Dr. Allison Brager: Improve Sleep Efficiency & Resilience

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. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Parker University: https://parkerseminars.com Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform 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 Disclaimer & Disclosures

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This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin. I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University. With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between. I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.            In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.  While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.