Wake Up Call: Science, Sleep, & Firefighter Fitness with Dr. Sara Jahnke

Firefighter Sleep, Shift Work, and Health: Dr. Sarah Janke on Practical Strategies That Work

On the All Clear podcast, host interviews Dr. Sarah Janke, Director of the Center for Fire Rescue and an MS Health Research professional, who has spent nearly 20 years in firefighter health research and leads Science to the Station to translate science into practice. They focus on sleep as an overlooked driver of firefighter health, noting that routinely getting under 7–8 hours—especially under 6—impairs cognition, mood, metabolism, and increases long-term risks tied to shift work, including cardiovascular disease and probable carcinogen concerns. Janke emphasizes sleep consistency, tactical napping, careful caffeine timing, and using sleep tracking to “biohack” personal habits, including understanding alcohol’s disruptive impact on sleep. She recommends screening for sleep disorders (with studies showing 37.2% of firefighters affected) and improving sleep environments at home and in stations, and suggests resources like Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep and upcoming firefighter-specific guidance from Joel Billings.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:15 Meet Dr Sarah Janke

01:32 Why Sleep Matters

02:08 Health Risks of Short Sleep

04:19 How Much Sleep Needed

05:09 Sleep Consistency and Tracking

06:22 Biohacking Sleep Habits

08:12 Tactical Naps and Caffeine

11:23 Screen for Sleep Disorders

12:38 Sleep Debt and Brain Recovery

14:53 Safety Impacts of Fatigue

17:23 Common Sleep Mistakes

19:36 Three Steps to Sleep Better

21:33 Better Sleep at the Station

23:42 Recommended Sleep Resources

26:22 Where to Find Sarah

27:44 Wrap Up and Thanks