Looking to build a nap into your busy schedule, but not sure how long you ought to be napping for? Or maybe you’re unsure when is the best time in the day to get some shut eye?

 

Read on to check out the 11 Top Naps being used by everyone from athletes to astronauts to enhance their enjoyment and performance.

Let’s face it. Most of us would love to benefit from a nap, but too few of us take the time to take one. Some people think napping is lazy, but nothing could be further from the truth. Napping is smart. It’s the secret weapon top performers use to meet their goals. It’s also why smart people nap. Busy people too. World leaders nap. Supermodels nap. Even astronauts nap.

Athletes nap because a growing body of scientific evidence shows that sleep is good for their performance.

For the majority of NBA players, for example, sleep is a precious and carefully managed commodity. They know that sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on their game. It’s why teams employ sleep consultants to encourage more efficient sleep habits.

Failure to sleep efficiently, including napping, impairs reaction time and the ability to quickly interpret visual signals. Conversely, the benefits of napping can be fundamental to a team’s success. It can also reduce the risk of injury.

That’s why we are so proud of the Trtl Pillow Plus and we know you will love traveling with it too, but don’t just take our word for it.

 

How NBA Players Nap

 

 

Top athletes including NBA stars such as Croatian professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers, Ivica Zubac, swear by the Trtl Pillow Plus. Ivica uses it to get in those all important naps before games.

Ivica said: “This Trtl Pillow Plus is an amazing travel pillow. It’s super comfortable and it adjusts to your height.”

You can benefit from the Trtl Pillow Plus too. Perhaps you’re planning a long-distance trip and need to be fresh and energised at your destination. A quick lunchtime snooze at the office will increase your productivity. Maybe you need a Disco Nap before that night out with friends.

Sleep patterns for NBA players vary.

Recently, for example, it was revealed that LeBron James – who some consider the greatest basketball player of all time – will sleep around 9–10 hours at night.

While players’ travel schedules can seem to limit their opportunities for sleep, LeBron says that getting quality rest is key in post-game and practice recuperation.

Add in some naps and he gets around 12 hours total sleep per day.

LeBron says, “Sleep is the most important thing when it comes to recovery.”

Players and teams who get proper sleep and rest tend to do better than those who don’t. Take the Golden State Warriors, who have a sleep schedule. Their guys sleep 8 hours a day. They also sleep or relax in refresher float pods to give them an extra edge and help their bodies recover. Some NBA players – perhaps due to their rock star lifestyles – don’t get the benefit of ideal sleep routines. For them, napping is an ideal way to catch up after partying late into the night.

But prepare to have your mind blown!

A study of the Academy of Sleep Medicine found that the circadian rhythms of NFL players directly correlated with their performance in points, wins and the number of injuries. If sports legends can benefit from a nap using the Trtl Pillow Plus then so can you.

Being launched after a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, you can sign up for advance notice of when the Trtl Pillow Plus becomes available here.

 

How Champion Swimmers Nap

 

 

 

America’s World Champion Swimmer Michael Andrew, at 6ft 4ins, really appreciates the unique height adjustability of the Trtl Pillow Plus. It helps to aid his naps before competitive races.

Triple Olympian and Commonwealth champion swimmer Hannah Miley, a two-time Commonwealth champion, uses the Trtl Pillow Plus to help her hack her beat jet lag and reach peak performance.   

Hannah tells us,

“When I’ve used the Trtl Pillow Plus, I’ve found that it’s allowed my neck muscles to actually be completely relaxed. When I try and sleep on a flight I normally find my head lolls from side to side and I can never get comfortable. I always find I hold a lot of tension through my neck and when I get tension through my neck my traps get tight and as a swimmer having tight traps is just not good. It doesn’t allow good movement through the water.

“The temperature regulation for the Trtl Pillow Plus is hugely beneficial. It feels really comfortable and it has allowed me to nap more. It just allows you to be able to get those naps in whether you are. So if you’re sitting on a bus, sitting on a plane, sitting on a taxi, you can be able to grab those power naps as soon as you can so that your body can still stay refreshed and energised for the rest of the day.”

Others such as Teo Buensuceso, artistic director at the Regis corporation, agree. She considers the Trtl Pillow Plus “a game changer!”   

 

 

Tall or short, or somewhere inbetween, the Trtl Pillow Plus excels because it is fully adjustable to accommodate what will be the most comfortable fit for you.

