Season 1, Episode 11 Guest: Dr. Meeta Singh

In this episode we explore the science and the incredible power of sleep with international authority, Dr. Meeta Singh. Dr. Singh is also a performance consultant for professional sports including Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, Pro Football Hall of Fame and many others. Tom and Meeta review the critical aspects of sleep including:

• the need for sleep,
• its impact on mental and physical performance,
• dementia, and
• the value of naps.

Key messages about the incredible power of sleep:

• Quality sleep promotes clearance of harmful toxins that build up through the day, reducing the risk for dementia.
• We can best cope with stressors when our bodies are well rested. Sleep is a reset button to help us face the stressors of the following day.
• You need 7-9 hours of sleep to function well.
• Naps can help meet the number of hours of sleep you need but it is not advisable too close to bedtime.
• When sleep deprived, caffeine can help with alertness and making decisions faster, but the quality of decisions may not improve (i.e., we may simply “make bad decisions faster”).
• You are less effective in general if you are sleep deprived.
• Less than 6 hours are likely to result in deficits in behavior.