Sleep4Performance Podcast

In this episode, I talk with Professor John Lesku  John is interested in most things related to sleep.  Using behavioural observations, accelerometry for remote monitoring, and neurophysiological recording techniques, he seeks to provide insight into how sleep and sleep functions have evolved in different types of animals, from flatworms to birds and mammals.  He also studies how ecological factor...

In this episode, I meet with Carissa Gardiner. Carissa is a PhD candidate within the Sports Performance, Recovery, Injury, and New Technologies (SPRINT) Research Centre at the Australian Catholic University. Her research is focused on the relationship between caffeine and sleep. This episode discusses her recent publication: Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke LM, Roach GD, Sargent C, Maniar N, Townshend...

Having completed her PhD in the area of adolescent sleep in 2018, Dr Alex Agostini is interested in researching the associations between sleep and health in all ages. This ranges from investigating the relationships between sleep and growth in children and adolescents through to assessing whether coping mechanisms and dietary intakes are associated with shift working populations. Alex is also pass...

In this episode, I talk with my new friend Dr. Anne Aulsebrook. We continue our journey on learning about birds and sleep and discuss many fascinating topics. The peculiar mating practices and attraction with sleep loss in sandpiper birds   Dr. Anne Aulsebrook is a behavioral ecologist interested in activity patterns and sleep. During her PhD, she investigated the effects of urban light pollution...

In this episode, I talk with my friend Jonathan Charest from Calgary, Canada. Jonathan is a native of Quebec, Canada and is a crazy Ice Hockey fan. In this episode, we discuss Jonathan’s latest paper. Associations between time zone changes travel distance and performance: A retrospective analysis of 2013–2020 National Hockey League Data by Charest, Jonathan et al. published in the Journal of Scien...

In this episode, I talk to Professor Theresa Jones. Her main area of research is in the field of behavioural ecology, with a particular focus on understanding the causes and consequences of variability in mating systems, the role of chemical cues, and, most recently, the impact of artificial night lighting on individual fitness and community structure. She completed an undergraduate at the Imperia...

This is a reading of a blog on our website entitled "Mouth taping and sleep apnea, shut your mouth about shutting your mouth." https://sleep4performance.com/mouth-taping-and-sleep-apnea-shut-your-mouth-about-shutting-your-mouth/ Contact me at iandunican@sleep4performance.com.au or www.sleep4performance.com.au and check out the YouTube channel. Check out our sponsor LMNT. Click on the link to order...

In this episode, I sit down with James Hewitt. James is a human performance scientist with a passion for making complex science digestible and practical. He established this site to share evidence-based, actionable insights from his 15+ years of work and research with some of the most demanding and high-performing clients. https://jameshewittperformance.com/ We discuss; developing healthy, sustain...

Changes in reindeer sleep regulation across the year: a central role for rumination? In this episode, I am joined by Melanie Furrer, who recently presented her study on sleep in reindeer. Most non-hibernating animals maintain daily “circadian ”rhythms of sleep across the year, as well as “homeostatic” sleep-wake patterns in which increasing time awake is followed by increased sleep amount or inten...

A brief 10-minute meditation for our sleep4performance listeners led by Alexis Santos, a meditation teacher. https://www.alexissantos.io/ Please do not listen while operating machinery, driving or undertaking any safety-critical role. This mediation is designed to support having a nap or initiating sleep in a safe, comfortable environment. Sleep Well!!!! Ian 

Today I am joined by Alexis Santos. Alexis has been in the field of mindfulness and meditation since 2001. After graduating from Harvard University in 1995, he spent several years in medical school before leaving his chosen doctor career to seek a different path. It was while travelling in India that he was introduced to insight meditation. Since that time, Alexis has practised in many meditative...

Today I am joined by Dr Cassie Hilditch from San José State University Research Foundation. In this episode, we will be discussing Cassie's work around sleep inertia.  Some of Cassie's papers  Hilditch CJ, Arsintescu L, Gregory KB, Flynn-Evans EE. Mitigating fatigue on the flight deck: how is controlled rest used in practice? Chronobiol Int. 2020 Sep-Oct;37(9-10):1483-1491. doi: 10.1080/07420528.2...

