They're both icons. They've both won against the odds. And soon, they'll both be retired.
Former New York Yankees player Derek Jeter recently sat down with President Barack Obama and told him what it was like to hang up the spikes for the last time. He smiled as he told the president what to expect on his first day off the job: “You’re going to sleep a lot.”
“I slept. I don’t think I got up,” Jeter said in a conversation with Obama that was published Wednesday on Jeter's website, The Players’ Tribune.
The president said he had similar plans for his early days in retirement.
“Derek, that is my intention as well,” Obama said. “I’m going to catch on some sleep.”
Ready For 'That Post-Administration Glow'
Obama told The Huffington Post last year that he looked forward to sleeping more when his presidency ended. When asked how much rest he gets a night, he said, “Probably not enough.”
“I will say that when people leave the administration and I see them six months later, they have that post-administration glow,” Obama said at the time. “They look really good. So I’m hoping the same happens to me.”
Following Jeter's advice could help with that, Mr. President: Research has shown that getting more sleep can actually make you look more approachable and less weary, and can keep your skin looking younger.
There is currently no research on whether sleep can keep hair from graying.
There's Rest Ahead For A President Who Doesn't Nap
The president’s sleep also came up during Thursday's White House press briefing.
“Do you have any way of quantifying how much sleep the president gets most nights, and should we be worried that he doesn’t get enough?” a reporter asked Press Secretary Josh Earnest, referencing the Jeter interview.
There are valid reasons to be concerned about a commander in chief who doesn’t get enough sleep: Sleep deprivation can lead to trouble focusing and remembering things, increased stress levels and poor decision-making.
However, Earnest assured the White House press corps that they didn't need to be concerned about the president’s sleep debt.
“I think what the president would say is he gets enough, but he’d be happy to get a little bit more,” Earnest said.
The press secretary noted that he has never seen Obama take a nap.
“Certainly not during a workday," Earnest said. "No, I cannot think of a situation where I’ve seen the president napping.”
“I think he would enjoy the opportunity to have some more sleep -- and have more sleep that was more restful without the weight of the world on his shoulders,” he added. “He’s looking to a post-presidency that includes more and more restful sleep.”
Sarah DiGiulio is The Huffington Post’s sleep reporter. You can contact her at sarah.digiulio@huffingtonpost.com.
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