Episode 151: How Screens Secretly Sabotage Your Sleep & Airway Health
Release Date: 12/01/2025
Episode 156: The Hidden Way Your Teeth Impact Sleep with Dr. Robert Kerstein
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In this episode of The Healthy Sleep Revolution, we speak with Dr. Robert Kerstein, prosthodontist and leading authority in computerized occlusal analysis, about how bite alignment and jaw function can interfere with sleep quality. We explore how excessive tooth contact and poor disclusion can overactivate swallowing and airway-related muscles, gradually narrowing the airway and contributing to non-restorative sleep, clenching, grinding, headaches, and facial tension. We also discuss why bite-related sleep issues are so often overlooked in standard dental exams and medical evaluations. Dr....
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Episode 155: The "Small Jaw Pandemic" Affecting Children’s Learning and Development with Dr. Leslie Pasco
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In this episode of the Healthy Sleep Revolution podcast, we sit down with Dr. Leslie Pasco, a general dentist with over 25 years of clinical experience who has dedicated her career to early airway intervention in children. Our conversation explores why sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) often begin far earlier than most families and providers realize, and how modern lifestyle changes have contributed to what Dr. Pasco describes as a global “small jaw pandemic.” We discuss why waiting until adulthood to address airway issues is too late, and how prevention-focused care can...
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Episode 154: What Dentists Are Missing About Sleep, Pain, and the Airway with Dr. Mayoor Patel
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In this episode of Healthy Sleep Revolution, we’re joined by Dr. Mayoor Patel, DDS, MS, a leading expert in dental sleep medicine and co-editor of Dental Sleep Medicine: A Clinical Guide, a comprehensive textbook used by clinicians to understand the intersection of dentistry and sleep medicine. Dr. Patel has spent decades focused on TMJ disorders, orofacial pain, and sleep-disordered breathing, bringing a depth of clinical experience and academic insight that challenges how many dental and sleep practices currently operate. We discuss the significant gaps that exist between traditional...
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Episode 153: Weight, Metabolism & Breathing: Myth vs Reality
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In this episode of Healthy Sleep Revolution, we challenge one of the most common misconceptions in sleep medicine: that weight loss alone can resolve sleep apnea. We explain why this belief is scientifically incomplete and often leads to frustration and self-blame for patients. Many individuals with sleep apnea are not obese, including children, athletes, and women undergoing hormonal changes, which highlights that body weight is not the primary driver of disordered breathing during sleep. We break down the critical role of airway anatomy and physiology, including jaw position, palate...
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Episode 152: Kids, Screens & Sleep – Are We Overlooking the Airway?
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In this episode, we dive into a conversation every parent, teacher, and clinician needs to hear: how screens, posture, mouth breathing, and airway development are all deeply connected. While most discussions focus on blue light and screen limits, we explore how modern tech habits are quietly reshaping children’s facial growth and long-term sleep health. We break down how forward head posture and constant downward gazing narrow the airway, encourage mouth breathing, and interfere with deep, restorative sleep. We also explain how poor tongue posture and underdeveloped palates contribute to...
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Episode 151: How Screens Secretly Sabotage Your Sleep & Airway Health
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In this episode of the Healthy Sleep Revolution Podcast, Dr. Meghna Dassani breaks down one of the biggest, and most overlooked, disruptors of modern sleep: screens. We all know we should put our phones away before bed, but few people understand why it matters so much. Dr. Dassani explains how blue light, digital overstimulation, notifications, and nighttime scrolling impact melatonin, cortisol, airway stability, and your nervous system’s ability to shift into deep, restorative sleep. You’ll learn: How blue light signals your brain that it’s daytime Why melatonin drops and cortisol...
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Episode 150: Redefining Dentistry: Airway, Sleep, and Whole-Patient Care with Dr. Sofya Kats
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In today’s episode, I sit down with the incredible Dr. Sofya Kats, a Milwaukee-based general dentist whose practice takes a whole-patient approach to health. From infants to older adults, she focuses on airway, sleep, growth, and function — because the mouth is more than teeth; it’s the gateway to lifelong health. This conversation has been months in the making, and it was so worth the wait. Dr. Sofya and I explore how early oral function, feeding, and nasal breathing shape a child’s development — and how airway issues continue to affect adults who may not even realize they're...
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Episode 149: The Future of Sleep Medicine with Dr. Aarthi Raghavan
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In this empowering and eye-opening episode of The Healthy Sleep Revolution, Dr. Meghna Dassani is joined by the passionate and insightful Dr. Aarthi Raghavan—a trailblazing dentist who is redefining what it means to provide whole-patient care. Together, they dive into the exciting innovations transforming the sleep and airway space, from cutting-edge tech to collaborative care models that center patient wellbeing. With warmth, wisdom, and real-world experience, Dr. Raghavan shares how her practice blends clinical excellence with education and empathy to improve sleep health, especially for...
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Episode 148: Revolutionizing Sleep Through Airway-Focused Dentistry with Dr. Nimisha Somaiya
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In today’s enlightening episode of The Healthy Sleep Revolution, Dr. Meghna Dassani sits down with Dr. Nimisha Somaiya, the heart behind Seva Dental in Bellbrook, Ohio. With a unique blend of clinical expertise and a deeply personal journey into sleep-disordered breathing, Dr. Somaiya shares how incorporating sleep medicine into her dental practice has transformed not only her own life and her family's health—but is now changing the lives of her patients as well. This isn’t just a conversation about straight teeth—it’s about functional dentistry and how something as seemingly...
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Episode 147: How DNA Shapes The Way You Sleep
Healthy Sleep Revolution
In this episode, let's dive deep into a topic that could revolutionize your nightly routine—sleep genetics. 🧬😴 You’ve heard the usual sleep tips: skip the caffeine, stick to a routine, cut down screen time... but what if the real secret to better sleep is already inside you? Let's break down: - How your genes influence your circadian rhythm - What your chronotype says about your natural sleep patterns - The surprising genetic links to sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea - Why personalized, DNA-based sleep insights are the future of sleep health -...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Healthy Sleep Revolution Podcast, Dr. Meghna Dassani breaks down one of the biggest, and most overlooked, disruptors of modern sleep: screens.
We all know we should put our phones away before bed, but few people understand why it matters so much. Dr. Dassani explains how blue light, digital overstimulation, notifications, and nighttime scrolling impact melatonin, cortisol, airway stability, and your nervous system’s ability to shift into deep, restorative sleep.
You’ll learn:
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How blue light signals your brain that it’s daytime
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Why melatonin drops and cortisol rises with screen use
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What “social jet lag” is and why your nervous system thinks you flew from Houston to Tokyo
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How late-night scrolling worsens snoring and sleep apnea
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The link between digital dopamine hits and a hyperactive nervous system
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The real science on EMFs and sleep
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Simple, practical device rules for families
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The 90-minute “digital sunset” Dr. Dassani teaches in her practice
Plus, Dr. Dassani shares her favourite screen-time hacks: warm lighting, bedroom boundaries, charging baskets, and behavioural shifts that turn chaotic evenings into calmer nights for the whole family.
If your nights feel restless, your mornings feel punishing, or you suspect technology is taking a toll on your sleep, this episode will give you the tools you need to take back your evenings — one habit at a time.
About Dr. Meghna Dassani
Dr. Meghna Dassani is passionate about promoting healthy sleep through dental practices. In following the ADA’s 2017 guideline on sleep apnea screening and treatment, she has helped many children and adults improve their sleep, their breathing, and their lives. Her books and seminars help parents and practitioners understand the essential roles of the tongue, palate, and jaw in promoting healthy sleep.
Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani
Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani