The Zen Den offers a variety of stress management resources including

• biofeedback
• a robotic massage chair
• nap room
• light therapy (for Seasonal Affective Disorder)
• and more.

The Zen Den is available to all enrolled Auburn University students. You do not have to be a client at SCPS to utilize the Zen Den. To schedule an orientation session and begin managing your stress in a unique, proactive manner, call Student Counseling & Psychological Services at 334.844.5123.

We hope you find our website helpful. Please feel free to call Student Counseling & Psychological Services if you have any further questions or concerns.

A nap can help you think more clearly and react more quickly, boost your mood and improve your memory, said Jade Wu, a sleep psychologist at Duke University. It’s worth experimenting with a midday rest, experts say. A good nap is as much art as science, and can take some practice to master.

Here’s how to become a skilled napper.

Time it right.

The best time to nap is about six to eight hours after you wake up in the morning, said Sara Mednick, a professor of cognitive science at the University of California, Irvine. There’s a “natural circadian dip” in early to midafternoon, Dr. Wu said, because levels of the stress hormone cortisol and other signals that help keep us alert start to wane then. Be careful about napping too late in the day or for too long, especially if you struggle with insomnia, Dr. Wu said: “That’s like eating a really big dessert before dinner; it’s going to take away from your appetite.”

Keep expectations low.

You may not fall asleep during your nap — or at least you may not think you have — and that’s OK, Dr. Mednick said. We are often “somewhat conscious” in the early stages of sleep, she said, but “it’s still good rest.” She pointed to a recent study that found that drifting into the lightest stage of sleep — a sort of twilight zone where your mind wanders in a dreamlike way — for even one minute during a 20-minute rest generated more creativity and better problem-solving in young adults.

Get comfortable.

Settle into a quiet place where you’re unlikely to be interrupted, and put your phone on airplane mode, Dr. Wu said. If you’re lucky enough to have an office or access to a nap room, consider keeping a pillow, eye mask and earplugs at work, said Jessica Payne, a professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame. Then, try to tune into your five senses to “get out of your head and into your body,” Dr. Wu said, and let your breathing slow and deepen. “That allows the sleep to come to you.”

Mind the caffeine.

There’s limited evidence that a “coffee nap,” where you consume caffeine just before dozing off, can improve your mood and alertness after you wake up. That might be helpful if you’re preparing to work a night shift; otherwise, Dr. Mednick isn’t a fan of this approach. It can backfire if the caffeine keeps you up at bedtime, she said.