Power Napping: The Manual

Rick Broida's recent post in Business Hacks, "Skip the Coffee, Power-Nap for 20 Minutes to Combat Afternoon Fatigue," about the value of taking a wee siesta in the afternoon, garnered quite a few comments but very little opposition. Few dispute that naps are nice. One wag even suggested "the caffeine nap:" "You drink your cup of coffee-- then immediately take a 15 to 20 minute nap." I get the jitters just thinking about the zap-awake falling dreams that would induce.
But if you're like many in this information age, you might need a manual to do it right. Thankfully, the good ol' Boston Globe comes through with a comprehensive guide to napping. Among the REM-inducing gems of common sense napping advice:

• Quiet your mind by repeating a mantra
• If noise is an issue, try earplugs or a white noise recording
• Darken the room or wear an eye-shade. (Besides, eye-shades are so mid-60s jet set cool)
• Set an alarm (so you don't miss that big pitch meeting)