Sleep Junkies

Using yoga, meditation and a range of complimentary physical therapies, our guest today, integrative sleep therapist and trainer Deidre O'Connor tells the story of her very personal journey to solving her sleep problems. 

Skip to sections:

* 2:51 Introduction

* 4:05 The decision to travel and study yoga in India

* 4:45 Bihar School of Yoga, travelling to Thailand, Buddhist monasteries

* 6:46 How yoga, meditation is conceived in India, contrasted with Western notions

* 8:22 Yoga and meditation, it's not just about the physical practice

* 9:51 Finding value in stillness, savasana

* 11:29 Life changes and the onset of sleep problems

* 12:05 Yoga and meditation couldn't fix the problems

* 13:00 Unconscious thought processes, going deeper to explore the root causes

* 14:32  Going beyond the 'top layers' of stress and anxiety

* 16:05  Trauma: dealing with deep-rooted issues

* 17:01  Diving into the specific practises

* 18:08 Deep pressure weight, weighted blankets, the enteric nervous system, serotonin

* 19:55  Bedtime yoga, calming poses you can do in bed

* 21:48  Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems 

* 23:08 Embodied mindfulness, taming the monkey mind 

* 24:55 Deep breathing, guided breathing exercises, Dr Andrew Weil 

* 26:14 Yoga nidra

* 27:00 Craniosacral therapy, osteopathy

* 28:38 Final thoughts, coming from a place of extraordinary anxiety

This episode’s guest:

Deirdre O'Connor has been exploring, training, teaching yoga for over 20 years. She began at the Bihar School of Yoga in India exploring many different Yoga styles – Hatha, Bhakti, Jhana and Karma Yoga.

She trained further in meditation and Buddhist philosophy, living in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, Thai forest retreat centres and Yogic ashrams in Rishikesh.

In 2013 she created and developed her Deep Sleep Workshops and Trainings, initially in response to her own experience of restless, sleepless nights, and wanting to find a way through them without resorting to sleep medication .  

Resources:

Deep Sleep Clinic Website:  http://www.deepsleepclinic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Deep-Sleep-Clinic-348304698694772/

What is Yoga Nidra?: http://sleepjunkies.com/yoga-nidra-for-sleep/

Craniosacral therapy: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318490.php

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Transcript coming soon

 

From the earliest civilisations to the present day, humans have been fascinated by the many mysteries of dreams and dreaming. But in the 20th century, the discovery of REM sleep kickstarted a new era of scientific enquiry in dream research.

We talk to sleep and dream researcher Dr Antonio Zadra about the history of dream research, from ancient ideas, to the leading modern theories of the function of dreams.

Skip to sections:

* 1:45 Introduction

* 2:30 The lucid dream that inspired Dr Zadra's interest in the field

* 4:38 Dr Zadra's current research interests

* 7:05 Public perceptions of dreaming, dream interpretation

* 9:01 Ancient ideas: dreams as 'messages from the gods'

* 11:02 Dreams as results of 'bodily processes'

* 14:18 Why Freud's ideas were not as original as most people think

* 16:06 The forgotten pioneers of dream research

* 20:50 Jung, archetypes and dreams as collective experiences

* 23:21  Dream symbolism, are dream dictionaries accurate?

* 26:37  Is dream interpretation connected to the function of dreams?

* 32:14  The 20th century and the discovery of REM sleep

* 34:37  Why REM sleep is often associated exclusively with dreaming

* 37:15  An overview of modern theories of the function of dreams

* 37:59  Dreams as a way to solve problems

* 39:00 The threat-simulation theory of dreaming

* 40:00 Dreams as a means to simulate social interactions

* 41:10 Dream as spandrel's, epiphenomena

* 43:06 The overlap between sleep research and dream research

* 44:57 The overwhelming evidence to show that dreams are not random experiences

* 47:11 What does the future hold for dream research?

This episode’s guest:

Dr. Antonio Zadra is currently Full Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Université de Montréal and is a researcher at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine (CARSM). Together with his students and a team of collaborators, he has published over 100 research articles and book chapters on dreams and parasomnias. In addition, Dr. Zadra has given over 160 conference presentations along with dozens of invited talks, including in the United States, Canada, England, Switzerland, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan.

Resources:

Zadra Lab:  https://antoniozadra.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrZdreams

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Transcript coming soon

 

We invited Dr Neil Stanley to take a look at some of the most recent scientific publications from the world of sleep research.With so many discoveries being made in the field we take a look at just four sleep science stories that have crossed into the mainstream press.

