What stands out for you when you think of the Year 2021?

One thing that stood out for me was that the world had a solution to the problem it faced in 2020. There was the promise of life returning back to normal.

But there’s been a rise of that little subsection of our society who are overconfident in their scientific abilities.

This is not new to me, as I saw the same phenomenon more than a decade ago. Back then it wasn’t a global pandemic or a vaccine. But opposing beliefs about a topic that revolved around sleep.

So it is no wonder that our Number 1 Blog of 2021 was about this topic.

1st - Sleep, Stress & Cortisol

Although Blog #94 didn’t make the Top 10, one of its messages rang true for the Top 2 blogs of 2021.

Controversy.

Both of these blogs garnered over 1,000 views each. Indeed, the topic of the Number 1 Blog of 2021 has been the only topic that has attracted the crazies - the ones who wish to impart the C’s on me (eg, crucifiction, castration, child protection act, cill him now! … I didn’t say they could spell).

This blog named and shamed, and along the way made a clear case by transparently showing the data from a range of independent studies. It showed how some people misinterpreted data, and how groups of people would blindly follow. It attracted fans and f#cksticks. But this time - no death threats.

But again, the fans were grateful that there was a place on the internet that they could refer people to get the breakdown of the scientific evidence showing that sleep training does not cause harm.

2nd - Blue Screenlight is the Number 1 Sleep Myth of Our Time - Part 1

The topic of this blog isn’t as controversial as sleep training is - but Yours Truly is trying to make it so (or is it everyone else that’s making it controversial?). You know those times when you believe you’re right, but everyone is saying the opposite thing? No? Well, I guess it’s just me then …

In 2014 we were the first research team to publish a study demonstrating that the blue light emitted from screens did not affect the time taken to fall asleep. 8 years on and there’s about 10 such studies showing the same thing as our original study. Yet, it’s the complete opposite in the world of the internet.

So how do you break through the noise of the internet? Propose that the blue screenlight affecting sleep is the Number 1 myth of our time.

I was surprised to see so much backlash from even the scientific community. They even attempted to find a middle ground. Screw that. Data is data … well, technically the term ‘data’ is plural, so I guess … data are data.

If the scientific process states that independent research groups are needed to confirm whether a concept is true or false, then trust the process.

But how else do you break through the noise of the internet? Turn your controversial Blog into a 4-Part Blog Series …

3rd - What Is A Sleep Coach?

And the hits just keep on coming!

Coaches are everywhere these days. It’s an unregulated profession. And what happens when a profession is unregulated? There is no one to set a minimum criteria for quality - and thus, there is no one to protect the public. That’s at least what I tell myself when I pay my 100s of dollars to the Psychology Board for the privilege of using the title ‘clinical psychologist’.

Sleep coaches have been around for about a decade, and mainly started up as Baby Sleep Coaches. Whilst they didn’t have the full training to deal with all sorts of issues, they were much better at marketing themselves.

Now, sleep coaches are also treating adults with sleep problems - which makes the lines blurry as to what a Sleep Coach is qualified at doing, and what sorts of sleep problems they can deal with.

But this blog provides a solution. Raise the bar by having the sleep experts train and supervise the sleep coaches. It’s not a new idea. It’s just borrowed from an evidence-based system over in the UK and applied to Sleep Coaching.

Fortunately, this solution is starting to happen …

4th - Blue Screenlight: Does It Affect Melatonin? - Part 2

Like a second born child, Part 2 wasn’t as popular as Part 1 - (that was a dig at my sibling) - but it was necessary. Because as much as blue screenlight did not affect the time taken to fall asleep, it reliably reduced the secretion of melatonin.

That’s right - this means the connection between our melatonin and the time taken to fall asleep is not a perfect link.

But the issue of blue screenlight doesn’t stop there …

5th - 100 Sleep Tips

I’ve been asked at the end of so many media interviews what are my top 5 sleep tips for readers. I have loathed this question, as many people who need help with their sleep need a proper assessment and tailored treatment plan.

But as mentioned in your 2nd most popular blog of 2021, it is so common for experts to recommend a sleep tip around ceasing technology use - whether they believe it’s the blue screenlight, or the stimulation of using tech before bed.

Because of this misinformation, I wanted to provide sleep tips that are directly linked to scientific support. But why 100 of them? Well, I simply needed a big topic for our 100th blog.

As you’ll see, not all 100 sleep tips are publicly available. To grab the whole bunch, you can become a WINK member. Plus, there’s heaps of other gifts and benefits. Quickly check them out here.

