Originally published on MensHealth.com
Tom Brady, noted underachiever that he is, aims to be in bed by 8:30 p.m. LeBron James plans his life around nabbing ten hours of shut-eye. Justin Verlander, the Cy Young–winning Houston Astros ace, clocks between ten and 12 hours every night. (And he does it sleeping next to Kate Upton.) In the past few years, the world’s premier athletes have discovered a new performance-enhancing supplement for their training regimens: sleep.
A number of recent and tantalizing studies have suggested that simple, restorative sleep can help you think, perform, and recover better. It’s compelled the world’s leading players (often prompted by their team’s sleep coaches) to reprogram their social lives and change their priorities. It’s why pro teams’ practice facilities include nap rooms—the Red Sox turned an old utility room into one, and the Warriors’ new Chase Center includes individual sleep pods. They’re reclining chairs with caps over the top that block out noise and light, but still: sleep pods!