The first step for taking a restful nap is to make yourself comfortable. That may mean stretching out on your couch or bed at home or putting your head down on your desk at work. You'll also want to make sure that the area around you is quiet — earplugs can help drown out office chatter, or you can shut your door if you have one.

A short nap appears to be optimal, so you'll want to limit your sleep time. Sleep longer than 15 to 20 minutes and you may feel groggy or find it harder to fall asleep later that night. You won't enjoy your siesta if you're worried you're going to oversleep, so set an alarm. You can use your alarm clock, a watch, or the alarm on a cell phone, for example.

Finally, if you want to try power napping at work, run it by your boss first — after all, you don't want to be caught napping on the job without clearing it with your supervisor. Mention that you're going to cut your lunch break short and use the time to take a short nap later to help boost your productivity. How can your boss say no to that?