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Sleep is My Waking Passion

Sleep is My Waking Passion

Alison Kole 119 Episodes Jul 29, 2026

Hosted by Dr. Alison Kole, a triple-boarded pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine physician, this podcast explores the real, unfiltered science and personal experience of sleep. Each week, Alison draws on her own history as a chronic insomniac and busy mom to interview experts and everyday people with remarkable sleep stories. The show examines how sleep influences happiness, health, and life outcomes, offering practical wisdom for better rest. It aims to transform listeners' understanding of sleep and its role in reaching their full potential.

Episodes

Sleep Like a Pro: Stealing the Elite Athlete Playbook with Dr. Abhinav Singh, "The Sleep Vigilante"
Sleep Like a Pro: Stealing the Elite Athlete Playbook with Dr. Abhinav Singh, "The Sleep Vigilante" Jul 29, 2026 1924 What if waking up refreshed wasn't luck — but strategy?Elite athletes don't leave sleep to chance. They treat it like training, nutrition, and recovery — because at the pro level, the margins are a game of inches. This week, Dr. Alison Kole is joined by Dr. Abhinav Singh — better known as "The Sleep Vigilante" — sleep physician for the Indiana Pacers and WNBA Indiana Fever, Med
What if your political stress is quietly wrecking your sleep — and your relationships?
What if your political stress is quietly wrecking your sleep — and your relationships? Jul 22, 2026 2400 In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Beth Ann Malow — neurologist, sleep medicine specialist, and 2026 AASM Sleep Health Advocate Award recipient — to discuss her bold new book, Beyond the Politics of Contempt.We explore how outrage-driven culture, social media algorithms, and the 24-hour news cycle are affecting our mental health, cardiovascular risk, and sleep quality. From "doomscrolling i
How Your Gut Controls Your Sleep featuring Marissa Sharkey
How Your Gut Controls Your Sleep featuring Marissa Sharkey Jul 8, 2026 2257 Registered dietitian Marissa Sharkey — aka the Gutsy Dietitian — returns to unpack the gut-sleep connection and why so many busy adults feel exhausted, bloated, and stuck. From simple meal-prep swaps to the daily habits quietly sabotaging your rest, this is a practical playbook for feeling better from the inside out.In this episode, you'll learn:How gut health and sleep quality feed each othe
PTSD Is Treatable — Even 65 Years Later
PTSD Is Treatable — Even 65 Years Later Jul 1, 2026 2640 Most people think trauma is something you just have to live with. It isn't.In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Courtney Worley — board-certified clinical psychologist and diplomate in behavioral sleep medicine — we break down the evidence-based therapies that actually treat PTSD and the sleep it steals. If you or someone you love struggles with nightmares, insomnia, or trauma, this one&apos
Nightmares in Narcolepsy Are Way Worse Than You Think (And We Can Rewrite Them)
Nightmares in Narcolepsy Are Way Worse Than You Think (And We Can Rewrite Them) Jun 24, 2026 1816 Narcolepsy isn’t just about “falling asleep at the wrong time.” For many patients, the scariest part is what happens inside their sleep—long, vivid, emotionally intense nightmares that can blur into sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and even waking life.In this episode of Sleep Is My Waking Passion, Dr. Alison Kole sits down with clinical psychologist and sleep researcher Dr. Jennifer Mundt (Univer
Yes, Nightmares Are Treatable featuring Dr. Courtney Worley, PhD.
Yes, Nightmares Are Treatable featuring Dr. Courtney Worley, PhD. Jun 17, 2026 1603 Nightmares aren’t just “bad dreams”—and you don’t have to live with them.In this episode, Dr. Alison Kole sits down with behavioral sleep medicine expert Dr. Courtney Worley to break down what actually defines a nightmare disorder, why nightmares happen (far beyond trauma), and—most importantly—how to treat them.They dive into the gold-standard, evidence-based therapy you’ve probably never been of
