The Science of Sleep High Performers Swear By, From Special Forces To CEOs | Dr Jemma King

The Science of Sleep High Performers Swear By, From Special Forces To CEOs | Dr Jemma King

From Performance Intelligence by Andrew May

July 15, 2026 · 1h 3m

About this episode

Dr. Jemma King discusses the importance of sleep for high performers and shares insights from her research with elite athletes and military personnel.

The best performers in the world have found a competitive edge that's completely free. You can use it too, and it starts tonight. When Dr Jemma King put wearables on Australia's Special Forces in 2017, the culture was "sleep when I'm dead". Within months, those same soldiers were showing off their recovery scores and competing over who slept the most. Not because they went soft. Because the data showed sleep was making them faster, sharper and safer, and elite performers chase anything that does that. Jemma has spent a decade measuring what great sleep unlocks in people whose decisions matter: Special Operations Command, Olympic swimmers, CEOs. Her conclusion is genuinely exciting. Sharp is recoverable at any age, and it doesn't take supplements or gadgets. It takes a handful of deliberate habits the world's best are already using. Jemma introduces you to the midnight librarian who explains your 3am wake-ups (and how to give her the night off), the express bus that takes you straight to deep sleep, and how to build your own Sleep First formula around your biology and your life. Your upgrade is waiting. 00:00 It's 3am. You're awake again. 02:05 Two experts, one room at last 04:20…

People in this episode

Host: Andrew May

Guest: Dr Jemma King

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Australia's Special Forces, Special Operations Command, Olympic swimmers

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