Dr. Allison Brager: Optimizing Sleep, Ep. 77

Dr. Allison Brager is an Army neuroscientist, CrossFit Games athlete, and sleep specialist. Her career bridges the gap between rigorous scientific research and high-level athletic performance.

Dr. Brager is currently a GHOST fellow at the US Special Operations Command headquarters. Prior to that, she served as the Deputy Chief Science Officer at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, where she worked on evaluation and R&D projects focused on the assessment and selection courses for Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psy Ops. 

She has received two NIH National Research Service Awards and a National Academies of Sciences fellowship, which recognize her groundbreaking work on physiological resilience to extreme stress.

Her PhD focus was around sleep science, and she now sits on fatigue management and neuroenhancement working groups through NATO, US Special Operations Command, the Office of the Army Surgeon General, and inter-government (DoD, NASA, FAA, NHTSA, NIH) collaborations. 

Allison’s expertise in sleep, particularly under extreme conditions, and her unique ability to apply her scientific knowledge to enhance athletic performance make her a valuable asset to the military and the broader scientific community. She is also the author of Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain, which explores the intersection of neuroscience and athleticism.

As a final note, Allison squeezed in this call between a two-day human performance conference and a trip to NASA, and she works all day in a highly secure building where she can’t do phone calls, so we had to do this call with her outside. So, there might be a bit of background noise.

Dr. Brager's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/docjockzzz

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-brager-80a58210/

Timestamps:

00:00:21 Introduction to Allison Brager

00:02:06 NASA Assessment and Selection

00:03:06 Checklist of Skill Sets Necessary for NASA Selection

00:05:40 Significance of Working With People on the Worst Days of Their Lives

00:09:02 What Does Allison’s Career Look Like?

00:12:32 Allison's Role at Walter Reed

00:14:20 What Could Someone Currently on Deployment Learn From Allison’s Studies?

00:15:54 Is the Time You Wake Up or the Time You Go to Sleep More Impactful?

00:16:45 Importance of Early Morning Sunlight Exposure

00:17:47 Studies Done on Circadian Rhythm in Caves Without Daylight Cues

00:18:38 Shifts in Circadian Rhythm Without Sunset Exposure

00:19:53 Artificial Light in a Subterranean Setting

00:21:03 What is Something Critical About Sleep That Most People Get Wrong?

00:24:06 Sponsor Note: Coaching Mentoring Program

00:24:52 How to Use Caffeine Strategically Throughout the Day

00:29:25 How to Know Your Caffeine Metabolizer Type Without Testing

00:32:49 Genetic Set Points with Variability

00:34:26 Why Does LSU Have So Many Good Football Players?

00:36:43 Recruiting SOF Candidates With the Moneyball Approach

00:37:47 Military Recruiting Crisis

00:38:24 How Does Alcohol Affect Sleep?

00:40:41 Consequences of Disruptive Sleep From Alcohol

00:41:37 Shift Work Effects On the Body and What You Can Do About It

00:42:30 Mitigating the Negative Impact of Shift Work

00:43:23 Simulating the Circadian Rhythm Cues Artificially

00:43:54 Sleep Aids Other Than Pharmaceuticals 

00:44:54 How to Use Valerian Root Effectively for Sleep

00:45:25 Melatonin On Testosterone Production and Uses for Sleep

00:47:27 Negative Effects of Over-Use of Melatonin Supplements

00:48:08 Outro