(I apologize if this post already went through, but something happened to my computer and I’m not sure it did.)
sechel, Shmoneh Esrei can be a tefillas nedavah, but Birkos Krias Shema can’t, and if they are said after chatzos it’s a berachah levatalah.
As to being a hedyot (not an idiot!) when sleeping in the sukkah when you are pattur, the same is true of eating in the sukkah when it is raining, yet Lubavichers do so, and with a berachah!