They are seen sprawled out on the lawn or on benches, curled up in plush chairs, and slumped over cold hard desks.

Student nappers across campus from lounge rooms to the library are doing what they have always done, catching a few winks in an attempt to recuperate from a sleep deprived schedule.

What many don’t know, is that in this modern world of longer hours and longer to-do lists, napping has become somewhat of an art-form, as well as a burgeoning industry.

The benefits of so called “power-napping” have been touted by researchers at Harvard as well as NASA in a sleep study on astronauts. Their findings suggest that naps are short term quick-fix for mental alertness in the face of increasing sleep deficits, and decreasing sleep quality. A 2005 National Sleep Foundation poll of a random sample of 1,506 adults found that only 50 percent of them said they got a good night of sleep more than a few nights per week.

“A short nap can reduce the sleep drive, but it’s effects usually last only a couple of hours at most,” said Dr. Michael Zupancic, a physician at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic.

In his book, Power Sleep, Cornell psychologist Dr. James Maas suggests power-naps of 15-30 minutes because the sleeper does not go past the second phase of sleep. If the sleeper desires a longer nap, Maas recommends sleeping at least 90 minutes, after the completion of a full five stage sleep cycle. Naps lasting between 30-90 minutes can lead to an interruption in the cycle, causing sleep inertia, a feeling of overwhelming sleepiness and sluggishness after waking. After about 20-30 minutes, the third wave of sleep begins, which includes slower brainwaves.

Zupancic said that naps are beneficial for some but warns that naps interfering with night-time sleep, unless they are at a regular hour and duration.

“Your body wants a routine,” he said. “The ideal thing is to keep the same bed and wake times everyday, and not sleep in longer than an hour on weekends, although keeping a schedule like this may be unrealistic for younger people who go out on weekends, it’s really a lifestyle choice.”

Art major, and self described night owl, Leah Delmer, 21, naps about three times per week at school.

“Sometimes I take a nap in my car or in the student center, I actually enjoy sleeping in public because it means I will always be woken up by people,” she said.

Despite working at a bar until 2 a.m. many nights, Delmer still gets an average of eight hours sleep each night.

“I try to schedule classes around my sleep schedule,” she said. “I take my classes in the afternoon and at night because I’m a night owl.”

In addition to practicing napping techniques, those more serious power-nappers can now visit the facility, Metro Naps, which provides sleep conducive cots surrounded by pods and sound blocking headphones. Aimed at busy professionals, the first of these locations opened in 2004 in New York City’s financial district. Metro Naps is currently in the process of opening franchises on the west coast and hopes to have locations in either Los Angeles or San Francisco within one year, according to Mayra Flores, administrator at Metro Naps New York.

According to Zupancic, there is also likely a genetic component that further compounds the delayed sleeping patterns of teens and young adults. This theory is based on our evolution from tribal societies which needed the younger adults to remain awake as night watchmen for the sleeping village.

Regardless of age, said Zupancic, about 15 percent of the population are genetically predisposed to being night owls for life, and are more likely to feel drowsy during the day. That is unless they are vigilant about reprogramming their body’s sleep clock by waking on time and getting early morning exposure to light. This can be accomplished by going outside within five minutes of waking.

Whereas discipline in waking can be the solution for some, others may want to arrange their schedule around sleep when possible.

Senior psychology and finance major Javier Bello, 25, said that for the past three years he has not been getting enough sleep, averaging six hours per night.

“I’m working part-time and have hard classes, the result is that I sometimes don’t remember things, including homework,” he said. “After a nap in the library during lunch, I feel a little better, but not 100 percent.”