Okay, so it’s been 35 glorious years since Garfield was first published and as we all know, our favorite cat sure loves his naps.  While the benefits of a good night’s sleep are irreplaceable, taking the right kind of naps can be almost as helpful to your body and mind as getting that full 8 hours.

Let’s be honest, we’re all super busy, and of course there is not always enough time in the day to get the proper amount of sleep, but taking quick cat naps can be extremely beneficial to your overall wellness.

Napping has been proven to increase alertness, improve memory function, mood, and it’s simply an overall amazing activity (we can all attest to that).  I mean, we all remember nap time in preschool and how awful it was having to fall asleep when there were all of those blocks, and dinosaurs, and dolls, and paint, and chalk, and oh! Look at those Lincoln Logs—how I miss Lincoln Logs. But of course, as life goes, great things must always come to an end, and unfortunately nap time was something many of us never even had time to appreciate while we had it.

So, in an effort to bring us all back to the Glory Days, I have outlined a few tips I’ve picked up from our sleep experts at Sleep City on how to maximize nap time and take advantage of all the wonderful things that it offers:

1. Find the perfect place to curl up in—the environment you nap in can have serious effects on the quality of nap you enjoy. Finding a quiet place, such as your car, can be very beneficial.
2. Take a caffeine nap—yup, that’s what I said.  This nap saved me at college.  Drink a cup right before you nap, and the caffeine boost will wake you up around 15 to 30 minutes later, or as soon as it kicks in.  Then, not only are you caffeinated, but also well rested!
3. Utilize your alarm—oversleeping can affect you in an equally negative way.  Most experts say 15-25 minutes should do the job perfectly, 30 minutes maximum.
4. Let people know—in order to not be disturbed, ensure that your fellow employees, family members, friends, etc. know that you are napping and that you will be back to save the world shortly.

Hopefully a few of these tips can help keep you better rested when you lose a few hours at night.  And, of course, to find the perfect pillow for your cat naps, check out our gel pillow selection.

Perhaps, the reason you aren’t getting good sleep at night is because your mattress is getting old.  While breaking up with your mattress can be tough, buying a new mattress could be exactly what you need.

Cheers and happy naptime!