We analyse the findings, examine how and why the results are significant and ask what the implications for these new discoveries yields for future findings.

* 1:45 Introduction

* 3:22 Study 1: Adults enjoy better sleep in a rocking bed

* 6:39 Evolutionary biology, sleeping in trees

* 9:43 Explaining sleep spindles

* 13:19 Study 2: New parents face up to six years of sleep deprivation

* 17:44 Do journalists read the actual scientific paper?

* 20:37 Study 3: How exercise can shift a person's body clock

* 26:15 Could exercise be used to help coping with shift work?

* 29:35  Study 4: Some animals do not appear to need sleep

* 39:23  How modern humans are under less stress in evolutionary terms

Here are the links to the four news stories we looked at:

7:20 'Whole-Night Continuous Rocking Entrains Spontaneous Neural Oscillations with Benefits for Sleep and Memory'

Publication: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdfExtended/S0960-9822(18)31662-2

News report: https://digest.bps.org.uk/2019/02/01/rock-a-bye-adult-study-shows-grown-ups-enjoy-better-sleep-and-memory-consolidation-in-a-rocking-bed/

13:15 'Long-term effects of pregnancy and childbirth on sleep satisfaction and duration of first-time and experienced mothers and fathers'

Publication: https://academic.oup.com/sleep/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/sleep/zsz015/5289255

News report: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-parents-may-face-six-years-disrupted-sleep-180971583/

22:25 'Human Circadian Phase‐Response Curves for Exercise'

Publication: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP276943

News report: https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/tps-eim021819.php#

35:42 'Most sleep does not serve a vital function: Evidence from Drosophila melanogaster'

Publication: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/2/eaau9253

News report: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/02/scientists-say-every-animal-needs-sleep-these-fruit-flies-didn-t-get-memo?

This episode’s guest:

Dr Neil Stanley

Dr Neil Stanley has been been involved in sleep research for over 30 years, and describes himself plain and simply as a ‘sleep expert’.

Dr Stanley’s website – www.sleepconsultancy.com

How To Sleep Well book – https://amzn.to/2PjTZfl

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Transcript to follow

Timeshifter is new app for treating jet lag based on research using timed-light exposure to shift your circadian rhythms quickly into your new time zone. We speak to CEO Mickey Beyer-Clausen about the first science-based integrative solution to effectively treat the symptoms of jetlag.

Skip to highlights

* 03:14 Introducing Mickey Beyer-Clausen  

* 05:24 The significant consequences of jet lag for business and vacations 

* 08:07 Common myths, hacks and misconceptions about jet lag

* 08:24 Why generic solutions for jet lag don't work - it has to be personalized

* 10:41 There are little bits of truth in many jet lag solutions, but not the whole truth

* 12:29 Meeting Dr Steven Lockley of Harvard Medical School - 'a real gift'

* 15:10 Dr Lockley's work with elite athletes, NASA astronauts and Formula 1 drivers

* 16:32 Timed light exposure - the basic science behind the Timeshifter app

* 20:46 The 'magical' effects of timed light exposure

* 24:01 Using melatonin to treat jet lag with Timeshifter

* 28:38 Energy level components in Timeshifter - caffeine, power-napping

* 32:18 Everyone else is doing it wrong... 

* 34:32 The fun element of Timeshifting

* 39:32 Walkthrough of the Timeshifter app

* 42:40 'This is not a gimmick'...

* 44:35 The future - a platform for circadian shifting

Commercial jet travel has been around since the 1950's. But as well as revolutionising the way humans were able to traverse the globe, it brought an unforeseen consequence - jet lag.

Jet lag is a physiological condition that arises from the disruption to our circadian rhythms when travelling east to west across different time zones. For 200,000 years, humans have evolved to live in synchrony with the natural 24 hour cycle of day and night.

When these cycles are disrupted, for instance by crossing the globe to the other side of the world, it plays havoc with our health, causing an array of problems, not just to our sleep, but also digestion, hormone regulation, body temperature, cognitive function and many other factors.

Despite all of the progress we've made in science and medicine in the last , up until now, there's never been a reliable, effective treatment for travellers to combat jet lag, and people have relied on hacks and tricks to mitigate the effects, for instance with sleeping pills, staying awake, or just attempting to power through the debilitating symptoms of fatigue and circadian disruption.

