Short bursts of exercise boost your energy levels for the day. It’s powerful stuff, but what if you complemented your 20-minute exercise routine with a power nap?

Chances are, you’d feel doubly refreshed. Here’s why:

A 20-minute power nap is proven to improve your memory, mood, alertness and creativity - and the effects last up to 8 hours. Our Broadgate club even has sleep pods just for that purpose. Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill were both big fans of super-charged snoozing. It’s said to have all the restorative benefits of a full 8 hours sleep.

Impossible? Try it!

The trick is sticking as close to 20 minutes as possible. Any less and the effects will be diminished, and you’ll feel groggy and irritable. Here are a few tricks to send you off to sleepy land:

• Find a quiet space where you feel comfortable and won’t be interrupted.
• Close the curtains, dim the lights, and maybe wear an eye-mask.
• Put on some soothing music if that helps you relax.
• Set an alarm to gently wake you up, without startling you too much.
• Lie comfortably on your back (even if you normally sleep on your side or front at night).
• Make sure you’re nice and warm, as your body temperature tends to drop slightly when you fall asleep.
• Focus your attention on your breathing. Don’t try to change it or interfere with it, just become interested in it – the feeling of your chest rising and falling; the sensation of breathing in and out, and so on.
• If distracting thoughts pop into your mind, try not to follow them. Just bring your attention back to your breathing and let the thoughts go.
• With your mind preoccupied with ‘watching’ your breathing, you’ll slowly drift off to sleep. Even if you don’t fall asleep, switching off completely for 20-minutes has huge benefits for mind and body..
• When your alarm goes off, slowly open your eyes and give yourself a few minutes to adjust before sitting up and letting the world back in.

Happy snoozing.