Dr. Allison Brager: Improve Sleep Efficiency & Resilience
In a Nutshell
Dr. Allison Brager explains sleep resilience—efficient, high-quality sleep despite disruptions like travel, extreme environments (Antarctica, space), or chronotype mismatches—outweighing fragile optimization, with West Coast sports teams winning via circadian peaks and genetic screening (e.g., PER2 SNPs) enabling shift work tolerance. Sex differences show males accumulate sleep pressure faster (more napping, quicker onset) but females achieve restorative sleep more efficiently; naps ≤30 minutes (nappuccino hack), consistent zeitgebers, and sleep banking (extra 1 hour pre-deprivation) boost performance. For 6-7 hour sleepers, prioritize morning caffeine (200mg), sunlight, training on cortisol rise, evening blue-blockers/tart cherry/magnesium, and gradual extension; avoid chronic high-dose melatonin, pre-bed cold plunges, or mouth taping.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
The science and practice of enhancing human performance for sport, play, and life. Dr. Andy Galpin, professor, scientist, and executive director of the human performance center at Parker University, speaks with Dr. Allison Brager, a neuroscientist focusing on sleep and sleep resilience—becoming more efficient and effective with sleep regardless of the situation. Examples include athletes traveling coast to coast, military in Antarctica and space, and regular people. Effective sleep means determining individual sleep needs precisely for surviving and thriving.
Dr. Brager's field research translates into practical scenarios.
Dr. Galpin jokes about East Coast bias in sports disadvantaging West Coast teams. Dr. Brager counters: it's the opposite during NFL regular season. Stanford sleep physicians' 1990s study, reconfirmed in late 2000s, shows West Coast teams play games attuned to their circadian peak (mid-morning or early evening biological time), giving performance advantage correlated with lower injury risk—5 times less likely, especially defensive and offensive linemen, compared to New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
Injuries measured by weeks on injury reserve; recent concussion data from NFL lawsuit requires public recording.
Dr. Brager is a San Francisco 49ers fan and coaches Fred Warner.
Correlative, not causative, but robust due to circadian clock. Predictable daily rhythms of endocrine function, behavior, physiological processes. Performance ties to rising cortisol upon awakening, peaking alertness 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Training/competing then capitalizes on cortisol mobilizing energy, attention, vigilance, focus. Combines physical performance, recovery, cognitive factors.
Correlations in NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball.
Genetic component: people select sports by chronotype (morning vs. evening person). Gymnastics (night practice), boxing, MMA, NBA, NHL pre-select night owls.
Rugby study in Current Biology: greater interindividual chronotype variability on team leads to more wins, as games vary (morning, afternoon, evening). Opposite for NBA/NHL: prefer less variability, pre-select evening types.
Known genetic components to chronotype. Habituation: parents as night owls may genetically or culturally (late dinner, language like "I'm a night person") influence it. Childhood sleep habits carry into adulthood; parents should establish bedtime routines and model good hygiene.
Dr. Brager: Eastern European parents, dinner 8-9 p.m., still eats late, night owl (11:30 p.m.-7:30/8 a.m.).
Nature over nurture. Transgenic mice engineered as extreme larks or owls revert to genetic rhythm without zeitgebers (predictable cues: light, food, exercise, social). Same in humans.
Anecdote: As military company commander, woke at 4:00 a.m. to gym at 5:00 a.m. with morning-person brigade commander. Required strict 8:00 p.m. bedtime, stable eating/hydration or got sick—surviving, not thriving. Military/academia pre-select morning people; night owls judged lazy.
Dr. Galpin (morning person) hates late meetings.
Transgenic four core genotype mouse line (Art Arnold, UCLA): dissociates chromosomal sex from hormonal sex to study chromosomes vs. hormones on physiology/behavior. Used for sex differences in sleep pressure.
SRY gene (testes-determining) causes differences: biological males more prone to daytime sleepiness; females have greater difficulty entering sleep but higher sleep quality/efficiency.
Without model, only hormonal effects visible (gonad removal stops estrogen/testosterone).
Mentioned in State of the Union as wasteful spending (title cut from context).
Animal models essential for biological sex differences, treating sleep disorders (70%+ suffer).
Limited human data (e.g., SRY polymorphisms, intersex individuals like androgen insensitivity syndrome). NSCA conference talk: 1980s studies by Dr. Rachel Manber (Stanford) and Dr. Terry Lee (Yale) on women in sleep forgotten 45 years until wearables like Whoop highlighted female differences.
