If you feel drained throughout the day, this trending sleep hack may be worth a shot.
Former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink talked about his napping technique on The Peter Attia Drivepodcast back in 2019. He lays down with his feet elevated (so they’re above his heart) and sets an alarm for eight minutes (sometimes 10 or 12). And when he wakes up, he says during the episode: “I feel like Superman. I feel like I just slept for eight hours.”
TikToker Nick Vitello (566,400 followers) shared a TikTok video of himself trying the sleep hack on April 28, and the video now has more than 33.3 million views. “Take the best nap of your life,” Vitello says in the video. “It works.”
Others are trying out the nap trick, too. TikToker Billy Howell (164,800 followers) posted a similar video on May 18. “Prepare for the best sleep of your life,” he says in the video, which now has more than 4.9 million views. Overall, #8minutenap now has 9.3 million views and #navysealchallenge has 4.7 million views.
What Is the Navy Seal Power Nap?
According to Willink, here’s how to do the Navy SEAL power nap:
- Lie on the ground and elevate your feet above your heart. TikTokers add that resting them on a couch or another raised surface works well.
- Nap for 8 to 12 minutes (Willink says the lower end of that range is ideal for him).
What Sleep Experts Say About the Navy SEAL Nap Hack
Daytime naps, when done correctly, can be beneficial for helping you feel less fatigued and more alert, helping you stay more productive if you skimped on sleep the previous night (a snooze can help boost focus, reaction time, and memory), according to Mayo Clinic.
Many athletes, for example, will report better performance if they’ve napped before a game, adds Rebecca Robbins, PhD, instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston and an associate scientist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School. “It really is remarkable how even five minutes of sleep can give you so much energy,” she adds.
So, it makes sense that people might wake up from this Navy SEAL power nap feeling more refreshed and alert, Dr. Robbins says. That’s particularly true when you try it in the early afternoon, she adds. That is a time when the body naturally tends to feel a little more sluggish and tired (thanks to hormonal changes that get cued by our natural circadian rhythm), according to the National Institutes of Health.
There are a few caveats to keep in mind about the purported benefits of the Navy SEAL edition of a power nap. Elevating your legs probably isn’t going to impact your quality of sleep, Robbins says. There’s no science behind that. And the position may not be comfortable for everyone, Robbins adds.
People who do high levels of physical activity (like Navy SEALS) may, on the other hand, experience a particular benefit of resting in this position, says Sigrid Veasey, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Sleep Medicine/Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Extreme exercise causes a buildup of lactic acid in the muscles, and elevating the legs could help drain this and other metabolites from the muscles, she explains.
Lying down, however, could make it easier to fall asleep, Dr. Veasey says. Some research backs this up.
The other caveat is that no nap is going to replace a good night’s sleep. Cycling through all of the stages of sleep (which happens when you sleep for several hours at a time) is important.
Your brain is active during that time, doing important work to help you consolidate memories, flush out waste products, and replenish molecules that allow you to concentrate, focus, regulate emotions, and more during your waking hours. “Getting at least seven hours of good-quality sleep is the way to go,” Veasey says. “And whatever you do for power nap stuff, it shouldn’t be something that is going to compromise that nighttime sleep.”
TheSleep Foundation recommends that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Who Should Try the Navy SEAL Nap (and Who Should Avoid It)?
For most people, there’s no harm in trying this power nap hack, Veasey says. She recommends trying it more than once before deciding whether or not it’s a good nap hack for you, as there are many things that can influence whether rest is restorative (not just the position of your feet).
Napping is a tried-and-true way to feel more rested and boost energy, Robbins adds. So, if you are feeling particularly tired or fatigued during the day and have an opportunity for a nap, consider it a good alternative to reaching for stimulants like energy drinks or coffee, Robbins says. These can have negative effects, such as headaches, irritability, increased heart rate, and muscle tremors, according to Mayo Clinic.
Individuals who suffer from insomnia or who experience insomnia-like symptoms should, however, avoid daytime naps, as they could worsen nighttime sleep (or interfere with treatment strategies for those sleep issues), Robbins says. The same goes for some other sleep disorders, so if you have a history of sleep problems, check with your doctor before getting into a regular napping routine.
Additionally, if you’re prone to back pain, elevating your legs during this power nap could be stressful on your back, Veasey says. And, for anyone, sleeping in this position for a long period of time could harm circulation in the legs.
The Bottom Line on the Navy SEAL Power Nap
A power nap (the Navy SEAL version with your legs elevated, or a more typical lying-down-flat version) can definitely be beneficial if you find yourself drowsy during the day, but don’t use it as a substitute for getting the nighttime sleep you need on a regular basis.
And experts advise against trying this trend if you experience insomnia, insomnia-like symptoms, or back pain (which could make the position uncomfortable).
