Picture this: it’s midday after a long morning of classes. You just ate lunch, and your eyes are starting to feel heavy. You might gaze longingly toward your comfy bed and consider crashing for several hours before tackling your homework—but hold on a minute! A speedy power nap of 20–30 minutes is actually the best option. Short naps of 30 minutes or less are proven to strengthen your learning, motor, and memory skills, and can help get your body going again if that latest all-nighter has you feeling groggy.
Try to schedule a power nap between classes or before a long study session. Set your alarm for the time you need or want to wake up, and make sure the nap is at least several hours before bedtime so you don’t disrupt your regular sleep. Disable notifications on your phone, or put it on airplane mode, and find a dark, quiet spot. And if thoughts keep popping up, preventing you from catching those ZZs, jot them down on a piece of paper to deal with when you wake up.