The secret of happiness could be as simple as having a quick snooze in the daytime, research suggests.
A study found that taking naps of less than 30 minutes improves our sense of well-being, as well as boosting performance. The researchers have suggested a new word to describe the contented feeling after a brief doze: "nappiness".
Professor Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, said: "Previous research has shown that naps of under 30 minutes make you more focused, productive and creative, and these new findings suggest... that you can also become happier by just taking a short nap."
However the study found that those who took longer naps were less happy than those who did not nap at all.
More than 1 000 people took part in the study, conducted for the Edinburgh International Science Festival.
Among the participants, 66 percent of "short nappers" who slept for less than half an hour reported feeling happy, compared with 56 percent of "long nappers" and 60 percent of those who never napped.