6th - Are National Geographic’s Sleep Tips Credible? - Part 2

It seems you really like to read about sleep tips - and in this case, Blog #70 was us reviewing the last 5 of 10 sleep tips from National Geographic.

How did they fare?

Not too badly. A number of these are in the right ballpark - but just needed a bit of finessing. Others were a little on the B.S. side of the fence. Whilst their 10th sleep tip hit the mark.

7th - Sleep & IQ

Well this unfair. This blog was published in mid-2020 - and it wasn’t even the most popular blog of 2021.

Nevertheless, it basked in the delayed popularity like other classics - eg, Shawshank Redemption on video rather than the cinema.

And technically the title isn’t accurate. This blog was about our findings on the link between sleep, insomnia and working memory. What is working memory?

My neuropsychology supervisor during my training taught me it was everything. You need it for your long term memory, and you need your memory for other important aspects of your IQ (eg, reading, maths) - not to mention many aspects of your everyday life.

8th - Can’t Sleep? Have You Tired A Weighted Blanket?

Mind the pun, but this fluff piece was another example of demonstrating the contrast between the scientific evidence and the popular press.

But you seemed to really like it. But do you like weighted blankets? Most who contacted me said they didn’t - especially the price.

What about the scientific evidence?

Well, this blog took a deep dive into the historical underpinnings of why a weighted blanket would help you sleep. But in terms of the evidence - why derive the weight from a blanket when you can get the weight from a bedpartner (nudge nudge, wink wink) - Blog #78.

I’m sorry if you don’t like these sexual innuendos, but that’s my wife in that bed in the photo above. I’m a little bit distracted …

9th - Blue Screenlight vs Feeling Blue - Part 4

This was our finale to our 4-part series on the effects of blue screenlight. However, as per the big ‘U’ in the picture above, we wanted to highlight to you the emerging evidence that it may be our sleep that affects our technology use - not the other way around.

I know, that sounds like a strange concept. But once you put all the pieces of data together, there is an interesting story emerging. And it’s something we’re now starting to use in our clinical practice to help people sleep better.

That’s right - we’re using technology before sleep to help people with sleep problems. This info is all contained in Module 3 of our online course - Brief Behaviour Therapy for Insomnia. And yes, I’m trying to convince you to do a U-turn in your thinking so you can help people have a more positive relationship with their bedroom.

10th - The Bad Side of REM Sleep

To me, this is a surprise entry - and makes me wonder whether it was the fact that people did more searches for the number of this blog (ie, 69). Regardless, it snuck in, and to be fair, people are more aware of REM sleep these days from their Apple Watches, FitBits, and Garmins - their just not aware that your brain is not in your wrist, and it’s best to measure REM from the brain.

But even though more people are aware of how much REM sleep they’re getting - they don’t know what it means. Sure these wearables are linked with an app, and you get ‘pushes’ and ‘nudges’ (ie, emails, messages, sleep tips) - but from what I’ve seen, the info on REM sleep isn’t cutting edge.

So this blog took you on a journey through a few areas where REM sleep is linked to aspects of our emotional health - including a couple of new studies that we’ve been doing (and I’m happy to say that one of those studies has been accepted for publication in SLEEP - stay tuned - but here’s a hint!).

Honourable Mention

Like I said above, it’s unfair that a 2020 blog made it into the Top 10 for 2021, so let’s see what would have rounded out the Top 10. Well, surprisingly, it was one published in mid-December - The History of the Child & Adolescent Sleep Clinic. A passing of the torch - if you will - to anyone considering to start-up a clinic, indeed, starting up anything. You’ll get the disbelievers - even some close to you - but if you believe you have a great idea, and there’s some facts to back that idea, then test it out.

In the first year I started this clinic, even my mentor was sceptical about the prospect of kids experiencing insomnia. 15 years later, we’re quite possibly the world leaders when it comes to school kid’s sleep - with a highly cited clinical trial, a self-help parent book, and Yours Truly being an invited speaker about this topic at Worldsleep2022 in Rome.

This was also a blog that signalled my departure from my University - after 29 years. Those who know me know how hot I am … wow, imagine if I stopped that sentence there? … how hot I am about the scientist-practitioner model. About using evidence to support your decisions in clinical practice.

Well, you can do the same in your everyday life.

And I can confidently say that ‘the data’ I’ve obtained over the past month justify my decision for leaving. My family will be one of the beneficiaries.

As well as WINK - and quite possibly you …

• Prof MG