Claim OwnershipSleep is My Waking Passion
Subscribed: 10Played: 62
Subscribe
© 2026 Sleep is My Waking Passion
Description
Hosted by Dr. Alison Kole—a triple-boarded pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine physician, reformed chronic insomniac, devoted mom, and unapologetic sleep health creator—this hit podcast takes you on the real, unfiltered journey inside the science and soul of sleep. Each week, with wisdom forged from the trenches of night shifts and the chaos of motherhood, Alison sits down with top-tier experts and ordinary people with extraordinary sleep stories, unraveling how sleep shapes happiness, health, and destiny. If you want the 360° truth—the wins, the setbacks, the breakthroughs—about why every hour of sleep could be the most important hour of your life, this is the show that will change how you see your pillow forever. Sleep isn’t just her passion—it’s the key to waking up to your potential. Hit subscribe and transform your nights, days, and dreams.
103 Episodes
Reverse
In this episode of Sleep Is My Waking Passion, Dr. Alison Kole sits down with Dr. Benjamin Long, a dual board‑certified sleep medicine physician and pediatrician, seminary student, and debut author of Sleep Habits Journal: Practices, Prayers, and Devotions to Ease Your Sleepless Nights. They explore how evidence‑based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT‑I) can be thoughtfully integrated with Christian faith, prayer, and Scripture to support patients who are spiritually minded and s...
Chronic insomnia is not a “bad habit” you fix with lavender spray and blue‑light blocking glasses—it’s a learned pattern of wakefulness in bed that needs to be rewired. In this episode, Dr. Jason Ong, PhD, DBSM, explains why clinical guidelines now recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first‑line treatment over sleep medications and how prescription digital CBT-I is changing access to care. Dr. Ong is a clinical psychologist, Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine...
If you’ve ever blamed “high cortisol” for your anxiety, burnout, weight gain, or terrible sleep, this episode is your crash course in what’s really going on with your stress hormones in a tech-obsessed world. Dr. Alison Kole sits down with Justin Hai, CEO of Rebalance Health and bestselling author of Stress Nation: Escape the Technology Trap, Eliminate Stress, and Reclaim Rest, to unpack why cortisol isn’t the villain—and how our always-on relationship with phones, email, and social media is ...
Pregnancy is often described as magical — but for many women, it’s also exhausting. When snoring gets louder and fatigue feels unrelenting, it could be more than just pregnancy catching up with you. In this powerful conversation with Dr. Ghada Bourjeily from Brown University, leading researcher and sleep medicine expert, we explore the growing — yet underrecognized — challenge of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during pregnancy. Dr. Bourjeily unpacks why so many pregnant women report loud snori...
That’s the question millions of women are asking — but most doctors still aren’t answering. In my latest episode of Sleep Is My Waking Passion, I sat down with Dr. Meredith Broderick, MD — a Stanford-trained sleep neurologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist — to unpack why women’s sleep so often falls apart in perimenopause… and why our healthcare system still treats it like a midlife inconvenience instead of a health crisis. We talk about: 🔹 The real physiological shifts behind 2–3 ...
Have you ever done everything “right” all day and still found your mind racing the moment your head hits the pillow? This bonus ASMR track is a guided relaxation created for the women who give their all—in their work, their homes, and their relationships—yet still struggle to switch off at night. Picture a cozy fire crackling in the background as you’re led through gentle affirmations that remind you of your worth, your strength, and your right to rest. This is your invitation to exhale, to l...
The winter “cozy” scene you’re craving might be the most powerful sleep tool you’re not using—and it has nothing to do with perfection, supplements, or a cabin in the woods. In this season‑kickoff episode of Sleep Is My Waking Passion, Dr. Alison Kole introduces The Fireplace Effect: a simple, science‑backed way to calm your nervous system, lower arousal, and finally make it easier to fall asleep. Drawing on clinical research linking relaxation practices with lower blood pressure, improved sl...
Step into the hidden world of surgery with “Anesthesia Uncovered”—the evidence-packed season finale of Sleep Is My Waking Passion. Dr. Alison Kole hosts the renowned Dr. Christopher O’Mahony, whose 10+ years of expertise cross every corner of the operating room: from general, pediatric, obstetric to high-stakes transplant anesthesia. Trained at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and SUNY, with a career spanning leading medical centers like RWJBarnabas, Newark Beth Israel, and Hackensack Meridian, ...
Unlock the episode everyone’s talking about! This week on "Sleep is My Waking Passion," Dr. Alison Kole welcomes the pioneering Dr. Linda Anegawa, MD, FACP, Dipl. ABOM, NBPAS—Chief of Metabolic Health and Obesity Medicine at Ognomy Sleep and former CMO of Noom—for a no-holds-barred journey through the dynamic world where obesity, sleep apnea, and innovative medical care collide. Hear the truth behind the bi-directional link between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea; why sleep loss drives ou...
