The Truth About Mouth Breathing, Sleep, & Sleep Medicine (w/Dr. Funke Brown) [Ep.170]

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Funke Afolabi Brown, a triple board-certified sleep physician, founder of Restful Sleep MD, and best-selling author. We go way beyond the basics of sleep, exploring what "good sleep" actually means, why sleep medicine gets so little attention in physician and dental training, and why that has to change.

Dr. Brown and I dig into the full spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing (it's so much more than just obstructive sleep apnea), the strengths and serious limitations of polysomnography versus home sleep testing, and why relying only on the AHI can cause us to miss patients who are genuinely struggling. We also spend a lot of time on the far-reaching effects of poor sleep in kids - behavior, learning, emotional regulation, and how sleep issues so often masquerade as ADHD.

We talk candidly about why snoring and chronic mouth breathing should never be treated as "no big deal," why interdisciplinary collaboration between sleep physicians, pediatricians, ENTs, dentists, orthodontists, and myofunctional therapists is essential, and why I'm genuinely optimistic about where sleep medicine is headed.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 — Cold open: sleep's impact on children isn't benign0:38 — Podcast welcome1:02 — Guest introduction: Dr. Funke Afolabi Brown4:20 — Interview begins5:39 — Dr. Brown's background and path into sleep medicine7:13 — Sleep education gaps in medical/dental training10:19 — Defining good sleep: quantity, quality, timing14:42 — Wearables, sleep tracking, and orthosomnia20:24 — Acute vs. chronic sleep problems and recovery26:52 — In-lab polysomnography: strengths and limitations37:28 — The sleep-disordered breathing spectrum41:10 — Primary snoring: why it's never normal46:14 — Allergies, nasal airway, and root causes48:12 — Chronic mouth breathing debate54:23 — Why physicians and dentists avoid the topic1:00:10 — ADHD and sleep-disordered breathing overlap1:08:57 — Home sleep testing and treatment options1:09:48 — The future of sleep medicine1:16:00 — Closing thoughts and where to find Dr. BrownIf you found this conversation valuable, please share this episode with someone who needs to hear it, follow DOC Podcast on Instagram, and subscribe to the channel on YouTube so you never miss an episode.

LINKS

Connect w/Dr. Brown:Website: https://www.restfulsleepmd.com/

Beyond Tired Book: https://a.co/d/2aSRSQt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restfulsleepmd/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drfunkebrown/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funke.afolabibrown/ Register for the In-person Early Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/ The Generational Wealth Code: https://a.co/d/05TlkLJXJoin The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/Website: theorthocoach.comYouTube: @theorthocoachInstagram: @theorthocoachEmail: drmike@theorthocoach.com