I'll be completely honest: I don't understand the Super Bowl, or who the Kansas City Chiefs are, or, for that matter, what exactly Travis Kelce does. But I do understand the importance of sleeping well. And it turns out so is Travis Kelce. In fact, sleeping too much could be the reason he just won Super Bowl LVIII with his team, the Chiefs.
Travis' father, Ed Kelce, spoke to Entertainment Tonight about his son's relationship (for those of you living under a rock, Travis is dating pop icon Taylor Swift) and had this to say about Travis' sleeping habits. NFL star:
“I think that she [Taylor Swift] “I realize how committed Travis is to sleeping, 10 hours a day, when your body is going through this kind of stuff.”
That's how important a good sleep schedule is to Kelce: not only does his girlfriend understand it, but respecting the schedule is necessary for any potential relationship to receive her father's blessing.
And it's not just overnight that Kelce rests and recovers. Before Super Bowl LVII in 2023 (which the Chiefs also won, in case you didn't know), Kelce expressed the importance of taking a nap. During a pregame press conference with NBC, he said, “The most important thing is to take naps. “I already had one today and it’s not even noon.”
Between 10 hours a night and multiple naps, you might wonder when Kelce has time to do more than sleep. But back-to-back Super Bowl victories seem like a strong indicator that her approach could have some benefits, and he's not the only one taking note of how important sleep is: So is the entire NFL. Sleep science has become one of the key pillars in supporting elite athletics, and Sleep Number is an official partner of the NFL. How long until we change rest for 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? Not unless you are already a talented soccer player. But if you don't get enough sleep, your physical abilities are likely to suffer.
A systematic review of 25 sleep studies found that evidence suggests that getting more sleep may be one of the most effective methods for improving physical and cognitive performance. Research also indicates that lack of sleep can have an immediate effect on performance level: just one night of poor sleep can negatively impact endurance.
So how much should you sleep? Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. And, unfortunately, increasing it to 10 hours of rest won't suddenly make you a star tight end (yes, I had to look that up). But after a hard day of training, a particularly long walk, or even several hours on your feet, getting a good night's sleep can help your recovery, leaving you feeling fresher for tomorrow, when you have to do it all again.
What about naps? Kelce loves to nap, and studies indicate that napping can improve athletic performance, especially for athletes who don't sleep a full nine hours a night. For the rest of us, naps can help us sleep better, as long as they're done correctly.
That means: take a nap when you feel tired and keep your naps to about 20 minutes. If you want to make napping part of your recovery plan, some Garmin watches come with nap tracking technology to help you understand the sleep science behind napping.
Recharging your sleep may not help you score the winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game (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 nap.
