#90 - Sleep as Fuel for Athletes with Dr. Cheri Mah

This interview podcast features sleep scientist Dr. Cheri Mah discussing her research on sleep and athletic performance. The podcast begins with an introduction to Dr. Mah's impressive background and then delves into her research, focusing on a study showing significant performance improvements in Stanford basketball players after a period of sleep extension (9% improvement in free throws and three-pointers, faster reaction and sprint times). Dr. Mah details common sleep issues among athletes (racing minds, post-game physiological wind-down challenges, and sleep apnea) and introduces the Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire, a tool for assessing sleep health. Finally, she offers practical sleep strategies for athletes, emphasizing the importance of optimizing sleep environments and developing consistent wind-down routines to improve performance and longevity. The podcast concludes with contact information for Dr. Mah.