However, in today's podcast we talk to an entrepreneur who has teamed up with one of the world's leading scientists in combating the effects of jet lag. Together they have developed a new app, Timeshifter, which is based on decades of research into how timed light exposure can be used to shift an individual's body clock.

We talk to Timeshifter CEO Mickey Beyer-Clausen about the science behind the app,  based on the work of co-founder Dr Steven Lockley, a pioneer in sleep science and circadian biology.

This Episode's Guest

Mickey Beyer-Clausen , co-founder and CEO of Timeshifter

Mickey Beyer-Clausen is a Danish-born, New York-based serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. In the ’90s, he was one of the first to launch successful Internet businesses and today he's building companies around innovations that have the potential to improve the human or planetary condition. Mickey is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Timeshifter, which is building a platform for circadian shifting to solve major performance and health challenges with an initial focus on jet lag.

Resources:

Website: https://www.timeshifter.com/

2012 NY Times Article about light and jet lag:  h...

An in-depth conversation with licensed naturopathic doctor Josh Corn about using natural medicine to treat sleep problems. We discuss different herbs and supplements, dispel some of the myths about naturopathy and why public perceptions are often wrong.

Prefer to read? Download the full episode transcript here

Skip to highlights

* 03:23 Introducing Dr Josh Corn

* 04:59 Dr Josh Corn's training and research background 

* 06:10 What is a naturopath? How does naturopathy fit into the wider world of medicine and healthcare

* 08:10 How and why natural medicine treats the 'whole patient'

* 09:20 Why the Wikipedia description of naturopathy is fake news

* 14:50 Why sometimes a naturopathic doctor will prescribe big pharma medications

* 16:30 The intersection between naturopathy, ancient medicine, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine

* 18:40 Dealing with critics and skeptics

* 20:28 The main distinction between natural sleep supplements and herbs and pharmaceutical meds/ sleeping pills

* 25:44 Diagnosing sleep disorders and working alongside sleep specialists

* 27:30 How to choose over the counter sleep supplements, herbs

* 29:44 Social media, advertising, regulation and the problems in choosing and buying supplements  

* 32:26 Melatonin for sleep, issues with dosages

* 34:14 Medicinal cannabis for sleep

* 37:30 Valerian root for sleep

* 39:43 Passion flower for sleep

* 40:43 Ashwaganda for sleep

* 43:07 Chamomile for sleep

* 44:04 Hops for sleep

* 46:33 Kava for sleep

* 50:10 Magnesium for sleep

* 52:33Phosphatidyl serine for sleep

* 54:44 5-HTP for sleep

* 56:08 General guidelines for choosing herbs and supplements for sleep

Dr Josh Corn is a licensed naturopathic doctor and in this episode he tells us about the types of herbs and supplements he uses to treat patients he sees with sleep issues.

Dr Corn works as a primary care provider in the state of Oregon and graduated from National University of Natural Medicine, the oldest accredited naturopathic medical university in North America and a leader in natural medicine education and evidence-based research.

As well as discussing some of the most common natural, plant based sleep remedies, including valerian, passionflower, ashwagandha, chamomile, hops, we talk about the wider perceptions of naturopathy, the philosophy of treating the patient's wellbeing as a whole, and the differences between traditional medical care providers and naturopathy.

This Episode's Guest

Dr Josh Corn Instagram @dr.joshcorn

Dr Josh Corn is a licensed naturopathic doctor, natural medicine researcher and public speaker from Portland Oregon. Dr Corn graduated graduated from the National College of Natural Medicine with a Master of Science in Integrative Medicine Research. He uses botanical medicine, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and lifestyle medicine to help patients achieve their health goals.

Resources

Website: https://www.drjoshcorn.com/

Instagram: @dr.joshcorn 

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians: https://www.naturopathic.org/

Examine.com

More about natural sleep remedies: http://sleepjunkies.com/natural-remedies/

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Full Transcript

A practical guide to optimising your sleep and circadian biology with light exposure in the day and blocking blue light at night. We talk to Thaddeus Owen, the Primal Hacker about blue light blocking glasses, getting naked outdoors in the morning and lots more.

Prefer to read? Download the full episode transcript here

Skip to highlights

* 1:44 What is biohacking?