Mechanism: Sleep pressure from extracellular adenosine in basal forebrain (wake area). Males accumulate faster via SRY gene, leading to daytime sleep need. Females slower accumulation, lower adenosine production.
Trope confirmed: women fall asleep faster than men.
Demonstrated in pre-clinical transgenic mouse models using the four core genotype. Also shown in human studies from the 1980s by Terry Lee and Rachel Manber: sleep onset quicker for men, but time to restorative sleep (entry into stage 3 non-REM and REM) quicker for females. Females take longer to fall asleep but get to restorative sleep faster and more efficiently across the night.
Likely tied to child-rearing: men propagate children, women are caretakers, with built-in neurochemical and neuroanatomical circuits. Debate on psychology (women ruminate more) vs. biology (cascades not kicked off, pressure not high enough). Both contribute; psychological aspect part of biological blueprint for greater female vigilance across the day.
Vigilance involves increased acetylcholine release and activation of areas like the basal forebrain.
Psychology is just misunderstood physiology.
Studies focus on basal forebrain, major site of cholinergic production/release. Limited data on sex differences; mostly 1980s/1990s studies or questionnaires (low fidelity). Modern human sleep studies pair objective measures (endocrine, behavioral/cognitive) with self-reports; self-reports often yield interesting findings.
Difference of 25-30 minutes more sleep for women (1980s studies), but not clinically significant. Social media overstates: women don't need 9.5 hours in bed vs. men's 8; creates anxiety, more harmful than helpful.
Men nap more than women, experimentally and anecdotally; cross-culturally (siestas), men more prone to daytime sleepiness. In transgenic mice too.
Napping stigma reduced last 10 years, but persists in military. Paper in flagship journal on stigma of workplace napping with anonymous military leader quotes: "No, if my employees nap, they're lazy. Like they're not productive."
Earlier generations celebrated napping (e.g., President/General Eisenhower napped daily during WWII).
- Nap ≤30 minutes (except night shift workers/chronic insufficient sleep: 90 minutes for full cycle).
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30 minutes risks sleep onset issues or irregularity that night.
- 20-30 minute nap improves mood, athletic/cognitive performance immediately.
Low napping percentage generally; higher in microcosms like professional athletes (e.g., LeBron James takes multiple naps). Culture-dependent.
Caffeine (coffee, not energy drink) before nap: takes ~20 minutes to impact adenosine receptors, so nap then wake boosted/less groggy. Adopted by trucking industry 1970s; experimentally tested.
For chronic insufficient sleep (<7-9 hours/night): nap or 20-minute non-activity to offset accumulating sleep pressure. Use tech like Shiftwave for tactical populations to enter meditative deep breath state (10-15 minutes).
Hunters/conservationists/outdoors biologists nap 3 hours midday easily; contrasts with high vigilance types who struggle.
Multiphasic sleep (e.g., 3-4 hour afternoon nap) not unhealthy; humans slept this way pre-Thomas Edison/electricity. Indigenous communities still do: 4 hours night sleep, 4 hours wakefulness, sunrise activity, 3-4 hour afternoon nap. Aligns with two circadian dips (2-4am core body temp low; 2-4pm alertness dip).
No issue with multiphasic/indigenous sleep; caters to natural circadian rhythm pre-industrialization. Chronic diseases from fighting evolution/biology.
Shift workers (night/rotating): 15-year lifespan reduction, increased cancers (all types); WHO labels shift work level 2 carcinogen.
Shift work defined as graveyard (11pm-7am).
Poor policies (e.g., 4 days day/4 days night) worst. For necessary night workers (surgeons, nurses, military): pre-select via genetics for night optimality (PER2 SNPs for evening chronotype).
Spit in tube for analysis; robust SNPs in PER2 gene (circadian clock gene). PER2 associated with evening chronotype; PER1 with morning. Most genetic companies test this.
Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (40 years old; newer version by Dr. Till Roenneberg includes social influences): 80% intermediate (bed 10pm, wake 6am); 10% evening (bed 12-12:30am, wake 8-8:30am); 10% morning (bed 9pm, wake 4am). Clocks phase-advance with age.
Robustness of sleep system shown in extremes (military, astronauts, Antarctica). Antarctica study: year-long longitudinal sleep assessment with Argentinian Navy.
