It is 11:40 p.m. The episode ends on a cliffhanger. A small countdown in the corner says the next one starts in five seconds. You tell yourself it is just one more. Two hours later, you are still awake, and your alarm is set for 6:30. This pattern is so common that researchers now study… Continue reading
Author Archives → Waiz Wasey, MD
Double Board Certified Sleep Doctor | Top Doc AZ '25, '26 | Sleepfluencer - IG dr.snoozz | Alumni: SIU, Mayo Clinic
Why Permanent Standard Time Is Better for Your Sleep Than Permanent Daylight Saving Time
On Sunday, November 1, 2026, most of the United States will set its clocks back one hour. Many people hope it will be one of the last times. In July 2026, the U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act by a wide bipartisan margin. The bill would end the twice-yearly clock change by making daylight… Continue reading
Viral Sleep Game Teaches About Sleep Hygiene
Most of my patients already know the sleep rules. Cut the late coffee. Put the phone down. Keep the room cool and dark. Then they go home and do the opposite, because nobody ever showed them what each habit actually costs them at 3 AM. So I built a game that shows it. It is… Continue reading
Jet Lag Disorder
Def: temporary misalignment between body clock and destination solar/sleep-wake cycleTypically after trans-meridian travel across ≥3 time zones Direction of travelUsually worse with eastward travel, needs phase advancePhase advance harder to achieve than phase delay (westward)80% of people have intrinsic circadian period >24 hrs, constantly delaying slightlyMakes eastward phase advance harder and slowerClock typically resets ~1… Continue reading
Shift Work Disorder (SWD)
Def: insomnia and excessive sleepiness from work hours that overlap usual sleep timeMore common with night, early or rotating shifts than late or split shiftsPrevalence up to 38% in rotating shift workers Health and safety concernsSafety risk: occupational accidents, professional driversHigher rates of mental and physical health problemsEpidemiological links to metabolic and CV dzReports of… Continue reading
Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder
Def: no clearly defined sleep-wake cycle, disorganized sleep and wake spread across 24 hrsMultiple (usually >3) short, arrhythmic sleep episodes of varying length (usually <4 hrs)ICSD-3: sx ≥3 months, diary or actigraphy ≥7 days (ideally 14) showing ≥3 sleep bouts/24 hrs Associated conditionsUsually coexists with another condition PathophysiologyBiological: disruption of circadian pathwaysEnvironmental: weak daylight exposure… Continue reading
Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder
Def: sleep-wake cycle desynchronized from the solar cyclePeriod length typically >24 hrsSleep onset delays progressively, usually 20-60+ min per dayICSD-3: sx ≥3 months, diary or actigraphy ≥14 days showing daily delay EpidemiologySeen in blind (esp no light perception) and sighted pts≥50% of totally blind individuals may have Non-24 Associated conditions PathophysiologyTotally blind: no photic entrainment,… Continue reading
Advanced Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder
Def: chronic (>3 months) major advance (>2-3 hrs) in sleep-wake timing vs desired or required scheduleMain sx: early morning (terminal) insomnia EpidemiologyPrevalence <1%, possibly underreported since less disruptive than DSWPDMore common in older adultsRare autosomal dominant familial forms with PER2 and CSNK1D mutationsAssoc with neurodevelopmental d/o: Smith-Magenis syndrome, ASD, chromosomal microdeletions PathophysiologyInverse of DSWPD mechanismsExcess… Continue reading
Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder
Def: chronic (>3 months) major delay (>2-3 hrs) in sleep-wake timing vs desired or required schedulePrevalence 1-10%More common in teens and young adults, can start in childhoodFamily hx common (up to 40%) Consequences of social schedule:1. Sleep onset insomnia2. Difficulty waking at acceptable time, may cause sleep inertia (sleep drunkenness)3. Chronic sleep restriction4. EDS, esp… Continue reading
Your Home Sleep Test Was Normal but You Still Feel Exhausted: Why Home Sleep Studies Can Miss Sleep Apnea and What to Do Next
A normal home sleep test result feels like good news. For many people, it is accurate. But a home sleep apnea test can miss sleep apnea, and research shows this happens more often than most people expect. If you still snore loudly, wake up gasping, or feel tired no matter how long you sleep, a… Continue reading