Born from NASA technology and perfected for sleep.
Relationships
7 min read
Health & Wellbeing
According to the Navy SEAL nap method, just 8 minutes of rest with your legs elevated can be the perfect midday recharge. Elevating your legs helps promote blood flow back to your core, which reduces swelling and encourages a state of deep relaxation.
8 Min Read | By Ellen Conning
Last Modified 30 April 2025 First Added 21 June 2023
It’s a busy day, and you’re exhausted. With so much left to do, you need a quick energy boost. The thought of nap time crosses your mind, but you’re worried you’ll either sleep through the rest of the day or wake up feeling cranky and stiff. What options do you have? With your phone in hand, you look online and stumble upon the sleep hack: the Navy SEAL nap.
Developed with the US Naval Institute and by US Army Colonel Jill Morgenthaler, this quick power nap helps tackle the vital need for rest and recovery from the strenuous situations that SEALS and soldiers must face.
Whether through the growing popularity of TikTok or the Navy’s talks about the beauty of sleep in its operations, this sleep technique has steadily become more popular with the busy modern lifestyle. However, the questions remain: What is the Navy SEAL nap technique, and does it really work? Let’s find out.
The Navy SEAL nap is a short, strategic rest period designed to maximise recovery and mental sharpness with minimal time investment. It usually involves an 8-minute nap where the individual lies flat on their back with their legs elevated on a chair, wall, or other support. The focus of this nap hack is quick revitalisation by promoting blood flow back to the core as it reduces leg swelling, encourages relaxation, and enhances cognitive performance. It’s excellent for a quick boost of energy during a busy day without the grogginess that deeper sleep can sometimes induce.
This nap technique draws from the demands placed upon Navy SEALS, who often need to function on limited sleep and require rapid recovery between missions. By adopting this practice, you tap into a highly efficient way to reboot, similar to a computer in sleep mode, where minimal power delivers an effective reset.
The method itself is pretty simple. It goes as follows:
Remember, it can take time to get used to this method, and you may not fall asleep the first few times. Even without an actual snooze, people have reported feeling energised afterwards, so it’s worth trying.
Engaging in a Navy SEAL nap can provide several advantages for optimising your daily performance and energy levels. Here are some of the potential benefits:
Short naps can significantly boost alertness and improve focus. A study published in The Journal of Sleep found that a 10-minute nap increased immediate alertness more effectively than longer naps. Additionally, Harvard Health notes that naps can enhance mood, reduce fatigue, and improve focus.
Taking a brief nap can help recharge energy levels and combat midday fatigue. According to Yale Medicine, napping at the right time and for the right length can provide an energy boost and be quite restorative.
Short naps can enhance mood by reducing stress and lowering irritability. A study highlighted by Texas A&M University found that naps of approximately 20 minutes improved the overall mood of participants.
Brief rest periods can enhance memory recall and problem-solving abilities. Research published in Scientific American indicates that a light midday snooze boosts memory and other types of cognition. Furthermore, a study in the Sleep Health Journal suggests a causal association between habitual daytime napping and larger total brain volume, which is linked to better cognitive function.
Elevating your feet during a nap promotes circulation and can help relieve muscle tension. According to Healthline, elevating your legs can support blood flow and reduce pressure, among other health benefits. This simple adjustment, central to the Navy SEAL nap, enhances not just restfulness but also physical recovery, making it an efficient way to reset both body and mind in just 8 minutes.
Remember, while the Navy SEAL nap can be a powerful tool for enhancing daily function, it is most effective when combined with adequate nighttime sleep.
Results are mixed on this one. For some, the method shows quick results that help restart them for the day ahead. For others, it simply does not work, whether that be due to distractions or other factors.
One writer from The Guardian, Anita Bhagwandas, tried the method and found herself feeling good when waking up. She notes that she already had a nap habit formed, which means working a nap into the day at first, before trying this method, could be one approach to success.
Like any method of power napping, be it the Nappucino or others, there is an adjustment period, and it can also be a struggle for those who suffer from insomnia or back pain.
Another important thing to note: Naps will not replace a good night’s sleep. While they can help us through the day and should be a tool in our sleep arsenal, they are never a replacement for a solid kip.
If you’re looking for more thorough sleep, this method isn’t right for you. However, it can work well with other options. One of these is the Military Sleep Method, which focuses on quickly falling asleep and activating the parasympathetic nervous system effectively. Many studies have highlighted this as important for a good night’s rest.
This quick nap can be combined with other sleep cycles, such as the Uberman cycle. We’ve got a breakdown of the four sleep cycles you need to know to do this effectively, but allowing space to rest up between each cycle is no bad thing.
As more and more people live busier lives, it can be a struggle to get all the rest we need. People want quick fixes, especially as, according to our Sleep Survey, only 45% of people get between 5 and 6 hours of sleep every night, with 18% getting even less.
Because of this, we can often find ourselves “lagging out” in the middle of the day as exhaustion takes over. And what do people do when they’re tired? They look for quick bursts of energy! TikTok, as always, was a jumpstart for this method, reaching the public eye, with some, like @malcomxcharles, going all in on the method:
@malcolmxcharles Anyone try this? #8minutenap #napping #nyc ♬ original sound – bestspedup
Anyone try this? #8minutenap #napping #nyc
♬ original sound – bestspedup
Information about the importance of napping for high performance has been around online for years, with the US Naval Institute itself weighing in on the topic. Here, they even detail the importance of the power nap and break down the perfect window further by highlighting how a power nap best targets the second part of sleep, which is light and restorative.
Many of us have been told that napping during the day is something we should grow out of and avoid in order not to disrupt our usual sleeping pattern. There is some truth to this. If you sleep too much during the day, or if you nap late in the afternoon or evening, you won’t feel tired at bedtime. This can easily become a cycle that is hard to break, but will leave you exhausted and out of sorts. Naps can’t replace a full night’s sleep, especially if they disrupt your circadian rhythm.
However, this is not to say that napping should be avoided entirely. Short, efficient rests in the middle of the day can:
Find out more about the different benefits from our ultimate guide to napping, which takes you through how to nap like a pro.
See all articles by Ellen Conning
5 min read