In this episode, my guest is Dr. Allison Brager, Ph.D., an active-duty Army neuroscientist whose research focuses on physiological resilience in extreme stress environments such as Antarctica and outer space. We discuss how sleep is impacted in these harsh conditions and the broader concept of sleep resilience, which is crucial for athletes, military personnel, and anyone with demanding personal or professional situations.
We explain the effects of circadian rhythm (chronotype) misalignment on performance and how different chronotypes align with certain careers and sports. We also outline the key differences in sleep between men and women, including sleep onset, daytime sleepiness, and duration, along with the biological mechanisms that drive sleepiness. Finally, we discuss practical strategies for recovering from poor sleep and improving sleep through behaviors, light exposure, and nutrition. Regardless of your career or lifestyle, this episode provides valuable insights for optimizing your sleep to enhance performance and overall well-being.
Read the episode show notes at performpodcast.com.
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Timestamps
00:00:00 Allison Brager
00:01:37 East vs West Coast, Sports Teams, Sleep, Injury
00:04:46 Performance & Circadian Clock, Genetics, Chronotypes; Kids & Habits
00:10:50 Sponsors: AG1 & Eight Sleep
00:13:38 Chronotype, Genetics, Military, Academia
00:18:01 Importance of Animal Models, Chromosomal Sex & Hormones; Sleep
00:24:22 Sleep Differences & Men vs Women, Sleep Pressure, Onset
00:30:32 Sex Differences, Sleep Duration; Naps
00:33:45 Tool: Nap Duration; “Nappuccino”, Chronic Insufficient Sleep
00:38:42 Multiphasic Sleep, Chronotype, Shift Work & Health Risks
00:42:44 Sponsors: LMNT & Parker University
00:45:29 Night Shift, Performance, Per Genes, Genetic Testing, Chronotypes
00:51:25 Antarctica, Sleep, Seasonality, Sleep Resilience & Limits
00:58:50 Poor Sleep, Sleep Banking, Weekends
01:01:42 Sleep in Extreme Environments, Outer Space
01:08:04 Mars Mission Preparation, Gene Editing & Studying Sleep
01:11:50 Short Sleepers, Sleep Pressure & Adenosine, Efficiency
01:16:39 Hypersomnia & Poor Health, Depression; Traumatic Brain Injury & Sleep
01:21:30 Sponsor: Momentous
01:23:08 Increasing Sleep Efficiency Case Study, Morning & Daytime Behaviors
01:30:23 Sleep Efficiency, Nighttime Behaviors, Foods, Melatonin?
01:34:59 Cold Plunge, Mouth Taping, Nasal Dilators
01:37:02 Jet Lag, Supplements, Melatonin
01:41:37 Sleep Extension, Tool: Intervals; Sleep Banking, Sleep In or Bed Earlier?
01:49:18 Youngstown, Ohio & Sports
01:55:24 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Subscribe & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Social Media, Perform Newsletter
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