Strategic Partnerships

• Affiliate networks
• Collaborators (co-authors, business development, podcasts, radio, TV, content development, sleep architecture, etc.)
• Consultations
• Referral networks
• Advisory boards
• KOL (Key Opinion Leader) roles
• Frequent travelers: Chronocoaching/ jet lag mitigation.
• Product development: Depends on the scope/ depth. Includes supplements, sleep wearables, apps, etc. For example, I designed a sleep supplement for BrainMD (Dr Daniel Amen’s nutraceutical company called Put Me To Sleep). It depends on the time I invest in developing/ contributing to the product. Can be a flat fee, equity or royalties).
• Podcasts: Usually free if there is a substantial following. For you – anytime anywhere.
• Conferences/ talks: Depends on the size and honoraria vary.
• Home visits: Usually my costs of travel and accommodation are covered and then an hourly rate. Usually for me to see the bedroom environment and make recommendations based on what I see may be sabotaging their sleep.
• Sleep architecture: For those who are designing new homes/ living spaces, and recommendations for a sleep-friendly environment.
• Forensic Sleep services: Legal issues involving sleep medications/ acts when one is asleep (homicides, sexomnias, etc.) Roles could include expert witness, evaluations and consultations with legal teams for their clients.
• Book chapters/ contributing authorships: I have been a contributing author to 6 sports psychiatry books. Fees depend on invested hours/ royalty arrangements.
• Scientific advisory boards: Various possible roles such as:1. Affiliate programs2. Speaker/ brand ambassador/ KOL3. Strategic partner. Being a strategic partner allows me to open up my networks and advocate for the use of a particular product if I think it demonstrates efficacy. 4. Medical advisor (or part of a clinical advisory board). It is usually a 2-3 year long contract, with an understanding that I would:1. Attend certain meetings every quarter or more frequently (based on their need).2. Attend discussions on next steps/ changes/ giving feedback about the product/ making them aware of any recent data on the given topic/ competitors/ feedback from the sleep medicine world. Typically, compensated in the form of equity/ cash.

Please go to CONTACT at the top of the page, to schedule a meeting.

Athlete Consults

This evaluation is your ticket to peak sleep performance.
 
As an athlete, we understand that you feel you are expected to go way beyond “average” in everything that you do, in order to achieve peak performance. 
You have to account for every calorie you consume and every exercise you do.
The same goes for sleep.
There is hard data that shows a direct correlation between sleep improvements and performance enhancement, in a number of different KPIs.

Gap analysis (Needs identification): 

- You will receive the results of our research into gaps in the existing paradigm in elite sport, once you have signed up to one or more of our services. This is proprietary information. 
- Additionally, each team/ sports organization may have different needs/ gaps that are identified by our team, as part of the consulting framework.
- Thus, there is a need for an integrative approach to sleep in sport.
- This can include liaising with stakeholders to make the case for sleep in sport (please refer to the Team consults section of this website).

Consultation options: 

• Sleep normalization (for sleep problem screening, diagnosis and treatment).
• Sleep optimization (linked to performance metrics (KPIs): Integrating training times, schedules of training/play, chronocoaching, liaising with treatment team on sleep saboteurs/ enhancers, etc.
• Troubleshooting ongoing sleep disruptions: Injuries, mental stress, health issues, pain, PTSD, and other factors that can impact sleep.
• Regular re-assessment of sleep at certain intervals, adjustments to the protocols and calculations.
• PLATINUM/CONCIERGE SLEEP PLAN: Monthly fee for direct access to me: message/ calls: for urgent issues (versus email communications within a 72 hour window).
• CHRONOCOACHING: For mitigating jet lag for elite fliers/ athletes. Work with staff/athletes on my proprietary travel-specific strategies to minimize jet lag and boost athletic performance. I take into consideration:o   Frequency of travelo   Duration of travelo   Mode of travelo   Time zones crossedo   Time of arrival at the destinationo   Start time of each game (time zone at the venue)o   Frequency of playo   Time between games (schedule/ turnaround times)o   Total in-game minutes

Please go to CONTACT at the top of the page, to schedule a meeting.

Team Consults

This evaluation is your ticket to peak sleep performance. 
For athletes, the consultation includes investigating where your sleep is falling off, and ways to strategically use all the evidence-based tools to boost your sleep quality, including thought and behavioral strategies, supplements, nutrition, strategic napping, training schedules and travel strategies.