 

How World Travellers Nap

 

 

Designed for travelers, and tested on journeys across the globe, the Trtl Pillow Plus offers a customisable travel solution suitable for everyone. Seasoned travel expert Lee Abbamonte – who has been described as “the Marco Polo of the 21st Century” by founder of Frommers Guidebooks, Arthur Frommer, tells us: “It’s the best travel pillow I’ve ever tried.”

We also love what people like Joan Pasch’s have shared about their experience trialing the very first batch of the Trtl Pillow Plus which they received as backers of our Kickstarter campaign.    

“Just used mine on a 6 hour flight,” Joan says. “I was asleep before take off and I woke up as the wheels touched down. Also, so much easier to carry than those bulky uncomfortable pillows.”

 

 

Alexander Novikov, also on Kickstarter, said: “Everything is perfect: top quality and functionality of the pillow and great service from the company. Thank you, Trtl team!”

Meanwhile, on Facebook, Virgil Fung and Erin Brady had this to say…

 

Still Wondering Why The Trtl Pillow Plus Is Considered By Many To Be The Best Travel Pillow Ever Invented?

 

 

Here are a few of the features that make the Trtl Pillow Plus truly special and uniquely superior to all other travel pillows on the market.

HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE 

Simply adjust the height of your Trtl Pillow Plus using the twisty toggles to create your own customised fit.

SUPER SUPPORTIVE

The internal support provides premium comfort during your nap, keeping your head and neck in an ergonomic position.

BREATHABLE FABRIC    

Ensures that you can sleep at a pleasant temperature during your journey.  

The Trtl Pillow Plus combines our wrap + nap technology with:

1. Plush foam padding and super soft microfleece provide premium comfort and guarantee a snuggly sleep.
2. Breathable mesh fabric which ensures you can sleep at a pleasant temperature during your journey.
3. An adjustable internal support, customise the Trtl Pillow Plus to your own head and neck.

The Trtl Pillow Plus builds on the design of the original Trtl Pillow and can be worn at either side or the front of the neck, so you can choose your most comfortable position or mix it up.

The Trtl Pillow Plus is compact, lightweight, machine washable and includes a protective, water resistant travel bag that can double up as a handy space in which to carry your passport and boarding pass. Leaving you more space in your hand luggage.   

Check out the video below for a demonstration of how to use the Trtl Pillow Plus and learn how to nap like a Pro.

 

    

After our successful campaign on Kickstarter, we’re so excited to share this the Trtl Pillow Plus with you and can’t wait for you to take your napping to new heights!

Trtl Pillow Plus launching soon on Amazon, be the first to know when we launch via Facebook Messenger or email.

To celebrate our brand new Trtl Pillow Plus, the team here at Trtl have uncovered the 11 nap types that are being enjoyed around the world – and even on the International Space Station.

Thanks to our definitive Trtl Guide To Napping, you can now understand which of the 11 top nap types is ideal for your needs, before choosing the best one for you.

Trtl’s All-Time 11 Best Naps On The Planet  – And On The International Space Station

 

 

1 - The Power Nap    

Probably the most famous of all naps. At just 10 to 20 minutes, the power nap is great for boosting your focus and productivity. It’s an effective way to overcome fatigue and boost your energy and alertness in a short space of time. One of the advantages of the power nap is that it can be done on the move. That is to say, while commuting. Short journeys, therefore, are perfect for napping. Good for train or bus journeys or taking a cab across town or if you’re the passenger on a longer car ride.

Just 20 minutes could help you stay fresh, assist with productivity goals, or help you do the things you enjoy for much longer.

Try the Trtl Pillow Plus to extend your commute power nap for maximum productivity.

2 - The Siesta

Certain cultures have embraced napping in a way that leaves the U.S. behind and somewhat bleary-eyed. Nations like Spain, Greece, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Philippines all consider napping a part of their daily life.

Spain does the Siesta with aplomb. Offices close, shops pull down the shutters and people disappear. But for many the siesta, which traditionally lasted for two to three hours, is no more than a 20-minute short nap before or after a lengthy and highly enjoyable lunch.

3 - The Premeditated Nap

Like the name suggests, this type of nap has been planned in advance and is perfect for the forward planner who likes to control their day. This is particularly useful if you are going to be staying up later than normal, which is often the case if you are crossing time zones.

The main benefit of the premeditated nap is that you can be proactive to stop yourself getting tired later and by planning ahead you don’t let the intention to nap slide.

