The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a simple, validated questionnaire used to measure a person’s level of daytime sleepiness. It asks how likely you are to doze off in eight common everyday situations, such as watching TV, sitting and reading, or riding as a passenger in a car. Each situation is scored from 0 to… 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
Sleep Basics
Sleep is a state of psychomotor arrest with an increased arousal threshold and sensory disconnection from the environment.As humans we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping, and sleep is not merely a passive state of rest. Normal sleep comprises 2 major states; NREM Sleep and REM Sleep (~25%)NREM Sleep includes – stage 1 (5%), stage… Continue reading
Sleep Changes During Menarche: What Every Teen and Parent Should Know
If your daughter suddenly can’t fall asleep, feels tired all day, or seems moodier than usual after her first period, it’s not just teenage behavior. Menarche changes your biology in ways that directly disrupt sleep. Why your sleep changes when your period starts Menarche is the first menstrual cycle. It marks the start of a… Continue reading
Counting Sheep Does Not Help You Fall Asleep. Imagery Beats It.
In 2002, researchers Allison Harvey and Suzanna Payne at Oxford University tested this directly. They split 50 people with insomnia into three groups. One counted sheep. One imagined a calming scene, like a beach or a quiet walk in nature. One got no instructions at all. The imagery group fell asleep 20 minutes faster than… Continue reading
Cheese Does Not Cause Nightmares. Here Is What Actually Happens
In 2005 the British Cheese Board tested this myth directly. They gave 200 volunteers 20 grams of cheese 30 minutes before bed for a week and had them record their dreams. Not one person reported a nightmare. Most said they slept well, and two thirds remembered their dreams the next morning. So where did this… Continue reading
Does Warm Milk Actually Make You Sleepy? Here’s What the Science Says
You’ve heard it since you were a kid. Can’t sleep? Warm up some milk and drink it before bed. Your grandmother swore by it. Movies show it. It feels like common sense. But when you look at the actual research, the story falls apart. Here’s what’s really going on. The tryptophan theory The whole idea… Continue reading
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder where your airway repeatedly collapses or narrows during sleep, blocking or reducing airflow even though your body keeps trying to breathe. Each blockage can last 10 seconds or longer and is often followed by a gasp, snort, or brief awakening as your brain signals you to reopen… Continue reading
Overuse of Melatonin in the US
As a sleep physician, most of my clinical encounters involve patients asking about melatonin or already taking it to help them sleep. Almost none of them know the risks that come with it. There is a melatonin epidemic brewing in the US, and the numbers back that up. Melatonin use among US adults quintupled in… Continue reading
What Is Snoring? A Complete Guide
Snoring happens when air can’t move freely through your nose and throat while you sleep. As you breathe in, air squeezes through a narrowed space at the back of your throat. This makes the soft tissue there, especially your soft palate, vibrate. That vibration is what creates the sound. It’s incredibly common. Somewhere between 20… Continue reading