* 4:57 Dave Asprey and modifying your biology

* 6:20 The pivotal moment when Thaddeus decided to pursue a life of optimal health

* 9:00 Primal Hacker: combining cutting edge science and ancestral health

* 10:32 Jumping into ice-holes, cold adaptation and cryotherapy

* 13:23 Thaddeus' TED Talk on light hacking

* 15:04 Light hack #1: getting sun exposure in the morning

* 16:15 How morning sunlight stimulates hormone and neurotransmitter production

* 17:40 How morning sunlight preconditions your skin to withstand ultraviolet light 

* 20:40 New research which shows there are photoreceptors in the skin

* 21:30 How to be naked in the sun, even in a busy urban environment 

* 22:51 Lux levels, indoor vs outdoor light intensity

* 26:22 Using consumer light therapy technology, Retimer glasses

* 31:07 How morning sunlight acts as a 'brake' for melaton  

* 33:48 How do I get natural light if I work indoors all day?

* 37:30 Why do we need to block out blue light at night?

* 40:35 Blue blockers; wearing at night vs wearing in the day

* 43:50 Blue light blocking apps and software for laptops, phones and tablets

* 45:18 F.lux vs Iris - pros and cons 

* 48:15 How to choose a pair of blue-blocking glasses

* 50:41 BPI 550 tint glasses

* 52:51 Recommended brands for best blue blocking glasses

* 54:32 How to check if your glasses are blocking the right wavelengths

* 56:51 How to create a blackout in your bedroom at night

* 59:27 Thoughts on smart lighting/circadian lighting for the home

* 01:01:46 Summing up: Light is free. It doesn't have to be complicated.

For 200,000 years, human physiology has adapted to live in sync with the daily cycle of night and day.

And natural light is the most important environmental cue that helps to synchronise our biology to the 24 hour, or circadian rhythm.

But in the 21st century, artificial lighting, technology and 24/7 society has separated us from nature, and as a result, many of us, as a result of spending too much time indoors, too much time in front of screens, or staying up too light, suffer the health consequences of disrupting our circadian rhythms.

In today's podcast we talk to biohacker Thaddeus Owen, who for the last 12 years has been studying, and implementing ways to achieve optimal health, including using the latest research into how light affects our physiology and our sleep.

In this episode we go in-depth into explaining some practical ways to improve your sleep health, and general well-being with 'light hacking' including:

* tips and strategies for achieving optimal sunlight exposure in the morning and throughout the day

* how sunlight contains information that triggers hormone production at different times during the day

* how to choose the best pair of blue light blocking glasses

* comparing blue light blocking apps like F.lux and Iris

and lots more. We hope you enjoy the episode!

This Episode's Guest

Thaddeus Owen - @PrimalHacker

Thaddeus Owen is the co-founder or PrimalHacker.com. A certified Bulletproof Coach from the first ever class of coaches,

We talk to clinical child psychologist Professor Michael Gradisar of Flinders University in Australia about his new book which looks at evidence-based techniques and strategies to help school age children with insomnia, parasomnias and other sleep problems.

Prefer to read? Download the full episode transcript here

Episode Highlights

* 02:04 Introducing Professor Michael Gradisar

* 03:44 Dr Leon Lack and Flinders University history of sleep education

* 05:38 Specialising in sleep interventions for school age children

* 08:36 What types of sleep problems do school age kids experience? 

* 11:30 What is 'normal' sleep for school age kids, and when is it 'problematic'?

* 14:39 Sleep hygiene basics for children, caffeine and soft drinks 

* 15:59 More sleep hygiene tips: naps, sleep routines, technology

* 17:53 Screen time, blue light and sleep: why the associations are not as obvious as you might think

* 22:09 How do you decide when it's a good time to put your child to bed?

* 24:32 Chronotype, and why all kids' sleep need are different

* 27:07 Sleep restriction therapy - does it work for children?

* 33:25 Bedtime restriction therapy for kids, what is it?

* 36:13 Recognising the similarity in sleep deprivation and ADHD symptoms

* 39:29 Should parents give their kids melatonin?

* 41:11  How to find ways to get kids to voice their bedtime worries

* 46:28 Why do kids get anxious before bedtime?

* 50:14 What are child's parasomnias?

* 53:34 What's the difference between nightmares and night terrors?

* 55:57 Evidence-based techniques for dealing with childhood parasomnias

* 58:05 The difference between childhood and adolescent sleep problems

* 01:00:04 More about the book, Helping Your Child with Sleep Problems: A self-help guide for parents

New parents are inundated with advice on nurturing their newborn, including hundred of blogs, forums, and books dealing with every aspect of managing your baby's sleep.

But once past the infant and toddler years, sleep tends to become more manageable as routines ingrain themselves and habits become established.

However, for many children sleep problems persist beyond the early years into school age and when this happens, help can be harder to find.