4 - The Emergency Nap

You’re struggling to keep your eyes open at that all important meeting so you really have little choice but to grap an emergency kip. The real benefit of the emergency nap is that you were ready or even desperate for it. That means it isn’t difficult to fall asleep fairly quickly when you succumb to it.

The emergency nap is perfect if you are too tired to drive and need a nap to overcome fatigue. It’s also particularly important for those operating machinery to be fully alert as a quick emergency nap can help avoid a different emergency brought on by sleep deprivation. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time after your nap before getting behind the wheel of the car or working that heavy machinery as you may take time to return to being fully awake and alert.

5 - The Dali Nap

As surreal as it sounds, the Dali Nap is a micro-napping method developed by Spanish artist Salvador Dalí. This is the shortest of our naps. For Dali, it lasted no longer than it took for him to doze off and drop the spoon he was holding onto a plate on the floor. He claimed the brief rest worked wonders for him.

The inventor Thomas Edison is believed to have used a similar trick to wake himself up just at the point of falling asleep. He believed the very moment he falling asleep was when he was at his most creative. How he came up with the idea we’ll never know. Perhaps, it was a lightbulb moment.

6 - The NASA Nap

NASA sleep scientists discovered that their astronauts in space stations were sleeping between one-and-a-half to two hours less than those here on planet earth. Perhaps this was due to zero gravity or the effect of being alone in a tin can separate from the rest of humanity.

The NASA boffins decided to do some research into how they could help their astronauts get the right amount of sleep. They found napping helped.

But the problem with napping is that we go into slow wave sleep. That’s when your brain starts producing delta and theta brain waves and your body slows down and gets ready to go to sleep. This causes sleep inertia, a similar feeling to a hangover that can last up to 30 minutes after waking.

NASA discovered that just 26 minutes prevented the slow wave sleep and sleep inertia caused by sleeping a little longer. More specifically, that a nap exactly 26 minutes in length could enhance the astronauts’ performance by 34% and overall alertness by 54%.

It also gave them six minutes more than the 20 minute “power nap”.

Try the Trtl Pillow Plus to help you achieve the 26 minute NASA nap.

7 - The Habitual Nap

This is similar to the siesta. It is planned for the same time every day, often after lunch or when you arrive home from work. Children tend to have naps in kindergarten at the same time each day, why not adults?

The benefit of habitual napping is, of course, the routine. You can tweak your length or time of habitual nap until you discover the time and length that is perfect for you and helps you wake energised and ready for what the rest of the day, or night, has in store.

8 - The 60 Minute Nap

Sleeping for longer than the half-hour nap but less than 90 minutes can leave you feeling groggy and initially wanting a more substantial nap. Resist this temptation and the feeling will give way within 30 minutes and you’ll feel rejuvenated and also refreshed. According to sleep scientists, this kind of nap helps to boost memory and alertness for up to 10 hours.

9 - The Refresher Nap

Napping for 90 minutes takes you through every sleep stage including REM, deep and slow wave sleep. This is thought to help clear your mind, i

improve memory recall, and restore lost sleep. Naps that include a full cycle of sleep will help limit sleep inertia, and make it easier to wake up.

10 - The Jet Lag Nap

Travel-related naps are all-important for making the most of your time when you arrive at your destination. They can also prevent you from feeling tired and frustrated at the start of what could be a special holiday or trip to meet friends and loved ones.

The Jet Lag nap is especially useful as you transition between time zones. For that reason, it’s important to adopt a nap schedule that suits your destination time zone. It can also be flexible depending on the length of your flight, from a few hours to an overnight or gruelling 12+ hour flight.

You want to use your nap time so that you can sleep easy on local time.

Try the Trtl Pillow Plus and make the most of every moment of your travels by beating jet lag.

11 - The Disco Nap

Sleeping between Happy Hour and a Night Out is becoming more popular among those who want to socialise into the early hours after a busy working week. Not sure you have the energy? Take a 90 minute snooze before going to meet your friends. The disco nap will recharge your batteries and allow more time on the dancefloor.

Helpful guide to napping effectively

A 20-minute snooze can enhance alertness.

Limit the nap to 45 minutes if you need to spring into action on waking.

A 60-minute nap improves alertness for 10 hours.

Naps of 90-120 minutes encompass all stages of sleep and help clear the mind.

 

If you have any questions or comments about the Trtl Pillow Plus or any of our products, don't hesitate to get in touch with a member of the Trtl Support Team at hello@trtltravel.com we'd love to hear from you!