We sleep—or, at least, should sleep—for upwards of 7 hours a night. That’s roughly 34 percent of our day, or, if we live to 100 years old, 34 years spent in a horizontal, unconscious position. For something to occupy such a large portion of our life, you’d have to think the reason it exists is incredibly important.

While the exact workings behind sleep are still unknown, we do know that in relation to our health and longevity, it is essential. However, not all that sleep needs to come at the same time. Night provides the best opportunity for some lengthy shuteye, but taking short naps at different times throughout the day can also prove immensely beneficial. An article in the Little Things has more:

Benefit #1: Sharpens Cognitive Functions

We all know that if you don’t get enough sleep at night, you’re definitely not on your game the next day. And just as sleep affects learning and information retaining abilities, so do naps. Taking a 60 to 90-minute nap has been shown to boost mental performance for up to 24 hours afterwards.

Benefit #2: Improves Heart Health

A study at Harvard showed that people who nap regularly are less likely to have heart health issues later in life. Napping makes up for a lack of sleep that can wreak havoc on heart health that, unfortunately, a lot of us experience. So what’s a regular nap? At least three times a week, for at least 30 minutes.

While napping might feel unusual or even uncomfortable to begin with, once we get used to it and start incorporating it into our day, plenty of benefits will come with it. Make sure you check out the full article for the other tips.

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