By perfecting these strategies, your athletic performance will be improved.
 
“We’re teaching our players: Sleep is a weapon.” Sam Ramsden, Director of Player Health and Performance, Seattle Seahawks

Consulting model:

• Discuss with stakeholders/ decision makers on what their needs are.
• Identify what they may be missing.
• Discuss with them what is modifiable and what is not modifiable.
• Lay out what we will be implementing.
• Contract: 1-3 years. Renewal/ re-negotiation contingent on mutually accepted KPIs/ other measures.
• The scope of work:
  - Sleep guidelines for organizations/ leagues.
  - Sleep workshops for teams.
  - Sleep coaching/ certifications for other treatment staff that work with a team.
  - Individual athlete consultations: Sleep normalization (treatment of disorders) and sleep optimization (KPIs).
  - Team consultations: In-season, pre-season, off-season (concierge/ troubleshooting).
  - Travel/ jet lag/ performance optimization strategies (proprietary IP).
  - KPIs: New paradigms/data for sleep protocols in that particular sport.                                                                                          - Zoom/ phone access: for ongoing meetings, consults.

•       Team can publish data in academic journals (ex: sleep protocols and testosterone, sleep protocols and reactions times, sleep protocols and injury rates, sleep protocols and depression/ anxiety scales, etc.)
•       Data scientists crunch numbers and look at performance improvements individually and as a team.
•       Athletes and teams can use this data for contract negotiations.

Please go to CONTACT at the top of the page, to schedule a meeting.

Sports Organizations

Gap analysis (Needs identification): 

• You will receive the results of our research into gaps in the existing paradigm in elite sport, once you have signed up to one or more of our services. This is proprietary information.
• Additionally, each team/ sports organization may have different needs/ gaps that are identified by our team, as part of the consulting framework.
• Thus, there is a need for an integrative approach to sleep in sport.
• This can include liaising with stakeholders to make the case for sleep in sport (please refer to the Team consults section of this website).

 

Scope of work:

• Education/ awareness initiatives: Use data to advocate/ lobby for athletes’ sleep.
• Sleep guidelines for organizations/ leagues.
• Standardization (of sleep screening, recommendations for individual athletes).
• Organizational changes (Like ATP and WTA tours).

Please go to CONTACT at the top of the page, to schedule a meeting.

Individual Sleep Consults

This evaluation is right for you if: 

You are struggling with problems related to sleep (difficulty sleeping, waking up unrefreshed, excessive sleepiness during the day, strange behaviors at night, disrupted sleep schedules, poor grades, distractibility, low energy and mood):

o   You have shift work and struggle to function properly. This especially applies to first responders. 
o   You are new parents and want to train your infant to sleep properly. 
o   You have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep or waking up too early, or your sleep is not restful and regular.
o   Your partner says you snore or stop breathing when you are sleeping, or you sometimes wake up gasping for air or feel unrefreshed or with a dry mouth or morning headache.
o   You may have hallucinations while falling asleep or when waking up, or experience sleep paralysis.
o   You feel tired or sleepy during the day even if you have enough sleep.
o   You are a night owl or morning bird, or you have trouble sleeping during the hours you prefer.
o   A bed partner reports unusual movements in your sleep, like acting out your dreams, frequently falling out of bed, or complex sleep behaviors like sleep walking or sleep talking or sleep eating or even sexual behaviors while asleep.
 

You want to optimize your sleep for performance enhancement and improved quality of life:

• Overachievers/biohackers
• You are a student who wants to focus better, have better memory and get better grades.
• You are a teen or young adult who wants to lose weight, be fit, optimize your hormones and achieve success through better sleep.
• You cross time zones for travel frequently, and want to minimize the impact of jet lag on your quality of life.
• You are a high functioning executive who wants to use sleep as a weapon for competitive advantage. 

Please go to CONTACT at the top of the page, to schedule a meeting.

Organizations (Workplace/ academic)

This consultation is your organization’s ticket to optimal employee workplace productivity and safety. 

An organization that cares about their employees will want them to have sound sleep.

Dr. Creado will work with your team through webinar, in-person workshop, or partnership to do one-on-one consult with your employees/team members depending on your organization's need.

Services for organizations:

• Webinar/ training module that focuses on educating employees about the impact of sleep on work performance and overall health. Employees can watch at their convenience.
• An in-person presentation with Dr. Creado at your organization, that focuses on educating your team about the impact of sleep on work performance, and discussing some core strategies for insomnia.
• SLEEP RETREATS: Corporate retreats (presentations or half day or full day or 2 day workshops) where Dr. Creado will:

- Educate employees about the impact of poor sleep on their work, personal and social lives, as well as their overall health.

