Managing Sleep & Timezones for Better Performance with Jesse Cook
Dec 8, 2024
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Jesse Cook, a clinical psychologist and researcher with a focus on sleep and athletic performance, dives into the fascinating interplay between sleep and running. He discusses his research on how circadian rhythms can affect marathon completion times. Jesse shares strategies for aligning sleep schedules with race times, especially when traveling across time zones. He offers tips on improving sleep quality and highlights the psychological impact of sleep tracking devices. The conversation blends personal anecdotes with practical advice for optimizing performance.
Understanding circadian preference allows runners to optimize their training and racing schedules for better athletic performance.
Addressing sleep inertia is essential for runners to improve their readiness and cognitive function, especially before morning races.
Utilizing sleep banking and maintaining good sleep hygiene before events can help mitigate the effects of anticipated sleep deprivation.
Deep dives
The Significance of Circadian Preference
Circadian preference refers to an individual's natural inclination towards specific sleep-wake patterns and can significantly impact running performance, especially during events like marathons. The episode emphasizes the biological basis of these rhythms and how some runners may excel during morning events while struggling with evening or night timings. Runners with a circadian preference leaning towards eveningness often have slower completion times in marathons, illustrating the influence of these innate rhythms on athletic performance. Understanding one's circadian preference helps athletes tailor their training and competition schedules for optimal results.
Sleep Inertia and Its Effects
Sleep inertia is the grogginess and cognitive impairment that people experience right after waking, which can last anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour. The discussion reveals that while most individuals can shake it off relatively quickly, others may find it severely affects their performance, particularly in the context of morning races. This can be particularly detrimental for those who have a natural preference for staying up late. By identifying and addressing sleep inertia, runners can improve their readiness and performance on race day.
Harnessing Sleep Banking for Better Performance
The concept of sleep banking involves accumulating additional sleep in the days leading up to an event to offset potential sleep loss on the night before competition. While the effectiveness of sleep banking can vary, research indicates that it may help resist the negative effects of sleep deprivation rather than enhance overall performance. Athletes are advised to prioritize good sleep hygiene in the days prior to their races and aim for more sleep if they anticipate a poor night's rest close to race day. This strategic approach may enable runners to mitigate fatigue and maintain performance levels during critical events.
Strategies for Adjusting Circadian Rhythms
For runners traveling across time zones, gradual adjustments of their sleep-wake schedule before the event can help align their circadian rhythms with the local time. A general guideline suggests shifting the sleep schedule by 10 to 15 minutes per day in the days leading up to the travel date. This should ideally help athletes acclimate better and reduce the negative impacts of jet lag on performance. Employing light therapy and controlling the sleep environment can also facilitate smoother transitions to new time zones and enhance overall sleep quality.
The Role of Sleep Quality in Athletic Performance
High-quality sleep is crucial for athletes, as it influences not only physical recovery but also cognitive function, mood, and overall well-being. The discussion highlights the need to establish a positive relationship with sleep, including maintaining consistent sleep schedules and reducing pre-bedtime stimulation from technology. For runners, this may also mean timing their workouts to avoid interfering with sleep needs. By adopting healthy sleep habits, athletes can further ensure that their performance is not compromised by lack of rest or poor sleep quality.
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Episode Title: Managing Sleep and Time Zones for Better Performance with Jesse Cook
Guest Bio: Jesse Cook is a clinical psychologist and researcher specializing in sleep and circadian health. With a background in clinical psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Jesse has been studying the intricate relationships between sleep, circadian rhythms, and athletic performance for over a decade. His work spans a range of topics, including idiopathic hypersomnia, wearable sleep tracking technologies, and optimizing well-being and performance in athletes. He’s also an avid runner who combines his personal and professional passions.
Episode Overview: In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of sleep science and running with Jesse Cook. Jesse discusses his recent research paper, "Influence of Circadian Preference, Sleep Inertia, and Their Interaction on Marathon Completion Time," and unpacks how sleep and biological rhythms impact performance. Topics include:
What circadian rhythms and sleep inertia mean for recreational runners.
Strategies to align your sleep schedule with marathon start times, particularly when traveling across time zones.
Tips for improving sleep quality and reducing sleep inertia.
Practical advice for banking sleep before race day and using light and movement to enhance wakefulness.
What You’ll Learn:
How your natural chronotype (morning vs. evening preference) could influence your marathon performance.
Ways to adapt your training schedule to match race conditions and time zones.
Effective methods to combat sleep inertia, including the role of caffeine, light exposure, and cold water therapy.
How to maintain a healthy relationship with sleep and avoid common pitfalls like pre-sleep stress or overreliance on tracking devices.
Research Paper Highlight:
Title: "Influence of Circadian Preference, Sleep Inertia, and Their Interaction on Marathon Completion Time."
Key Findings: Runners with a morning preference tended to have faster marathon times, while those with evening preferences faced challenges aligning their biological rhythms with typical race start times. Sleep inertia also played a role in performance but was less impactful than circadian preference.