parents about sleep.

Episode 12: How Sleep Changes For Older Adults
Is it true that seniors need less sleep? How do various health conditions affect sleep duration and comfort as we age? Dr. Shelby Harris discusses all the myths and realities for rest past the retirement age with Dr. Kerry Burnight, a gerontologist with a passion for instilling older adults with confidence and capability — even in the bedroom.

Episode 13: Can Changing Your Diet Improve Your Sleep?
Can changing up your diet give you better sleep? What foods or food habits could we maybe do without? And most importantly, what should we all be eating more of to make sure we’re getting the best rest possible? To explore this link between nutrition and sleep, we’ve invited Ellie Krieger, registered dietitian nutritionist, author and a prominent TV show host and executive producer. With shows like Ellie’s Real Good Food, the Food Network hit Healthy Appetite, and her own ongoing podcast, One Real Good Thing, Ellie is an expert at cutting through dietary trends, offering accessible tools for a satisfying lifestyle.

Episode 14: You’re Pregnant, You Can’t Sleep, We Have Answers
“This is not the time to completely be your most productive self. You’re already being productive by growing a human! So if you have the opportunity to sleep next to your toddler, please go take a nap. Like, anytime you can, close your eyes and take a nap.” Dr. Shelby Harris chats with OB-GYN and co-creator of TRIBE CALLED VDr. Shieva Ghofrany about what matters most when it comes to pregnancy and sleep.

Episode 15: Why Women Have Different Sleep Challenges Than Men
Women are more likely to have trouble falling — and staying — asleep than men. We’ll give you three guesses as to why, but you’ll only need one. (If you guessed hormones, you’re right!) Because women experience so many hormonal fluctuations throughout their life (during puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause) in comparison to men, they tend to experience more sleep problems, especially as they near menopause. This doesn’t mean you’re doomed to wander the earth a sleep-deprived zombie. In this episode, Dr. Harris talks to Ob-Gyn, menopause advocate, and founder and chief medical officer of HerMD, Dr. Somi Javaid, and dives deep into how to work with your changing body.

Episode 16: Everything to Know About Kids and Sleep (Part 1)
What do we do when our kids just can’t sleep through the night? Should we turn to a sleep specialist first, or maybe a psychologist? Someone who does both? Today, in recognition of Children’s Awareness Month this June, we’re kicking off a special 3-part series to reflect on how we can prioritize our children’s health and well-being all month long. To help, we’ve invited Dr. Andrea Roth and Dr. Allison Shale to talk about common sleep behaviors and solutions for children from newborns to grade schoolers. Because if your child has trouble falling asleep, it may be more than just sleep issues. 

Episode 17: Kids and Sleep (Part 2): Screens, ADHD, and Routines
Welcome back to part two of our special three-part episode on kids and sleep, in recognition of Children’s Awareness Month this June to reflect on how we can prioritize our children’s health and well-being. In part one, Dr. Andrea Roth, Dr. Allison Shale, and I discussed common sleep behaviors and treatments for children. Today, in part two, we’re diving even deeper. Next time, in part three, Dr. Andrea, Dr. Allison, and I will wrap things up by answering your questions, listeners.

Episode 18: Kids and Sleep (Part 3): Listener Questions, Expert Answers
Toddlers jumping into your bed at 2 a.m.? Need to sleep train a 4-year-old? Or change a sensitive kid’s wake-up time? In our third and final episode as part of our Kids and Sleep series, Dr. Shelby Harris, Dr. Allison Shale, and Dr. Andrea Roth answer questions from Sleepopolis readers about the most difficult sleep situations happening in houses across the world.

Episode 19: All About Eating Disorders and Disrupted Sleep
How does irregular eating become an eating disorder? And perhaps more crucially, how can we curb the unhealthy eating habits that disrupt our sleep, our well being, and our lives? To explore this link between eating disorders and sleep, we’ve invited Dr. Rene Zweig, founder and clinical director of Union Square Cognitive Therapy.

