Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Sleep Extension featuring Dr. Cheri Mah, MD

Sleep is My Waking Passion

Dr. Cheri D. Mah is a renowned sleep physician and Adjunct Lecturer at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center. With over a decade of experience, her research has focused on the relationship between sleep and performance in elite athletes. Dr. Mah consults with professional teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, including the World Champion Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants, San Jose Sharks, Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, and Toronto Blue Jays.

Her expertise extends to serving on the Nike Performance Council, advising Supermoon Capital, and collaborating with companies like Gatorade, ESPN, Google, and various sleep technology startups. Dr. Mah’s work has been featured in prominent media outlets such as the NY Times, ESPN, NPR, NBC Bay Area, Time, BBC, and the Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Mah is board-certified in Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine, having completed her fellowship at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center and residency at Kaiser San Francisco. She earned her MD from the University of California San Francisco, where she was a research fellow at the UCSF Human Performance Center. Additionally, she holds an MS in Biological Sciences and a BAS dual degree in Biological Sciences and Psychology from Stanford University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa.

In this episode, she shares her research findings on sleep deprivation among athletes and the significant improvements seen when athletes extended their sleep. Dr. Mah provides practical strategies for extending sleep, such as gradual changes, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, and creating a relaxing bedtime routine. She also discusses the impact of sleep on jet lag and offers tips for minimizing its effects. Overall, Dr. Mah highlights the importance of prioritizing sleep for optimal performance and well-being.

You can follow her on social @drcherimah