Navy sleep trick changes everything

An emergency room doctor in California has shared a military-grade trick for feeling well rested.

An emergency room doctor has shared a military-grade trick for feeling well rested.

California doctor Dr. Joe Whittington, who goes by Dr. Joe MD on TikTok, has gone viral on the platform after sharing the hack, New York Post reported.

“Okay, so you’re dead tired, but you only have 10 minutes. I’m going to show you the navy SEAL-inspired power napping technique that many of our elite forces swear by,” he said.

Retired navy SEAL Jocko Willink was the first to popularise the nap trick. Mr Willink told Business Insider he caps his naps at eight minutes.

Dr Joe Whittington shared his tip for putting the power into power napping. Picture: TikTok/@drjoe_md

In his TikTok, Dr. Joe advised his 2.1 million followers to find the edge of a bed or couch and position themselves with their legs elevated to a ninety-degree angle, calves resting on the surface, eyes closed, and hands folded on their chest.

The doctor, who has previously shared his tips for nodding off when intrusive thoughts are intent on keeping you awake, explained the dual benefit of this process.

“Laying in this position for 10 minutes is going to accomplish two things,” he said.

“First, it’s going to reduce swelling in your legs as well as return blood flow to your core. Both of these are going to trigger relaxation.

“Second, by limiting the time to 10 minutes, you will wake up during the light phase of sleep and therefore wake up feeling refreshed.”

Whether you snooze for eight minutes or more, research suggests that added rest is ultimately in the best interest of brain health.

A study published last year in the journal Sleep Health found that a quick nap during the day may correlate with larger brain volume. Our brains tend to shrink as we age, but the brains of habitual nappers were found to be large enough to offset up to 6.5 years of ageing.

Napping has also been shown to boost creativity, improve parenting, and increase joy. Experts have even coined a word to describe the bliss state reached after a brief doze — nappiness.

Naps should be between 15 and 30 minutes. Picture: iStock

The Sleep Health Foundation said that naps should be short. The ideal time is between 15 and 30 minutes. A deep sleep may make you feel disorientated and difficult for you to sleep at night.

Experts say 1pm to 3pm is the sweet spot for short-term shut-eye as the body experiences a dip in energy during the afternoon hours, making it an ideal time for a nap.

Napping beyond that window is dicey as drifting off later in the day can compromise your ability to get quality rest at night.

If you’re really looking to maximise your shut-eye, consider drinking a cup of coffee before you settle in for your SEAL nap. Caffeine takes roughly 30 minutes to metabolise in the body, meaning that when you’re ready to rise and shine, you’ll get the double benefit of rejuvenating rest and a caffeine buzz.

This story originally appeared on the New York Post and reproduced with permission

Originally published as Navy sleep trick changes everything