Smart timer
Sleep Buffer, alarm guidance and presets for 6, 10, 20, 26 minutes or a full cycle.
The little library of rest
Learn the science of short sleep, find your perfect nap length, and wake up at exactly the right moment — with a little help from Dozer the bear and our free, privacy-first nap timer app.
The app at a glance
Set a nap, fall asleep without watching the clock, and wake up ready. Nap & Recharge keeps your data on your device.
Sleep Buffer, alarm guidance and presets for 6, 10, 20, 26 minutes or a full cycle.
Review weekly, monthly and yearly trends, with CSV/PDF export in Pro.
Ambient sounds, meditations, stories and custom audio in Pro, without ads or subscriptions.
Educational sleep information, not medical advice. If daytime sleepiness is persistent or affects safety, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.
Why nap at all?
While you're awake, a chemical called adenosine slowly builds up in your brain, creating "sleep pressure" — that heavy, foggy afternoon feeling. A short nap actively clears it out, like emptying a full cup.
Taking brief, strategic rests during the day is not a sign of laziness; it is a proven biological tool to reset your brain, enhance cognitive function, and dramatically improve your daily output.
NASA found pilots performed 34% better after a short in-flight nap.
The same study measured a 54% increase in alertness after just one nap.
The famous sweet spot: long enough to recharge, short enough to avoid grogginess.
Find your nap
Scientifically validated durations to match your schedule and cognitive needs.
A bedtime story for grown-ups
Five small steps between you and waking up like a new person.
Aim for the early afternoon, between 1 and 3 PM — your body's natural energy dip. Napping later can push your bedtime back.
A slight drop in temperature signals your body it's time to sleep. Dim the lights, silence notifications, maybe add some gentle ambient sound.
The timer is what turns a risky doze into a power nap. It wakes you in light sleep, before deep sleep and grogginess can begin.
Even quiet rest with closed eyes is restorative. If you drift off, wonderful — if not, your brain still gets a break. No pressure.
Resist the snooze. Stand up, stretch, get some light — the refreshed feeling arrives within a couple of minutes.
Pro technique
Drink a cup of coffee right before you lie down for a 20-minute power nap. Caffeine takes about 20 minutes to be absorbed — while you rest, your brain clears adenosine, and the caffeine kicks in at the exact moment you wake up. A natural recharge and a chemical boost, perfectly synchronized.
From the nap journal
Short, science-backed reads for curious nappers.
It happens almost every day, right on schedule. The common explanation is lunch — but that's not actually true. Meet your circadian rhythm.
Read articlearrow_forwardNot all naps are created equal. Each duration does something different inside your brain — here's how to choose the right one.
Read articlearrow_forwardNASA's landmark 1995 study proved a 26-minute cockpit nap boosted pilot performance by 34% and alertness by 54%.
Read articlearrow_forwardEver napped hoping to feel refreshed, only to wake up like a zombie? That's sleep inertia — and timing is the key to avoiding it.
Read articlearrow_forward
Meet the app
Nap & Recharge puts everything on this page into a single, friendly timer — built on the science, wrapped in a cozy design, and completely respectful of your privacy.
Gamification
Gamify your rest! Your battery charges with every nap. Your first daily nap grants a 50% bonus. Form a healthy habit — miss a day, and the battery drains.
Wake-up Experience
Choose from a full library of wake-up sounds — from gentle nature sounds to uplifting melodies. Pair it with a customizable vibration fade-in that softly increases intensity, so you wake up feeling refreshed instead of startled.
Smart Timer
Not sure if you'll actually fall asleep? That's totally fine. Short naps are designed for that — even just resting your body and mind is beneficial. The Sleep Buffer gives you a stress-free window before your timer even starts.
Honest pricing
Unlock the full potential. No subscriptions, just a single seamless upgrade.
Google Play Rating
"Exactly what I was looking for. Used the free version once and ended up buying pro for the extra options. Perfect."
"Works flawlessly. It feels better to use the app for 15 minutes than to aimlessly scroll through Instagram for 3 hours."
"Simple, intuitive, informative. I really like it."
Sleepy questions
For most people, 10–20 minutes is ideal. You stay in light sleep, wake up refreshed and avoid sleep inertia. If you have 90 minutes, a full sleep cycle including REM sleep is also a great option — anything between 30 and 60 minutes risks waking from deep sleep and feeling groggy.
The early afternoon, roughly between 1 and 3 PM. Your circadian rhythm naturally dips then — the famous post-lunch slump. Napping later than about 4 PM can interfere with your night sleep.
That heavy feeling is called sleep inertia. It happens when you wake up from deep (slow-wave) sleep, which usually begins after about 30 minutes. Keeping naps to 20 minutes or less — or extending them to a full 90-minute cycle — avoids it almost entirely.
You drink a coffee right before a 20-minute nap. Caffeine needs about 20 minutes to kick in, so it takes effect exactly as you wake up — while the nap has cleared adenosine from your brain. The combination boosts alertness more than either alone.
Yes. The Android app is free with no ads and no tracking — all data stays on your device. An optional one-time Pro upgrade unlocks extras like the full sound library, longer sleep buffers and lifetime statistics. There are no subscriptions.
No. Naps are a supplement, not a substitute. They restore alertness and focus during the day, but your body still needs 7–9 hours of consolidated night sleep for full physical and mental recovery.