Power napping isn't just for toddlers or lazy Sunday afternoons. When done correctly, a strategic daytime sleep can boost your alertness, improve your mood, and enhance your productivity for the rest of the day.

The key word here is correctly -- because a poorly timed or too-long nap can leave you feeling worse than when you started. And the science behind power napping is fascinating.

A brief sleep during your natural afternoon energy dip can restore cognitive function, improve memory consolidation, and even boost your immune system. NASA research published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that a 26-minute nap can improve pilot performance by 34% and alertness by 100%.

However, napping is an art that requires following specific rules. Get the timing wrong, sleep too long, or nap too late in the day, and you'll either wake up groggy or struggle to fall asleep at bedtime.

Follow these five essential dos and don'ts, and your power naps will actually boost your energy.

Now you've learned how to take the perfect power nap, why not take a look at our other useful guides?

Check out I can fall asleep in five minutes flat -- here's how I do it night after night and how to choose a mattress for your sleep position.

And to protect your mattress from an infestation this summer, here's 5 bed bug prevention tips.