Sponsors: Element (electrolyte mix: 1000mg sodium, 200mg potassium, 60mg magnesium; drinklmnt.com/perform for free sample). Parker University (human performance; parkseminars.com for Miami June 6-8 event, $249 all-access).
Navy base Belgrano II at the southernmost point in the world. Six months of the year, like being on the International Space Station, they have access to food, water, resources, and medevac. The other six months, if something happens medically, they have to figure it out due to stress in winter with no access to food resources or outside contact; planes can't get in or out because of weather.
Used actigraphs, clinical grade measures of sleep. Two weeks of actigraph data translates to a night of polysomnography in a sleep lab. Wrist wearable, extremely durable, withstands combat zones and extreme conditions.
Structure of sleep changes from summer to winter: winter has fewer but longer sleep episodes; summer has more but shorter episodes. Overall 24-hour sleep amounts the same winter vs summer. This leads to changes in physiology, blood pressure, and cognitive performance.
Measured blood pressure four times a day to catch circadian peak vs trough. Used psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), gold standard for vigilance. None of these parameters change seasonally. Sleep system robust, doesn't change regardless of environment.
Avoid sleep optimization; aim for sleep resilience: effective quality sleep independent of external factors. Don't need 90-minute routine or 45-minute breathwork; avoid becoming super sensitive. Be resilient against disruptions, like in Antarctica.
Military sleep lab studies: acute sleep deprivation mimicking combat, chronic sleep loss. Even with poor objective sleep, if self-report indicates restorative sleep or high sleep resiliency, next-day performance on PVT better than those rating low resiliency.
Biology vs psychology debate: biological camp, but psychological influences exist. Difference between clinical deficiencies (sleep disorder, restriction) vs good to great sleep with performance advantages.
Even terrible night, if think okay, perform better—but breaking point is 72 hours. Short-term effect.
Sleepiness makes you stupid. (Dr. William C. Dement, godfather of sleep medicine at Stanford, passed at 98)
False sense okay, but objectively performing horribly. Endocrine studies: insufficient sleep drops testosterone by day three. Colleague Dr. Tracy J. DellaVecchia at Walter Reed: caffeine stabilizes cognitive performance up to 3 days under sleep loss, then stops working. No amount of caffeine replaces lost sleep; only sleep can.
Bad night or two: don't worry. Past that, make changes.
Keep same sleep schedule weekdays vs weekends? Believe in sleep banking: replace sleep pressure or build for anticipated loss. For insufficient weekday sleep, disrupt circadian on weekend to bank sleep for week ahead.
Large-scale study: sleeping in on weekends if insufficient weekday sleep reduces cardiovascular disease risk by 20%.
Frameworks to avoid messing circadian: if wake at 5 a.m. weekdays, bed at 11 p.m., then Friday/Saturday bed at 11 p.m. but sleep to 8-9 a.m. Keep one anchor (bedtime or wake time) consistent. Not staying up till 4 a.m. then sleeping till noon.
Won't work for clubbing late. In cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), extend sleep in 30-minute intervals to reduce physiological stress.
Anecdotally varies. Colonel Frank Rubio (ISS, longest stay over a year) slept great despite psychological demands, missing family events. Other astronauts opposite, with lingering Earth effects like REM sleep maintenance issues, injuries.
Microgravity impacts sleep via thalamus (epicenter of sleep maintenance/continuity, gateway for sensory info). Direct vestibular balance system connection to thalamus influences sleep states.
Light handled well; much knowledge on light/photic info from NASA. Dr. Aaron Flynn-Evans, NASA fatigue scientist (Stanford/Harvard training).
Sleep vertically, velcroed in. Fluid shifting, pressure differences like sleep-related obesity issues.
Day structured; phone for family calls, movies—could use for podcast.
Mars mission needs physicians, scientists, engineers. Physiology in extreme environments (Antarctica, combat) differs; understand nuances, including sex differences.
Screening prioritizes health: no family disease history, genetically healthy. Mars is physiology problem, not rocket problem.
Preparation: understand physiology/behavior first, sex differences, then pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, genetic interventions like CRISPR gene editing. Willing to accept for mission.
Animal models: CRISPR for sleep physiology in preclinical mice. Evolved from breeding to direct genome manipulation. Postdoc: doxycycline-activated transgenic mice for skeletal muscle.
Some sleep horribly but get away with it; perception vs reality—cognition lower despite feeling fine.