Live from London with ENT Sleep Apnea Surgeon Dr. Ryan Cheong
Live from London with ENT Sleep Apnea Surgeon Dr. Ryan Cheong Jun 10, 2026 2485 Live from London, Sleep Is My Waking Passion joins forces with multi‑award‑winning ENT and specialist sleep surgeon Dr. Ryan Chin Taw Cheong to break down how obstructive sleep apnea is managed in the UK versus the USA. From earlier ENT involvement and airway‑focused surgery in the NHS to faster access to sleep testing and PAP in many American settings, we highlight what each system gets right—and
On The Fringe:  Sleep Apnea Treatment You Haven’t Heard Of featuring Dr. Audrey Yoon, DDS, MS
On The Fringe: Sleep Apnea Treatment You Haven’t Heard Of featuring Dr. Audrey Yoon, DDS, MS May 27, 2026 2404 What if treating sleep apnea isn’t just about machines, mouthguards, or surgery—but actually changing the structure of your airway?In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Alison Kole sits down with Stanford sleep expert and orthodontist Dr. Audrey Yoon to explore a rapidly emerging—and often overlooked—approach to sleep-disordered breathing: airway expansion.You’ll hear how techniques like MARPE (miniscr
Can Women Have Sleep Apnea Without Snoring? A Sleep Doctor's Story | REM OSA & Heart Risk
Can Women Have Sleep Apnea Without Snoring? A Sleep Doctor's Story | REM OSA & Heart Risk May 13, 2026 2305 What if a sleep doctor didn't recognize her own sleep apnea? Dr. Valerie Cacho shares her personal journey from diagnosing patients to becoming one—revealing how women's sleep apnea symptoms look nothing like the textbook.In this episode, Dr. Cacho and Dr. Alison Kole dive into why women with "mild" sleep apnea may face serious cardiovascular risks, the unique phenomenon of REM
Talking Women’s Sleep in Atlanta and Beyond: An Interview with Sleep Legend Dr. Nancy Collop
Talking Women’s Sleep in Atlanta and Beyond: An Interview with Sleep Legend Dr. Nancy Collop May 6, 2026 1658 When does “crappy sleep” in women stop being a normal part of aging and start being a dangerous, underdiagnosed sleep apnea? In this episode, living legend Dr. Nancy Collop, MD—former AASM president and former director of the Emory Sleep Center in Atlanta—joins Dr. Alison Kole to unpack how menopause, hormones, and REM‑related apnea uniquely raise women’s cardiovascular risk. You’ll learn why “mil
Sleep Apnea Nearly Killed Me: ‘Out of Breath’ Documentary (with NJ Sleep Doctor Dr. Alison Kole & George Nierenberg)
Sleep Apnea Nearly Killed Me: ‘Out of Breath’ Documentary (with NJ Sleep Doctor Dr. Alison Kole & George Nierenberg) Apr 29, 2026 1407 What if the thing quietly stealing your energy, memory, and even your life was happening while you sleep? In this powerful episode of Sleep Is My Waking Passion, Dr. Alison Kole sits down with legendary documentary filmmaker George T. Nierenberg to explore his deeply personal sleep apnea journey and his new film, Out of Breath—the first feature documentary to put the human cost of sleep apnea fron
Is Your Child’s Snoring Dangerous? Red-Flag Signs of Pediatric Sleep Apnea with Sleep Doctor Chris
Is Your Child’s Snoring Dangerous? Red-Flag Signs of Pediatric Sleep Apnea with Sleep Doctor Chris Apr 22, 2026 1611 Every child deserves more than “they’ll grow out of it.” In this comeback episode, Dr. Alison sits down with viral pediatric sleep specialist Sleep Doctor Chris to unpack why so many kids are snoring, melting down at bedtime, and dragging through the day—and when it’s actually a red flag, not “normal kid stuff.”You’ll hear Dr. Chris’s deeply personal journey from exhausted, snoring kid to double b

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