I don't know how much it helps, but Maddy sure seems to like it. As a backup plan, players tell the hotel operators they're not taking calls during certain times. The length of the naps vary. Some players say they try and sleep for only 30 minutes while others sleep for a few hours. Earlier in his career Fitzgerald said he'd sleep for two or three hours during the day of a game, though he's cut that back significantly in recent years.
Many players think it does.
You have to make up for your sleep somewhere. Plus, the games are so emotional and you lose a lot of emotion out there on the ice. Dr. Bruce Rubinowicz, a neurologist and sleep disorder specialist with the Center for Neurological Treatment in Cool Springs, said getting into a habit of taking a nap can certainly boost performances. And with an 82-game schedule that requires a great deal of travel, a hockey player's biological clock is sure to take a beating during the course of a season. But just as a player needs consistency on the ice, he also needs it in his nap schedule or it could have a negative impact, Rubinowicz said.