Our guest for this episode of our podcast is the esteemed Professor Michael Gradisar who has a wealth of experience in dealing with the sleep problems of babies, children and adolescents in both clinical practice and research.

Discussing his new book, we talk to the professor about some of the evidence-based techniques he and his team have developed to help hundreds of children and their parents cope with sleep issues such as bedtime separation anxiety, insomnia, night-terrors and bedwetting.

This Episode's Guest

Michael Gradisar is a Professor in Clinical Child Psychology and the director of the Child & Adolescent Sleep Clinic at Flinders University, Australia.

Dr. Gradisar has specialized in the treatment of pediatric sleep problems since 2006 and has over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Resources

Book - https://www.amazon.com/Helping-Your-Child-Sleep-Problems/dp/1472138724

Faculty page - https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/michael.gradisar

Professor Gradisar's Clinic -

A new report looks at the widespread impact of daylight saving time and how circadian disruptions affect every aspect of our sleep and health. We talk to lead author, Dr Miguel Meira e Cruz about the scientific consensus that's building about the harmful effects of DST.

Episode Highlights

*

02:45 Introducing Dr Miguel Meira e Cruz

*

04:13 Recent proposals to abolish Daylight Saving Time (DST)

*

06:11 The origins and history of Daylight Saving Time

*

09:33 Sleep is only one of the many  functions affected by DST

*

11:27 How DST impacts on  sleep loss and circadian disruption

*

12:24 The difficulty of making associations between DST and sleep loss

*

13:45 Why sleep-related road traffic accidents are worse than drunk driving accidents

*

14:52 Does DST affect ethical decision making?

*

16:27 Why DST is not the same as jet-lag

*

20:14 The emerging field of circadian medicine

*

22:52 Chronopharmacology - the importance of taking medicines at the right time

*

25:10 Why permanent standard (winter) time is the appropriate time to maintain

Last year, the European Union proposed putting a permanent end to Daylight Saving Time (DST), the twice yearly practice of changing the clocks in order to maximise the amount of daylight during longer winter evenings.

But apart from the discussion around the economic advantages or disadvantages of DST, there's been little public debate, or enquiry into what's arguably a much more important factor - the widespread health impacts of disrupting our circadian clocks twice a year.

The most obvious impact of DST is how it affects our sleep patterns. And indeed, studies have suggested many associations between fatigue related accidents and reduced cognitive functions around the time of the clocks changing.

However, new research, in the field of circadian medicine is revealing that widespread circadian disruptions such as those caused by daylight saving time could be having a far wider impact on our health than previously thought.

In this episode we speak to researcher and sleep scientist Professor Miguel Meira e Cruz about a new report he has co-authored which examines the many detrimental effects of daylight saving time on our circadian timing system.

This Episode's Guest

Dr Miguel Meira e Cruz

Dr Miguel Meira e Cruz is an academic researcher, professor and coordinator of the postgraduate course in Chronobiology and Sleep Medicine at CESPU, Porto, Lisbon. He is an affiliate of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory of the Cardiovascular Center, University of Lisbon, where he coordinates the sleep unit. 

Resources

Website: http://miguelmeiracruz.com/me.html

Link to study on DST impact: https://www.ejinme.com/article/S0953-6205(19)30013-5/abstract

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CBT-I is a cognitive and behavioral-based therapy that is rapidly becoming a first line treatment for insomnia around the world. We ask psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Lindsay Browning to explain what CBT-I is, how it works, and why it's so effective.

Prefer to read? Download the full episode transcript here

Skip to highlights

* 02:04 introduction to Dr Lindsay Browning

* 03:51 the importance of a checking a sleep expert's credentials

* 08:49 the difference between counselling and cognitive therapy

* 11:19 intentional bias and how negative thoughts influence reinforce negative behaviors

* 15:00 how CBT-I has replaced sleeping pills as a recommended first-line treatment for insomnia

* 18:10 different CBT-I delivery systems: therapist, group therapy, online, self-directed

* 21:55 CBT-I group therapy vs one-to-one- therapy

* 23:45 explaining how a typical CBT-I therapy session works

* 26:22  completing a sleep diary

* 28:47 can you use a sleep tracker when doing CBT-I

* 32:35 behavorial recommendations and sleep restriction

* 34:45 Pavlov's dog and classical conditioning

* 41:55 stimulus control

* 44:34 CBT-I is not a magic bullet 

* 45:42 cognitive aspects of CBT-I

* 49:54 keeping a bedside journal to clear your thoughts before bedtime

* 53:16 how long does a course of CBT-I last?