Short sleepers: 4-5 hours/night. DEC2 gene (discovered 10-15 years ago in mouse model, human genome-wide study). Reduces extracellular adenosine quickly, fast sleep pressure dissipation.
Dr. Brager: 8.2-8.5 hour sleeper, slow dissipation.
Limited research on physical performance/cognition in short sleepers, though long-term clinical markers okay. Examples: US presidents (Trump via online activity, Obama), Admiral McRaven (2-3 hours), military leaders—self-selected genetically. Like sports gene guiding talent.
More efficient: quick slow-wave activity increase/extension (manifestation of dissipated sleep pressure).
Can't train; neuronal circuitry/neurochemistry differences. Endogenous function must be manipulated.
High performers: 8.5-9.5 hours. Beyond (9.5-11 hours): not good. Michael Grandner (U Arizona): tails bad—insomnia as bad as hyperinsomnia. Same morbidity/mortality as short sleepers.
Inefficient dissipation; wake tired after 9 hours. Often physiological disruption + depression, chronic pain (fibromyalgia). Associated with mental health, clinical depression.
Cause-effect debate ongoing in sleep medicine community.
Dr. Brager has attended the annual sleep medicine conference since 2006, missing only one year due to competing in the CrossFit Games. A central debate is whether sleep issues manifest depressive symptoms or depressive symptoms cause sleep problems. New data from preclinical animal models and human studies show it's complicated and nuanced. Even with effective depression treatments like pharmaceuticals, transcranial electrical stimulation, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, no consensus exists. It's likely a combination in some people: chronic poor sleep can lead to poor health effects, or life events causing mental health issues can disrupt sleep. Both are potential causes; isolating one as always driving the other is nonsensical.
Similar patterns occur with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Clinical studies, including one at Walter Reed, show mild TBI leads to long-term changes in sleep architecture. Lifestyle factors like using alcohol to cope with sleep difficulties, or inability to regulate stress impacting sleep, compound this. Nothing happens in isolation.
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For those with 6.5-7 hours realistic sleep, skip basics like cold, dark room. Focus on circadian system and zeitgebers (time cues). Predictable cues like eating, social stimuli, sunlight, dim light, dinner, and bedtime train the brain to consolidate sleep into that window, seen in human and rodent models.
Profile: Bed at 11:50 PM, alarm 6 AM, out of bed. Hundreds of millions to billions at stake; prioritizes peak cognitive function, then physical performance/energy. Trains daily (conditioning, lifting). With kids 3-8 PM, then work 8-10:30/11 PM, shower/wife 11 PM-midnight. Not morning/evening typed but adapted to mornings (military/business style). Stimulants/pharma OK, minimal alcohol, no long-term health compromise.
Morning Routine (First 45 Minutes)
- Caffeine: 200 mg immediately upon waking (e.g., two cups black coffee) to reduce sleep inertia. Ceiling effect at 200 mg from RCTs under sleep deprivation, across genotypes. Avoid >200 mg.
- Sunlight exposure.
- Vitamin D supplementation, especially in low-sun areas like Boston/New York.
Training Timing
Train mornings to capitalize on cortisol rise, optimizing performance and extending cognitive/mood/energy benefits.
Daytime Caffeine Strategy
200 mg every 4-6 hours as needed (or 2-4 hours), stop 6-8 hours before bed. Example: 6 AM, 9 AM, noon, 3-4 PM (within 8-hour window before midnight).
Evening Practices (3-8 PM Kids, 8 PM+ Work to 11 PM)
- No full 90-minute sleep hygiene needed if environment consistent.
- Wear blue light blocking glasses while working to promote dim light melatonin onset (DLMO), mitigating arousal from beta/gamma brain activity.
- Sleep-promoting foods (RCT-backed): warm milk (newly isolated sleep-promoting protein), kiwis, tart cherry extract (also aids muscle recovery).
- Slow-release protein like casein or whey.
- Magnesium bicarbonate (powdered, high bioavailability) before bed for sleep maintenance, CNS offset from training/stress. Avoid chronic melatonin (10 mg nightly); it prevents restorative sleep stages, acts as phase shifter, disrupts architecture if overdosed.
Additional Hacks
- Consistent time cues/patterns train brain for efficient sleep.
- 5-minute hot shower before bed; body cools compensatorily, aiding sleep (like hibernation with core temp drop for deep NREM/REM).
- Avoid cold plunge before bed (body warms up).
