Recent research has shown that no quick fix fills your personal energy tank with more high-octane juice than a well-executed power nap. If you do it right, a 20-minute afternoon siesta can hook you up with enough bonus fuel and brain power for the rest of the day. And it can help you sleep better at night too.

What’s in It for Me?

Power napping is basically like yoga for your brain, except without all the stretching or crappy flute music. Skeptical? Check out some of the benefits:

Lower stress levels. Stress is like a toxin. Toxins are poisons. Poisons are bad.

Elevated alertness and productivity. It may not be quite like having Spidey Sense. And you probably won’t suddenly start cranking out whole term papers in a day. But you’ll have more snap to your step and increase your stamina for the rest of the day.

Better memory and learning. Generally a benefit all around. But especially in class, when your cranky professor asks a question, then points his Uncle-Sam-Wants-YOU finger at the back of the room where you’re sitting and demands an answer. And your brain responds by throwing down like Jackie Chan.

Heart-healthy. Like oatmeal, spinach, and fish oil, only not disgusting. And taking a nap is a lot cheaper than the health-food store. Actually, it’s free.

Easier to exercise. Power naps can help motivate you to exercise and give you more bang for your buck by making your workout more efficient. When people call you lazy for power napping, tell them you’re getting ready to pump iron. And then crush them with your super-efficient muscles.

Increased creativity and imagination. Obviously great for artists, writers, and other creative types. But also useful for anyone trying to solve a problem or come up with ideas. Stuck on a calculus problem? No idea what to write about Beowulf? Wish you could just sleep on it? Well, now there’s science to back up the idea that “sleeping on it” can help you when you’ve got a complicated problem or big decision in front of you. A power nap gives your unconscious mind time to work through the problem, so you may have the answer once you wake up.

More sleeping, less sleepiness. Tired of tossing and turning all night? Napping during the day can actually help you sleep better at night and be less sleepy during the day. Just keep your power naps brief because they’re kind of like food: Eat too much, and you’ll ruin your dinner.

Better health in general. We’ll just quote the great Stan Lee here: ’Nuff said.

Wait. I Actually Have to Prepare Myself?

Preparing for the perfect power nap is pretty easy, but it still takes a little more than just hitting the lights and falling into your dad’s old La-Z-Boy.

Dr. Sarah Mednick, author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life, offers simple guidelines that could mean the difference between plain-Jane napping and power napping.Understand you’re not being lazy, you’re preparing for success.

• Overcoming any negative or guilty feelings of laziness will help you slide into and out of a power nap.

• Nap in the morning or after lunch. Late-afternoon naps will make you groggy.

• Avoid foods with lots of caffeine, fats, and sugars, which can interfere with your ability to sleep.

• Eat calcium and protein an hour or two before you nap. These things help you sleep.

• Power-nap in a clean, quiet place. (We know, “quiet dorms” is a contradiction. Try ear plugs; you can pick up a 10-pair box at Walgreens or any drugstore for about $5.) Mute your cell phone or turn it off. You’ll live.

•  Power-nap in darkness or wear eyeshades. Darkness increases melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep.

• Use a blanket. Your body temperature falls when you sleep.

• Set an alarm.

How Long Should I Set My Alarm For?

Research has shown that different lengths of power naps produce different results. So customize your nap for what you need and what you can fit into your schedule.

Dr. Mednick has detailed four different types of power naps:

Micro-Nap: 2–5 minutes

Effective for getting rid of sleepiness.

Mini-Nap: 5–20 minutes

Increased alertness, stamina, learning, and performance.

Original Power Nap: 20 minutes

All the benefits of the micro- and mini-naps, with the added bonus that it improves muscle memory and long-term memory by allowing your brain to dump the useless extra information it’s stored.

Lazy-Man’s Nap: 50–90 minutes

This nap enters REM sleep. You’ll improve your perceptual processing and healing, especially of your bones and muscles.