CBT-I  (cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia) has in recent years become a first line recommended treatment in many countries for treating sleep problems that would have previously been tackled with prescription meds.

The reason for the rise in popularity of CBT-I is that studies have repeatedly shown positive, lasting effects that when patients successfully complete a course of treatment.

CBTI combines a suite of psychological and behavorial tools and techniques, and is designed to challenge the negative thought patterns associated with insomnia, and introduce behavorial changes to reduce the anxieties associated with sleep.

For this episode we talked to Chartered Psychologist and sleep therapist, Dr Lindsay Browning all about CBT-I, how it works, what a typical CBT-I treatment plan looks like, plus lots more.

This Episode's Guest:

Dr Lindsay Browning

Dr Lindsay Browning is a neuroscientist and sleep consultant from the UK with a Doctorate (DPhil) from the University of Oxford, an MSc. in Neuroscience and a BSc. in Psychology.

Having realised that there was a desperate need for help for people suffering from insomnia she founded Trouble Sleeping in 2006.

Dr Browning is a Chartered Psychologist, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a member of the British Sleep Society and a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Resources:

Trouble Sleeping - https://troublesleeping.co.uk/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/DrBrowningSleep

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/DrBrowningSleep/

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/DrBrowning/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DrBrowningSleep

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Full transcript

Jeff Mann: 00:08 Welcome to the Sleep Junkies podcast. My name's Jeff and I'm the founder and the editor of sleepjunkies.com. And at Sleep Junkies we cover the whole conversation on sleep,

Exploring the science and practice of power napping with sports physician Kasper Janssen. We look at the physical and cognitive benefits of napping and explain the practical steps how to manage naps at work and in your fitness regime.

Prefer to read? Download the full episode transcript here

Episode Highlights

* 3:04 introducing Dr Kasper Janssen

* 5:38 myths and misconceptions about napping

* 6:12 the different cultures of napping round the world

* 6:47 how siesta culture is dying out

* 8:59 naps, consolidated sleep, biphasic sleep and polyphasic sleep

* 11:01 'shifting gears' - recognizing alertness throughout the day

* 14:53 is polyphasic sleep good for you?

* 18:01 20 minute power naps for mental recovery

* 20:21 power naps for increased memory, learning and prodcutivity

* 24:15 'full cycle' 90 minute naps, growth hormone and phsyical recovery

* 25:16 power naps for young parents and shift workers

* 27:45 do you need to sleep when you nap?

* 30:07 conditions when napping is NOT recommended

* 32:28 napping - why practise make perfect

* 34:16 how to plan your nap at work

* 35:55 Kasper's 7-step recipe for executing the perfect power nap 

* 38:15 Why your car is the perfect power nap location

* 40:15 how to time your power nap 

* 41:31 consumer sleep technology to help with power napping, Luuna Mask

* 43:26 tips for using power naps in your sports and fitness training

* 45:46 why sleep cycles are not always 90 minutes

* 46:52 Kasper's book , The Power Nap Paradox

In the 21st century, napping is making a resurgence. A mounting body of research is slowly starting to counter the age-old stigmas that napping is something fit only for pre-schoolers, the elderly, or the work-shy.

Some of the world's biggest companies like Google are embracing this sleep science as a means of boosting productivity, creative thinking, memory, cognition and combatting the general effects of fatigue in the workplace.

In addition, the world of elite sports is starting to understand how longer naps can be used to stimulate additional recovery in the daytime, allowing for more flexible training schedules.

In this episode we talk with power nap specialist Dr Kasper Janssen, a sports doctor who has in recent years began to focus his efforts in teaching and coaching both companies and athletes about the benefits and practicalities of doing napping the right way.

This Episode's Guest:

Dr Kasper Janssen, sports physician and power nap specialist

Kasper Janssen is a sports physician, researcher, speaker and power nap specialist from the Netherlands. He has worked with several sports federations in recent years, including as a doctor for the rowing team at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 . He also owns Nap @ work, which advises companies and gives workshops on utilizing power naps at work and is the author of The Powernap Paradox (currently only available in Dutch)

Resources:

Nap at Work - http://napatwork.nl/

Book - The Powernap Paradox - http://www.powernapparadox.nl/

Twitter - @KasperJanssen  https://twitter.com/kasperjanssen

10 science backed reasons for napping - http://sleepjunkies.com/science-of-napping/