Hailey is a psychologist and research scientist internationally certified in behavioural sleep medicine. She practices clinically at St Vincent’s Hospital Sleep Centre in Melbourne, predominantly working with clients experiencing insomnia. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne and is completing her research PhD at Monash University with Dr Melinda Jackson. Her PhD focus...

This is a reading of a blog on our Melius Consulting website https://meliusconsulting.com.au/understanding-the-sleep-of-ultra-marathon-swimmers-guidance-for-coaches-swimmers/   and Sleep4performance https://sleep4performance.com/understanding-the-sleep-of-ultra-marathon-swimmers-guidance-for-coaches-swimmers/ Contact me at iandunican@sleep4performance.com.au or  www.sleep4performance.com.au , and...

Dean of Research  UniSA Justice & Society Jill Dorrian is a Professor in Psychology with a PhD in sleep and chronobiology research and a Master of Biostatistics. From the beginning of her PhD, Jill conducted laboratory and field studies with a consistent focus on collaboration and translation. Her PhD and early post-doctoral work were supported by the Australian Shiftwork and Workload Consortium,...

In this episode with Ashley Montero, we discuss his recent paper. Sleep and mental health are important aspects of human health that work concurrently. However, sleep and mental health disorders are often overlooked and undiagnosed in sports due to the negative stigma associated with them. Evidence suggests that athletes are disproportionately affected by mental health issues and sleep problems. I...

Nicola Barclay, PhD, is a Sleep Scientist and Psychologist, with extensive experience of sleep research, research design, big data and education.  She was a Lecturer in Sleep Medicine at the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, University of Oxford from 2016 to 2021, training clinicians in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of sleep and circadian disorders. Prior to this appointment, N...

This is a reading of a blog posted on our Melius Consulting website entitled " Rapid Eye Movement Behaviour Disorder in Combat and Contact Sport Athletes, Implications for Athletes"  You can read the full article with references here https://sleep4performance.com/rapid-eye-movement-behaviour-disorder-in-combat-and-contact-sport-athletes-implications-for-athletes/   Contact me at iandunican@sleep4p...

In this episode, I meet with my new friend Aaron Bezzina. I found Aaron's latest research on LinkedIn and invited him on the podcast. Aaron is a PhD candidate at the University of Newcastle and an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD).  In 2020 Aaron commenced his PhD candidature at the University of Newcastle, researching workplace wellness initiatives' effects on health attitudes and behaviours...

This is a reading of a blog posted on our Melius Consulting website entitled "Prolonged mask use in safety-critical roles and its potential impact on fatigue" You can read the full article with references here  https://meliusconsulting.com.au/prolonged-mask-use-in-safety-critical-roles-and-its-potential-impact-on-fatigue/ Contact me at iandunican@sleep4performance.com.au or  www.sleep4performance....

In this episode, I speak to Liv Knowles about her research. Specifically, we discuss the lack of research in female athletes and why that may be. We also discuss the impact of sleep loss on physical performance and why your legs may give way before anything else. Check out some of Liv’s papers and writing. Knowles OE, Drinkwater EJ, Urwin CS, Lamon S, Aisbett B. Inadequate sleep and muscle strengt...

In this episode of the Combat Sports Series, I am joined by Dean Amasinger, Technical Director of the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai China. Dean joins us today via a lockdown in Shanghai where he has chosen to stay lockdown within the Performance Institute. Dean is a former MMA fighter https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/14113-dean-amasinger-renegade who competed in The Ultimate F...

In this episode I chat with Madeline Sprajcer about her recent paper on "How effective are Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS)?" In this episode, Madeline and I tackle the subject of FRMS in industry settings. We go through Madeline's background, education and other interests. Her interest in history and her new work investigating fatigue risk in new parents.   Reference: Sprajcer M, Thomas MJW...

Dr Shane Creado is a double board-certified sleep medicine doctor and psychiatrist. He practices functional sleep medicine, integrative psychiatry, and sports psychiatry, putting all those skills together to uncover underlying factors that sabotage the patients, comprehensively treat them, and help them achieve their goals. He completed an undergraduate degree in physical therapy, went on to do an...

John Caldwell is an experimental psychologist with over 30 years of experience conducting and directing stress, sleep, fatigue, pharmacological, and performance/safety research. He has presented an array of sleep-and-fatigue-management and related courses for organizations to include the National Sleep Foundation, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Swiss Aviation Safety Office, the Colo...