The siesta, arguably the most famous of Spanish traditions, has gone hi-tech.

A group based in Spain has developed an app that they say blends years of tradition with science, promising to leave users more rested than from a normal nap.

Every culture has its own take on the humble afternoon sleep, said developer Enrique Martínez Mateo. SiestApp is dedicated to perfecting the Spanish siesta. "In Spain, the tradition has always been to take a short nap of 15 to 20 minutes."

Medical studies have backed the custom, arguing that a short daytime doze is ideal for the heart, as well as improving alertness and mood.

The key to a perfect siesta, said Martínez Mateo, is to wake up before hitting the third stage of sleep. "If you enter this deep sleep phase, then you have to finish it. Otherwise you wake up in a terrible mood." With that in mind, SiestApp monitors users' movement and breathing to sound an alarm just before users enter this phase of sleep.

While Martínez Mateo and his team are hoping to capitalise on the custom, statistics suggest that the Spanish siesta is more cliche than venerable tradition. A 2011 study by Spanish mattress manufacturer Pikolin found that only 10% of Spaniards managed to find time to snooze during the day. Experts put the number higher in Germany.

In 2010, a group calling itself the National Association of Friends of the Siesta held a nine-day siesta championship to promote the practice, arguing that the custom could disappear due to the hectic modern lifestyles of Spaniards.

That may be the case in Madrid and Barcelona, said Martínez Mateo, but in smaller cities the tradition is alive and well. "And on weekends, of course you have a siesta. A good meal and a good siesta. For us it's sacred."