- Provide them with screening tools to find what sabotages their sleep. 

- Walk them through specific evidence-based strategies to overcome those barriers.

- Screen them for a specific sleep disorders (like sleep apnea). Based on the screening assessment, the employee can work with their primary care doctor and health insurance to get specialist care. 

- Shift workers/ flyers: Assessment of employee numbers, sleep durations, cognitive/ emotional testing, shift planning of rosters each financial year (reducing sick days, workplace injuries AND improving productivity and bottom line).

 

• A consulting partnership with Dr. Creado at the organizational level to do one or more of the following:

1.     Estimate the impact of sleep loss on work performance and profits/ losses of a particular team, and track it over time (with screening tools for employees), in collaboration with your HR department to track employee performance.

2.     Provide employees with monthly online group sleep coaching to learn the best evidence-based strategies to improve their sleep.

3.     Provide employees with individualized sleep optimization protocols.

4.     Provide executives and employees travel-specific strategies to minimize jet lag and improve work performance. 

5.     For employees that are new parents or who have toddlers and young children, Dr. Creado does individual parent-training (online or in person) to teach them how to train their child to break bad sleep-disrupting behaviors and help the entire household sleep better and rest easy. This may be considered an employee benefit that prospective employees would greatly appreciate. 

6.     Work with your organization to create a sleep-friendly workplace environment and culture, which may include designated sleep rooms, sleep pods, teaching employees about strategic napping (timing, duration, shifts, supplement and light box strategies) and more. 

Please go to CONTACT at the top of the page, to schedule a meeting.

Wellness Retreats

Sleep impact on mental health disorders: 

- Drug abuse (including illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco) is estimated to cost the US economy more than $740 billion a year and growing, according to data reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

- Mental disorders cost the US economy $201 billion annually.

- A number of sleep disorders directly impact/ contribute to every major category of psychiatric illness.

- Sleep problems are a major diagnostic criterion for every major category of psychiatric illness (mood disorders (depressive disorders, bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders, OCD, psychotic disorders, substance abuse problems, trauma-related disorders, etc.)

- Countless studies have shown that sleep disorders have to be treated SEPARATELY and CONCURRENTLY (the sleep problem will not resolve by merely treating the psychiatric illness). 

Sleep designs for wellness:

Signature, fully integrated, personalized sleep programs ‘Sleep Designs by Shane Creado, MD’ (education, screening, personalized plans).

Our services can include: 

- Corporate sleep retreats at your wellness resort (presentations or half day or full day or 2 day workshops).

- Sleep designs for wellness: A custom, embedded sleep protocol based on each guest’s unique sleep needs, that is folded into the nutritional, meditation and other services provided to them.

- Product development: Exclusive sleep products designed for your wellness retreat by Shane Creado. Could include supplements, sleep wearables, apps, bedding, etc. The scope/ depth of the project, the time commitment (research, testing, marketing), and research will determine the compensation that usually takes the form of royalties/ joint licensing.

- Sleep architecture: SLEEP DESIGNS BY SOMNX.  Dr Creado can work with your architects and interior designers to design cutting edge sleep-friendly rooms/ homes/ living spaces. Everything we design, would be IP jointly owned by you and Shane Creado LLC.

Please go to CONTACT at the top of the page, to schedule a meeting.

Sports PSYCHIATRY

Introduction: 

Dr Creado is a board-certified psychiatrist (ABPN) and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for Sports Psychiatry (ISSP) for several years in various capacities and currently is: a Delegate for the USA for the International Summit on Advancing Sports Psychiatry globally, Founder and chair of the Sleep Performance Committee, Chairman of Innovation and Technology. He is also affiliated with the PGA tour Europe (Therapeutic Use Exemption committee); and on the directories for the NBA Players Association, USOPC US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. He is also a contributing author to 6 principal books in Sports Psychiatry.

The focus for athletes is always on their physical and skills training. Sports psychologists primarily work on mental conditioning coaching, mental resilience, team dynamics, flow state/ in the zone, etc.  Just as sports psychologists have a crucial and irreplaceable role in the care of an athlete, so do sports psychiatrists, as an integral part of the treatment team.

