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. Picturing a Calm Scene Works Better
Counting sheep is the classic advice for a mind that won’t switch off at bedtime. The idea is that a dull, repetitive task will bore you to sleep. The research tells a different story. Counting is too easy to hold your attention, so your worries slip right back in between the numbers. A detailed, calming… Continue reading
Cheese Does Not Cause Nightmares. Here Is What Actually Happens
Cheese Does Not Cause Nightmares. Here Is What Actually Happens A nightmare is a vivid, upsetting dream that often wakes you up and stays with you the next morning. For more than a century, people have blamed cheese for them, especially a late-night slice of something strong and aged. The research tells a different story…. Continue reading
Myth: Warm Milk Makes Me Sleepy. Here’s What the Science Says
Warm milk is the classic bedtime drink, said to help you sleep because it contains tryptophan, an amino acid your body uses to make sleep chemicals. The research tells a different story. A normal glass of milk does not contain enough tryptophan to make you drowsy, and what little it has struggles to reach your… 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
Melatonin is a hormone your brain makes in the evening to tell your body that its getting closer to sleep time. In the US it is sold over the counter as a dietary supplement, and its use has exploded. Most people take it the wrong way, at the wrong time. The biggest harm so far… Continue reading
What Is Snoring? A Complete Guide
Snoring is the sound of soft tissue in your throat vibrating as air squeezes through a narrowed airway while you sleep. It is very common, and for many people it is often harmless. But recent research shows that regular, heavy snoring is linked to high blood pressure even in people who do not have sleep… Continue reading