Shorter naps only include stage-two sleep, which is particularly helpful for alertness and memory, said Sara Mednick, a sleep researcher at University of California-Irvine. “It’s like putting yourself into low-power mode just for a little bit and letting your body recuperate,” said Mednick, author of “Take a Nap! Change Your Life.” Her research has found that naps work better than caffeine and a placebo to improve cognitive functioning. … Mednick recommended saving longer naps for the weekends, or when you have time to sleep a full 90 minutes. After about half an hour, you enter slow-wave sleep, which helps the body repair muscle tissue.

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