I’ll be completely honest: I don’t understand the Super Bowl, or who the Kansas City Chiefs are, or, really, exactly what Travis Kelce does. But I do understand the importance of a good night’s sleep. And it turns out: so does Travis Kelce. In fact, lots of sleep might be the reason why he just won Super Bowl LVIII with his team, the Chiefs.
Travis’ father Ed Kelce spoke with Entertainment tonight about his son’s relationship — for those of you living under a rock, Travis is dating pop icon Taylor Swift — and he had this to say about the NFL star’s sleeping habits:
“I think she (Taylor Swift) realizes how committed Travis is to sleeping ten hours a day while your body is going through stuff like this.”
That’s how important a good sleep schedule is for Kelce: Not only does his girlfriend understand it, but respecting the schedule is necessary for any potential relationship to receive his father’s blessing.
And it’s not just overnight that Kelce is resting and recovering. Ahead of Super Bowl LVII in 2023 (which the Chiefs also won, in case you didn’t know), Kelce expressed the importance of a nap. During a pre-match press conference with NBC, he said: “The most important thing is to take naps. I already took one today and it’s not even noon yet.’
Between the ten hours a night and the many naps, you might wonder when Kelce has time to do anything other than sleep. But back-to-back Super Bowl wins feel like a solid indication that his method could have some benefits, and he’s not the only one noting how important sleep is: That goes for the entire NFL as well. Sleep science has become one of the main pillars of support for elite athletics Sleep number an official partner of the NFL. How long does it take before we switch from rest time to a nap?
Can sleep bring success to non-athletes?
Can the power of a good night’s sleep and the best mattress send you to the Super Bowl? Unless you’re already a talented football player. But if you don’t get enough sleep, your physical abilities will likely take a hit.
a systematic review The 25 sleep studies show that there is evidence that getting more sleep can be one of the most effective methods of improving both physical and cognitive performance. Research also shows that sleep deprivation can have an immediate effect on performance levels – just one night of poor sleep can have a negative effect on endurance.
So, how much sleep should you get? Most adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep per night. And unfortunately, increasing halftime to 10 hours won’t suddenly turn you into a tight end (yeah, I had to look that up). But after a hard day of training, a particularly long walk, or even several hours on your feet, a good night’s sleep can aid your recovery, leaving you feeling fresher for tomorrow when you have to do it all over again.
What about naps? Kelce loves a cat nap, and studies indicate that naps can improve athletic performance, especially for athletes who don’t get the full nine hours of sleep per night. For the rest of us, naps can help you sleep better, as long as they’re done right.
That means take a nap when you’re tired, and keep your naps around 20 minutes. If you want to make naps part of your recovery plan, some Garmin watches come equipped with nap tracking technology so you can understand the sleep science behind your siesta.
Boosting your sleep may not help you score the winning touchdown in the game’s final seconds—or how these things usually end—but if you want to reach the peak of your physical performance, it might be time to take a to take a nap.