Mouth Taping and Nasal Breathing
Nasal breathing promotes parasympathetic system. Train diaphragm daytime with mouth tape. Avoid nighttime mouth taping: subconscious state limits diaphragm capacity (especially back/stomach sleeping), risks apneic episodes if diaphragm weak. Use nasal dilators to enhance nasal airflow instead.
Intentional process. Flykit (CEO Andy, CSO Clayton from Brown sleep lab) includes anti-inflammatory supplements: fish oil, high-dose vitamin B, tart cherry extract. Wore blue light glasses on plane while reading (no screens). Took melatonin at LAX en route to hotel (1 mg effective; ≤3 mg ceiling, avoid 5-10 mg). Use only first 1-2 travel days as phase shifter, then stop.
High doses dangerous: 20 mg caused 2-day brain fog/sedation. Urinary melatonin metabolites 20-30x upper reference in chronic users, causing zombie-like sedation, blocking deep sleep. Removing resolved issues; classic stimulant-sedative cycle.
Extend 20-30 minutes max without circadian stress, balancing sleep homeostat (amount) and circadian system (quality).
- Napping: 20-30 minutes to repay debt.
- If no nap: Bed 30 minutes earlier or wake 30 minutes later, weekly increments for 1-2 weeks, repeat. Ceiling ~2 hours total.
- Physiologically impossible to jump 5→8 hours instantly; gradual (e.g., 6-7 months for soldiers).
- Lab studies (combat mimic): Recovery sleep 45-60 minutes past normal bedtime over 2 weeks/vacation, then
Sleep extension prior to deprivation offsets sleep pressure. Study showed sustained wakefulness from 40 to 62 hours with less decline in cognitive and physical performance due to prior extra sleep. Protocol: sleep an extra hour for 10 days before deprivation. Consequences still occur but drop is less severe. Chronically sleep insufficient individuals drop more.
Personal anecdote: deployed, awake almost 3 days, longest legitimately 2 days outside the wire. Used strategic caffeine dosing, caffeine gum, even tried dipping (disgusting, felt ill with buzz, but sleep deprivation dominated like being drunk).
Historical note: WWII pilots put tobacco in eyes for stimulation.
Military now applies evidence-based DoD science in field; commanders use it for combat effectiveness.
Chronotype determines method: sleep in later (Dr. Brager) or go to bed earlier (host prefers). Sleeping in struggles due to habit; after 400 days waking early, body doesn't adjust overnight, takes weeks.
True extension from 6.5 to 7 hours average requires at least 2 weeks night after night. Restart if schedule changes. Everyone can achieve it with time; failures from impatience (e.g., 'tried two days, couldn't sleep in'). Physiology needs adjustment time, like building muscle—trust the process.
Youngstown, Ohio produces super athletes: Maurice Clarett, Boom Mancini, Kelly Pavlik. Dr. Brager: first female pole vaulter in Ohio state history, first to compete collegiately, knocked on Olympics door, still active in CrossFit competitions.
Grew up thinking average due to community. High school (Youngstown Boardman): Bernie Kosar attended, strength room had 50 NFL alumni. Graduating class of 711 kids: 60-70 played Division 1 sports (male/female), one near-Olympic swimmer, WNBA player, 3 NFL players with Super Bowl rings. Brother's class had NFL player. Family: great uncle Golden Gloves boxer (refed Mike Tyson fight), other great uncle Lucy linebacker for Giants.
Realized elite status in college. Comparison: host's small rural school (70 kids graduating) had 3-4 college football players total.
Area schools: Warren Harding (Maurice Clarett), Colonel Mooney also produce athletes.
Highest murder rate in country when Dr. Brager sophomore in high school. Mother worked welfare on east side where murders happened. Middle class there is poverty elsewhere; grew up lower middle class.
Sports as ticket out; goal astronaut or athlete (accomplished athlete). LeBron James from area. Sports is king.
Host jokes: grit mentality? Drugging kids? Genetic crispR? Bruce Springsteen song references.
Long friendship through science, academia. Dr. Brager embraces 'meatthead' (her book title).
Show resources: show notes for Dr. Brager's work, book, resources. Subscribe YouTube, Spotify, Apple (5-star reviews). Sponsors essential. Share episodes. Comments on YouTube. Follow Dr. Andy Galpin Instagram/X for science. Newsletter at performpodcast.com (free, no sharing): fitness, V2 max, muscle/strength. Bill Bowerman quote: 'If you have a body, you are an athlete.'
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