Tired of waiting months for a nutritionist appointment? There's a better way. In this episode, Dr. Alison Kole sits down with registered dietitian Kristina Spellman to reveal how you can access personalized nutrition guidance—without the wait, without the overwhelm, and without the outdated "diet and exercise" lectures. Meet Your Guide: Kristina Spellman, MS, RD With over 20 years of experience transforming nutrition care, Kristina Spellman is a registered dietitian who's done it all—from inp...
What happens when surgical innovation meets sleepless nights? In this episode of Sleep Is My Waking Passion, Dr. Alison Kole sits down with Dr. Ruchir Patel, one of the nation’s most experienced sleep physicians specializing in hypoglossal nerve stimulation, to unpack the fascinating evolution of sleep apnea treatment. If you’ve ever wondered what those Inspire commercials are really about—or what’s next on the horizon with Genio—this is the conversation you can’t sleep on. From tongue “pacem...
🚨 WARNING: Your Oura Ring Might Be RUINING Your Sleep! 🚨 Get ready for a mind-bending conversation with Dr. Ashtaad Dalal, the sleep doc who's about to drop some SERIOUS truth bombs about the sleep industry's biggest lies! This Georgetown University sleep medicine expert and president of the DC Sleep Society is here to expose what's really going on behind those viral TikTok sleep hacks. 🔥 VIRAL MOMENTS YOU CAN'T MISS: "Your smartwatch is making you an insomniac!" - Dr. Dalal reveals the shock...
Is chronic sleep loss just part of “the grind”—or is it a crisis hiding in plain sight? Join Dr. Alison Kole as she sits down with neuroscientist and wellness expert Dr. Rebecca Acabchuk, plus veteran firefighter Alan Pinsonneault of the Holyoke Fire Department, for an eye-opening, actionable episode of “Sleep Is My Waking Passion” . Discover: What sleep deprivation really looks like for frontline heroes and high-stress professionals, plus why it could be an invisible epidemic ac...
Ever wondered why some people can’t sleep—even after treating their sleep apnea? Or why “just getting more sleep” doesn’t always work? This week, Dr. Alison Kole welcomes Australian clinical psychologist and sleep researcher, Dr. Chelsea Reynolds of Wink Sleep and Bedtime Window, for a deep dive into the world of insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and the little-known but scientifically explosive condition that connects them: COMISA (comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea) . Get the straight...
What if everything you think you know about narcolepsy is wrong—and what if the doctor teaching you about it is living through it right now? World Narcolepsy Day (Sept 22) sets the stage for this raw, unmissable episode featuring Dr. Lindsay McCullough: Assistant Professor, Associate Program Director at Rush University Medical Center, Project Sleep Ambassador, and a leader shaping tomorrow’s sleep doctors—all while managing her own narcolepsy. Here are just three things this episode will chan...
Guest Spotlight: Kayla Ireland Meet Kayla Ireland—author, disability advocate, and host of Kindly Neurodivergent with Kay. Kayla’s lived experience with cerebral palsy and epilepsy is not just a story of overcoming challenges; it’s a blueprint for thriving in a world that too often overlooks disability, sleep struggles, and neurodivergence. Why This Conversation Will Change Everything Sleep isn’t just downtime for Kayla—it’s the foundation for everything she does. In this raw conversation, Dr...
Host Dr. Alison Kole sits down with powerhouse neurologist Dr. Joyce Lee-Iannotti for an unfiltered, deeply personal conversation that will make you rethink everything you know about sleep, stroke, and longevity. Guest Spotlight: Dr. Joyce Lee-Iannotti. She’s not just the interim Director of the Petznick Stroke Center and Sleep Division at Barrow Neurological Institute—she’s redefining stroke recovery and sleep medicine nationwide. With leadership roles at the American Academy of Neurology, t...
What if the thing holding you back isn’t ambition, or effort, or even luck... but sleep? Today, you're going to hear a story that breaks every rule in the sleep medicine playbook. Kristen Cascio spent 15 years searching for answers—dismissed as “just tired,” overlooked by experts, and forced to live in a fog. Diagnosed with sleep apnea at 31 (and with none of the “classic” risk factors), she proves that the real signs are often invisible. Migraines. Fatigue after eight hours of sleep. Headach...
Welcome to "Sleep Is My Waking Passion" with Dr. Alison Kole! In today’s episode, we’re joined by the legendary Dr. Julie Foucher—a true powerhouse at the intersection of medicine and athletics. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Biomedical Engineering and completed her medical school and residency training at the Cleveland Clinic. Julie also holds a Master’s in Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University and has completed the Integrative Medicine in R...
Sleep Is My Waking Passion Podcast: Special FeatureWhere Medicine and Dentistry Collaborate for Your Healthiest Sleep Discover a dynamic conversation between Dr. Alison Kole, host of the Sleep Is My Waking Passion podcast, and renowned dental sleep expert Dr. Maria Sokolina, DDS. With over 15 years' experience, Dr. Sokolina is dedicated to bridging the gap between dental and medical sleep care, transforming how we diagnose and treat sleep disorders. Why Tune In to This Episode? Top Three Thin...
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States