The Performance Sleep Podcast

Nurse practitioner and men’s wellness clinic owner Rafael Akabundo goes to bed at 7:30 p.m. and wakes at 3:00 a.m. His point isn’t that everyone should do the same. It’s that consistency matters.

Rafael is also a former Division I linebacker. He and host Nate Cangemi cover:

• How sleep connects to testosterone, recovery, and performance
• Why firefighters and shift workers face a harder sleep problem
• Why he nearly stopped drinking after seeing what even one drink did to his sleep
• How he uses sauna to wind down at night
• What Division I curfews taught him about protecting rest
• Why preparing tomorrow tonight makes it easier to go to bed on time

The Performance Sleep Podcast is hosted by Nate Cangemi, certified sleep science coach and owner of Golden Dreams Mattress in Carlsbad, CA. Each episode features a health, wellness, or athletic professional talking about sleep and recovery.

Book a private sleep consultation: goldendreamsmattress.com

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about sleep concerns or hormone treatment.

What if improving your performance startswith something you do before you ever step into the gym?

In this episode of the Sleep PerformancePodcast, Nate Cangemi sits down with Cedric Brown, a coach at the Bermuda Club and former Navy servicemember, to explore why sleep has become one of the most important parts of his training, recovery, and daily performance.

Cedric shares how he structures his lifearound sleep including going to bed around 8:00 to 8:30 PM and waking around 4AM, so he can work early, train jiu-jitsu, and still have the energy to performthroughout the day.

The conversation goes beyond simply getting“enough” sleep. Cedric explains why he works backwards from his commitments, how he manages different sleep schedules with his partner, and why smallimprovements can make a meaningful difference over time.

They also discuss:

• Why sleep is one of Cedric’s firstquestions when working with training clients
• The three pillars of movement, nutrition, and recovery
• How sleep tracking helped Cedric recognize the impact of alcohol on his sleep
• What his Navy experience taught him about sleeping whenever and whereverpossible
• Why consistent bedtimes and routines matter
• How different chronotypes can affect couples with different schedules
• Why small daily improvements can be more realistic than trying to changeeverything at once

If you're interested in sleep optimization,fitness recovery, athletic performance, sleep habits, or building a bettersleep routine, this conversation offers a practical look at how onehigh-performing coach makes sleep a priority.

Watch the full episode, then share in thecomments:

What is one small change you could make to improve your sleep?

Subscribe to the Sleep Performance Podcastfor more conversations about sleep, health, wellness, and performance.

#SleepPerformance #SleepOptimization#SleepHealth #FitnessRecovery #SleepRoutine

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 – Why Sleep Is the Foundation ofHealth
00:53 – Meet Coach Cedric Brown
02:11 – From the Navy to Personal Training
04:05 – The Sleep Routine of a High Performer
05:17 – Why Cedric Works Backwards From His Wake-Up Time
07:06 – Building a Better Sleep Environment
08:18 – Small Changes That Can Improve Sleep
09:09 – Prioritizing Sleep Around the Life You Want
10:01 – When Couples Have Different Sleep Schedules
11:15 – Sleep as a Pillar of Recovery
12:46 – Sleep Before Biohacking
14:34 – What the Navy Taught Cedric About Sleep
15:30 – How Sleep Tracking Changed His Habits
16:54 – The Connection Between Alcohol and Sleep
18:10 – Using Sleep Data to Spot Patterns
19:20 – Sleep, Jiu-Jitsu, Injuries & Performance
20:11 – Why Consistent Bedtimes Matter
21:03 – Small Daily Improvements to Better Sleep