Unfortunately, mental health problems are often only addressed when an athlete complains about a problem. Athletes are not very likely to seek help for mental health problems, as those are often considered a sign of ‘weakness.’

If athlete mental health and sleep are considered a priority, everybody wins. 

Sleep and brain health optimization are essential pillars of performance enhancement.

Prevalence of mental health problems in elite athletes:

• Per Pilkington et al, in 2022, Overall, 41.2% of coaches and HPSS (high-performance support staff) met probable MHP (mental health problem) criteria, 13.9% reported high to very high psychological distress, 41.8% reported potential risky alcohol consumption and 17.7% reported moderate to severe sleep disturbances. 

• Per the American College of Sports Medicine, in 2021, approximately 35% of elite athletes suffer from disordered eating, burnout, depression and/or anxiety. 

• Sweden is the 7th happiest nation in the world. A study on Swedish athletes by Akesdotter et al in 2020 showed that Lifetime prevalence of MHP was 51.7% (females 58.2%, males 42.3%).

Current mental health needs in sport (Our gap analysis): 

• An integrative approach to mental health in sport (to include consultations with sports psychiatrists and ideally an embedded sports psychiatrist in each team).
• Liaising with stakeholders to make the case for a comprehensive mental health framework in sport, which should include education, consultations, guidelines for delivering comprehensive mental healthcare for players and staff, etc.
• To optimize performance with athletes, mental health needs must be addressed to achieve peak performance within a high-performance culture.
• The best mental health interventions are carefully planned to address the specific individual needs of athletes at the right time, in the right place and with the right person.

THE ROLES OF A SPORTS PSYCHIATRIST:

Sport Psychiatry is a relatively new field that is evolving to meet the increasing mental health needs of athletes.

A Sport Psychiatrist works as a consultant or embedded member of an inter-disciplinary treatment team for an athlete or a sports team. 

A sports psychiatrist works not just on brain/ mental health normalization, but on brain health optimization with the goal of performance optimization. 

Thus, we are intimately aware of the interplay between physical health, performance, and mental health in competitive and elite sports.

PREVENTATIVE:

• Understanding the risk factors for the emergence of mental and physical health concerns in a particular sport.
• Exploring possibilities for promoting mental wellness and preventing mental disorders in a particular sport.
• Screening for mental health problems more common in athletes, such as:

- Excessive/ addictive or compulsive exercise/ overtraining.

- Abuse of IPEDs and anabolic steroids and the mental, physiological and endocrinological effects of anabolic steroids and other substances.

- Body dysmorphia.

- Disturbed eating behavior and eating disorders.

DIAGNOSES AND TREATMENTS:

▪ Utilizing sport-specific aspects of diagnosing mental disorders in competitive and elite sport.

▪ Utilizing sport-specific aspects of treatment of mental disorders in competitive and elite sport, including the special and specific needs of athletes, coaches, and referees. This includes understanding effects, adverse effects, and safety of pharmacotherapy in competitive and elite sport.

▪ Integrating sport-specific aspects of psychotherapy for athletes, coaches, and referees.

▪ Sports psychiatry aftercare, ongoing support and re-assessment of mental disorders.

▪ Crisis intervention and dealing with mental health emergencies.

▪ Delivering or referring to specialized interventional treatment procedures, e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation (when warranted).

Dr Creado’s approach as a sports psychiatry consultant: NUTS AND BOLTS:

• I obtain a working knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of each of the members of the integrated sports team that supports athletes, coaches, and teams.

• I discuss with stakeholders/ decision makers on what their needs are. 

• Gap analysis: I identify what they may be missing. I identify what you are doing right and what you can do better (in the sleep/ mental health domain).

• Discuss with them what is modifiable and what is not modifiable (Plug and play approach: too many recommendations are not realistic and cumbersome). 

• Collaborative approach: Liaise with other members of the treatment team.

• Lay out what we will be implementing. I stay in my lane. Stick to fundamentals (low hanging fruit). Pick your battles.

• Outcomes/ KPIs depend on compliance with the protocols: data analytics are key.

• Contract: 1-3 years. Renewal/ re-negotiation contingent on athlete compliance with recommendations, mutually accepted KPIs/ other measures. 

The scope of Dr Creado’s Sports Psychiatry work:

Individual Athletes:

Mental health problems: 

1. Educating athletes on the impact of mental health issues on performance, sleep problems on performance, sleep medications on performance, psychiatric medications on performance. 