Episode 20: How Sleep Became a Luxury: Social Determinants of Quality Sleep
Too often, sleep is marketed as something you need fancy gadgets and accessories to do well. Something you need an hour long wake up and wind down routine for. But most people don’t have time or money to spare for so-called sleep luxuries. In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at the social determinants of sleep: the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and age, which affect their health.

Episode 21: Sleep Tech and Wearables: What Actually Works
Whether you’ve slept with one or not, wearables and sleep tech have gained popularity over the last decade particularly, with a reported one in three Americans now using a ring, watch, wristband, or some other device to track their health data.

Episode 22: Sleep and the Big C: Managing Sleep With Cancer
As we all unfortunately know, cancer is a major disruption for everyone in its wake. But whether we’re dealing with our own diagnosis or that of a loved one, there are tools and methods for improving our quality of sleep and our quality of life, from the initial diagnosis to the treatments we choose to pursue and beyond.

Episode 23: Help! I Can’t Stop Binge-Watching Before Bed
Ever stream something before bed, listeners? Ever fall asleep still listening to your speakers or headphones? Have you ever put on something new and just lost track of time? If so, it’s possible you’ve been binge watching. And you’re not alone. I do it too, sometimes. According to recent surveys, an estimated 70 to 90 percent of Americans routinely binge watch.

Episode 24: What Is Narcolepsy, Really?
Every year on September 22nd, scores of people come together to exchange stories, share research, and build awareness for narcolepsy during World Narcolepsy Day. As part of our commitment to sleep health here at Sleepopolis, we’re honored to share this special episode this September in the hopes that more people will learn about and diagnose their own narcolepsy, the chronic sleep disorder experienced by one in every 2,000 Americans. It’s not so rare. But what is narcolepsy? How can you recognize it? And most importantly, how can you prioritize your health if you have it? To unpack these questions, we’ve invited leading narcolepsy spokesperson and award winning author, Julie Flygare.

Episode 25: Mental Health and Sleep Part 1: Managing ADHD
Throughout October, which is known as ADHD Awareness Month, people come together to educate the public, reduce the stigma, and support those affected by ADHD. So, to uncover the challenges faced by people with ADHD and how to recognize it early on, we’ve invited not one, not two, but three very special guests for this special episode: Dr. Carrie Jackson, Nikki Kinzer, and Pete Wright.

Episode 26: Mental Health and Sleep Part 2: Managing OCD
Every year during the second week of October, people come together to raise awareness and understanding of obsessive compulsive disorder. As part of our commitment to sleep health here at Sleepopolis, we’re honored to take part in OCD Awareness Week this October by releasing this special episode, our second in a series on mental health, to better understand what life is like for people affected by OCD: how to recognize it, how to cope with it, and how to get the best sleep possible if you’re affected by it. To help shed light on this topic, we’ve invited two very special guests. 

Episode 27: What Really Causes Nightmares, and Can You Stop Them?
We’re here to answer every question you’ve ever had about nightmares. What do we know about them? What distinguishes them from a sleep terror? What are some of the known causes of nightmares in adults — from late-night eating to certain medications to psychological triggers, like anxiety and depression? What have been some of the wildest case studies and what can listeners do if they persist?

Episode 28: What Can Yoga Do For Your Sleep?
What can a regular yoga practice do for your sleep? Do different styles of yoga impact sleep differently? And what can you try right now to relax, settle your mind and signal to your body that it’s time to rest? To dive into this topic, we’ve invited renowned yogi, author, and fitness instructor Kristen McGee.

Episode 29: How to Choose the Perfect Pillow For You
When is it time to replace your pillow? What should you look for when you do? And for those of us with neck or back pain, is there a right way and a wrong way to sleep on your pillow? To dive into this topic, we’ve invited Marten Carlson, Lead Reviewer for Pillar4 Media, with six years experience testing pillows, mattresses, and all things sleep.