Episode 38: Ian Dunican, Student of Sleep

The Nik Hawks Show

Ian Dunican joins us today to talk about one of his favorite subjects (other than jiu-jitsu and ultra running), which is sleep. He's currently working on a PhD at the University of Western Australia (UWA) focused on the question, "Can you use sleep as a performance enhancer?"

Starting off in the Irish Army as an infantryman, after five years he left the military and moved into personal training, eventually following his wife to Western Australia where he settled down and ended up working for the mining industry as a Human Performance and Health & Safety project manager. He has a Master's Degree in Mining Engineering, an MBA, and a Graduate Certificate in Adult Sleep Science from UWA.

A well traveled man, Ian has lots of experience and education about sleep on this podcast, from the basics of sleep hygiene to how much sleep you need as an athlete to the difference between chronotypes such as larks and owls, how to beat jetlag and the best way to adjust to sleeping at altitude.

Ian discusses the best times to schedule meetings and make decisions, the worst times to quit, and everything in between. A finisher of the Leadville Trail 100 (in 2013) and a BJJ blue belt, Ian backs up his academic knowledge with a lifetime of practical application with elite athletes, the military, and the corporate world.

If you'd like to connect with Ian he's @sleep4perform on Twitter or @sleep4perform on Facebook, or you can grab his email at the end of the show.

Enjoy!