Sleep for Performance with Martin I. Jones

In This EpisodeSleep is probably affecting your performance more than you think. In this episode, Martin I. Jones, performance psychologist and sleep specialist, explains how to spot sleep debt with a quick yes-or-no checklist and why most people underestimate the damage poor sleep does to focus, mood, and recovery. He breaks down the science of REM, non-REM, sleep pressure, and circadian rhythm in a way that is easy to apply, challenges the myth that everyone needs exactly 8 hours, and shares practical tools to improve sleep quality, from caffeine timing and bedroom setup to journaling, mindfulness, and cognitive techniques that actually work.Guest, Cast and CrewMartin I. Jones is a performance psychologist and sleep specialist with more than 20 years of experience supporting performers across sport, military, and corporate settings. Martin has postgraduate degrees in sport and exercise psychology (MSc and PhD) from Loughborough University and Sleep Medicine (MSc) from the University of Oxford, and has authored or co-authored more than 50 publications. Following a career in academia, Martin forged a new path in the UK Ministry of Defence as a research psychologist and Principal Advisor on Human Performance and Human Augmentation. Martin also represented the UK and served as the national lead to the NATO Science and Technology Organisation (STO) Human Factors and Medicine (HFM) Research Panel and contributed to several research task groups. Martin actively supports several esteemed specialist defence and security groups and is the Performance Director for Duratus, an executive coaching and performance consultancy that helps senior leaders perform under pressure, improve resilience, and develop effective leadership behaviours.ResourcesDuratus - www.duratusuk.comChapters00:00 Sleep Debt Quiz01:37 Talk Roadmap02:26 What Sleep Is04:21 Sleep Stages Explained07:36 Two Process Model09:24 Melatonin And Light10:54 Why Sleep Matters13:21 Sleep Worry Trap14:57 Caffeine And Jet Lag16:48 Eight Hours Myth18:48 Protect Your Sleep21:10 Personalise Your Routine23:10 Sleep Hygiene Basics23:24 Caffeine Timing Test24:26 Nicotine Sleep Disruption25:35 Alcohol and REM Loss26:46 Diet Sleep Feedback Loop28:25 Exercise Timing and Temperature29:37 Bedroom Setup Basics30:36 Stimulus Control Habits31:34 CBT for Insomnia Overview33:47 Identify Your Sleep Thoughts34:58 Cognitive Control Journaling36:28 Paradoxical Intention38:20 Articulatory Suppression Trick40:03 Imagery and Mindfulness42:15 Wearables and Catastrophizing44:34 Problem Solving for Worry45:58 Wrap Up and Next StepsThanks for listening to Optimising Human Performance.This podcast is for people who can’t afford to fail. Each episode gives you practical, evidence‑based tools you can apply in the real world.For more about the podcast, speaking, coaching, and mentoring, visit:www.ophp.co.ukConnect with us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ophp/Instagram: @ophumanperformanceIf you found this episode useful, please share it with one colleague, subscribe, and leave a review – it helps us reach more people who operate in high‑stakes environments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.