HoldsUp

Mark Hyman, MD · 2025-06-18 · Andy Galpin, Mark Hyman (host)

The Real Reason You're Always Tired Has Nothing to Do With Sleep

32 claims checked against research: 2 contradicted 1 contradicted online 8 overstated 3 needing context 12 supported 6 unverified

3

Needs context

0:27:18Andy Galpinneeds contexthigh

Medical residency work hours in the United States were historically reduced from up to 120 hours per week to an 80-hour weekly cap.

"More recently, just a couple years ago, they reduced the residency hours from 120 week to 80 or something like that." (said at 0:27:18)

The core assertion regarding the reduction of resident duty hours to an 80-hour cap is historically accurate, but the timeline stated is incorrect. In July 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) instituted nationwide duty-hour limits capping the workweek at an average of 80 hours. Prior to this mandate, residents in demanding surgical and medical specialties routinely reported working 100 to 120 or more hours per week. However, this national policy was implemented in 2003 (with additional sub-rules added in 2011), rather than 'just a couple years ago'.

0:37:28Andy Galpinneeds contextlow

Orthosomnia is a clinical sleep disorder characterized by sleep obsession induced by the use of sleep trackers.

"Are you familiar with orthosomnia?... Obsessing about your sleep. These are clinical sleep disorders that are induced from sleep trackers." (said at 0:37:28)

The term "orthosomnia" was introduced by sleep researchers in 2017 to describe a phenomenon in which individuals develop an obsessive preoccupation with perfecting sleep data provided by wearable sleep trackers, which can paradoxically exacerbate sleep anxiety and self-reported sleep disturbances (Baron et al., 2017). Sleep clinicians acknowledge consumer sleep technology as a potential contributor to orthosomnia and misperceptions about sleep quality (Addison et al., 2023). However, orthosomnia is a descriptive term coined in the literature rather than a formally recognized, diagnostic clinical sleep disorder in standard classification manuals such as the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-3) or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

0:35:54Andy Galpinneeds contexthigh

Full FDA-cleared clinical sleep studies can be performed using a fingertip monitoring device.

"We can run again full FDA clinical sleep studies on your fingertip. It's not a tracker. It's not like a check your sleep score with proprietary algorithms, all that stuff." (said at 0:35:54)

FDA-cleared diagnostic home sleep apnea tests (HSATs) utilizing fingertip probes—specifically peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) technology such as WatchPAT—are clinically validated medical devices used to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea, distinguishing them from non-medical consumer sleep trackers. However, referring to these devices as performing a "full" clinical sleep study requires qualification: full gold-standard clinical polysomnography (PSG) involves multi-channel laboratory monitoring including electroencephalography (EEG), electrooculography (EOG), electromyography (EMG), electrocardiogram (ECG), airflow, and respiratory effort. Fingertip PAT devices provide home sleep apnea testing by detecting autonomic vascular and oximetry changes rather than direct brainwave polysomnography.

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.