2. Preventative mental health strategies for athletes.

3. Screening athletes for mental health problems (with validated screening tools for athletes).

4. Review of current medications, supplements and other interventions; and adjusting/ making recommendations for the best ones for an athlete

5. Diagnosis of mental health issues in athletes. 

6. Treatment of mental health problems in athletes. Tools include psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, nutraceuticals, mental skills training and integrative strategies. When prescribing psychotropic medication to athletes several factors must be considered including safety, impact on performance, WADA and regulations, and side effects, etc.

7. Integrative sports psychiatry (overlap with TBIs, gut health, hormone balance, toxin load, inflammation markers, sleep problems, chronic infections, etc.). Being medical doctors, our role is also to identify every contributing and underlying factor impacting the mental health of the athlete.

8. Therapeutic use exemptions.

9. Substance abuse issues. 

10. Doping/ illegal performance enhancement: We need to be up to date on current guidelines from the World Antidoping Agency (WADA) to be aware of prohibited substance and methods for in and out of competition.

11. Concussion team (prevention, treatment, sequelae).

12. Counseling: Abuse, conflict resolution, major life transitions/stressors, team dynamics, relationships, healthy support systems, etc.

13. Ongoing care: 

• Troubleshooting: Psychiatric emergencies, ongoing mental health problems/ major life stressors: Injuries, mental stress, health issues, pain, PTSD, sleep problems and other factors that can impact the mental health of an athlete. 

• MAINTENANCE: Availability pre-season, in-season, off-season. (concierge/ troubleshooting).

• Re-assessment of mental health at certain intervals, adjustments to the protocols and calculations. Measuring and recording progress with treatment can be helpful to monitor progress and in making decisions related to return to practice/play.

This integrates with data/KPI’s.

 

Mental health optimization:

For those athletes with no identifiable mental health diagnoses, we use brain health optimization as a performance enhancing tool. 

We can link our interventions to performance metrics (KPIs).

Teams/ Academies:

1. Awareness of how to navigate the high-performance environment, including a clear and advanced understanding of informed consent in competitive and elite sports. 

2. Risk assessments (undiagnosed/untreated mental health problems, violent tendencies, suicidality, personality traits, substance abuse concerns, work ethic, etc.) for teams prior to recruiting a player or prior to the draft (think Aaron Hernandez or Monte Ball or Michael Vick)

3. Mental health workshops for teams.

4. Screening/ prevention/ treatment of mental health problems among the support staff/ coaches in the team. 

5. Guidance to other support staff on their roles in working with athletes with a particular mental health problem.

6. We liaise with treatment team members at every level. To optimize the diagnostic evaluation and treatment plan implementation, the Sport Psychiatrist should attempt to obtain input from members of the integrated sports team. Huddles to integrate our contributions to the team, elicit feedback and improve upon the algorithms (mental conditioning coaches, nutrition and mental health problems, sleep and mental health problems, performance and mental health problems, treatments/ schedules that may adversely affect mental health outcomes, etc.)

Organizational level work: Advocacy: 

• Collaborating on establishing organization-specific, league-specific, sport-specific mental health guidelines. 

• STANDARDIZATION (of mental health approaches for athletes)

• Organizational changes (Like PTPA, NBPA, etc.)

• Developing new intellectual property.

• A sports psychiatrist is an ambassador/ advocate for athlete wellbeing (mental health advocacy, stigma, cultural aspects, education, awareness, etc.). 

• Liaising with stakeholders to make the case for a comprehensive mental health framework in sport.

• A sports psychiatrist is also an ambassador of the mission of fair play, as well as doping regulations of the national anti-doping agencies, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and sports federations.

The future of sport: Data-driven performance:

• Athlete baseline measurements/ biological markers (hormones, inflammation, etc.) Similar to the WADA biological passport.

• Athlete baseline performance metrics (tennis specific: reaction times, biomechanics, speed, endurance, peak power, speed, injury rates, etc.)

• Trend analysis (Like ITU): Control group (gold standard) vs athlete as their own control vs ideal (record holders)

• DATA AGGREGATION: Data scientists crunch numbers and look at performance improvements individually and as a team.

• DATA INTEGRATION: KPIs: New paradigms/data for sleep/ mental health protocols in that particular sport.

• Teams can publish data in academic journals (ex: linked to biomarkers, depression/ anxiety rating scales, reaction times, concussion recovery, etc.)

• Athletes and teams can use this data for contract negotiations.