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 structure, tongue posture, nasal obstruction, muscle tone, and chronic mouth breathing. We also explore the bi-directional relationship between sleep apnea and metabolic dysfunction, showing how fragmented sleep can worsen insulin resistance, hormonal balance, inflammation, and energy regulation, even independent of weight. At the same time, metabolic instability can further impair airway stability and sleep quality.

What you will learn:

• Why sleep apnea is not simply a weight-related condition

• How airway anatomy drives obstructive sleep apnea

• The connection between fragmented sleep and metabolic dysfunction

• Why calorie restriction alone rarely resolves sleep apnea

• How airway-first treatment supports metabolic and sleep health

About 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

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 sleep-disordered breathing and why today's tech neck can become tomorrow's airway compromise.

We also unpack the powerful overlap between sleep deprivation and ADHD-like symptoms in children. Many behaviors labeled as attention or behavioral issues may actually be signs of fragmented sleep and restricted breathing. Most importantly, we share simple, practical steps families can start using immediately to protect their child's airway, sleep, and development.

What you will learn:

• How screen posture directly impacts airway space and breathing

• Why mouth breathing changes facial growth and narrows the palate

• The role of tongue posture in healthy airway development

• How sleep deprivation can mimic ADHD symptoms

• The three main ways screens disrupt sleep quality

• Early warning signs of airway and sleep issues in children

• Practical steps parents can start using right away

About 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

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 rises with screen use

• What "social jet lag" is and why your nervous system thinks you flew from Houston to Tokyo

• How late-night scrolling worsens snoring and sleep apnea

• The link between digital dopamine hits and a hyperactive nervous system

• The real science on EMFs and sleep

• Simple, practical device rules for families

• 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

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 struggling.

Whether you're a parent, a patient searching for answers, or a provider wanting to better understand the dental–airway connection, this episode is full of clarity, insight, and direction.

• How Dr. Sofya's son led her into airway-focused dentistry

• Early signs of airway issues in infants and children

• Why breastfeeding challenges play a major role in growth and development

• Key symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing in kids and adults

• What an airway-focused dental exam actually includes

• Treatment options: therapy, releases, expansion, referrals

• Dr. Sofya's top advice for both parents and adults seeking answers

Dr. Sofya Kats is local to Milwaukee, WI. She grew up in Bayside and attended Nicolet HS, UW-Milwaukee and Marquette University School of Dentistry. She received her DDS degree in 2007 and then completed a two year General Practice residency program in Brooklyn, NY at NY Methodist Hospital.

Dr. Kats is passionate about the artistry of her profession. She helps patients understand the link between beauty and health and restores smiles with an airway focused-approach. Outside of the office, she enjoys volunteering her time to treat patients both locally, nationally and internationally, and she has participated in many mission trips.

Dr Kats is the proud Mom of two sons and her free time is dedicated to her family and friends.

Dr. Kats is a member of:

• Greater Milwaukee Dental Association

• Wisconsin Dental Association

• American Dental Association

• The Forum Study Club (oldest Dental Study Club in the United States)

• American Academy of Physiological Medicine & Dentistry

• American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine Member

• American Laser Study Club

• Dental Online Training

• Mommy Dentist in Business: Official Member

Connect with Dr. Sofya Kats
Website: https://www.riverwalkdentistry.com/team/sofya-kats-dds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katsdentistry/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofyakatsdds/?hl=en

About 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

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 those who often go undiagnosed. Whether you're a provider looking to stay ahead of the curve or someone curious about how to get better sleep, this episode is packed with practical tips and thought-provoking insights that will inspire you to take action.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The latest in sleep and airway tech: from wearables like the Oura Ring to sleep-tracking apps and direct-to-consumer tools

• Why sleep tech is best used as a screening and monitoring tool, not a replacement for diagnosis

• How technology is empowering both providers and patients to take control of their health

• The unique role dentists play in screening for sleep-disordered breathing

• The challenges (and breakthroughs) of collaborating with MDs in today's healthcare landscape

• How sharing bite-sized education—via email, social media, and team conversations—can spark life-changing awareness

• Dr. Raghavan's top 3 sleep hygiene tips everyone should follow

"We spend a third of our lives sleeping. A sleep study should be as routine as blood work once you hit 35." – Dr. Aarthi Raghavan

This episode is a must-listen for clinicians, caregivers, and anyone who wants to better understand how innovation, collaboration, and patient empowerment are reshaping sleep care.


Connect with Dr. Aarthi Raghavan
Www.ddentalgroup.com
Www.dupagesleepsolutions.com
Instagram: @dupagedentalgroup
Facebook: @dupagedentalgroup
Instagram: @ad.ventures.of.a.sleepdentist
Instagram@an_empath_s_diary_

About 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/healthysleeprevolution/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Lh_n7xmbhQVPGQrSjBIrw

Get a copy of Airway is Life: https://www.airwayislife.com

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
- Practical steps to align your lifestyle with your biological blueprint

Whether you're a night owl who can't fall asleep before midnight or an early bird who thrives at sunrise, this episode helps you understand your unique sleep design—and how to work with it, not against it.

About 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/healthysleeprevolution/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Lh_n7xmbhQVPGQrSjBIrw

Get a copy of Airway is Life: https://www.airwayislife.com