You can’t put a price on a good night’s sleep – or can you?
You’d be hard-pressed to find a millennial out there who wouldn’t want to pick up an extra 30 minutes of sleep at any given time. But if you prefer yours in an environment that’s a little more private than the 501 streetcar, a downtown nap destination could be the perfect solution.
Enter the ‘nap bar’.
Unlike your average watering hole, there is no alcohol available and you won’t get chucked out by a burly bouncer if you struggle to keep your eyes open.
PAUZzzz, the world’s first nap bar in Brussels, opened up earlier this year and describes itself as, “a space dedicated to relaxation therapy” that is “quick, efficient… answering our modern lifestyle.”
Clients can pay to visit on their lunch break (sessions are available starting at just 15 minutes), in the early afternoon, or before work at the Wake Up Bar (which seems a little counter-intuitive if you ask me).
You’ll be provided slippers, accompanied to your relaxation corner, and invited to put your belongings in a locker for the duration of your session (hint: no peeking at your phone while you’re supposed to be napping). You can customize the experience however you wish, with a range of options like soft music and light therapy before you’re woken up at the end of your slot.
Sessions range from €7 for 15 minutes to €25 for longer stretches, with gift cards and memberships available.
And they’re not the only ones with the idea. Dubai is currently holding a nap bar installation at the Zumtobel Lighting Warehouse. Created by French furniture studio Smarin, the exhibition invites the public to come by, take a break, and re-energize – free of charge – on their comfy lounge chairs with special nap pillows and matching ponchos.
The hours at the Dubai nap lounge are much more conducive to those looking to recharge their batteries during working hours, as it’s open every day (except Friday) from 10am to 7pm.
Just imagine how great would it be to take a refreshing power nap after work on thirsty Thursdays when you have plans to go straight from the office to the bar, theatre or dinner.
Smarin
Attendees can enjoy herb tea, lullabies and essential oils before drifting off into slumber. But you’ll act quickly as it ends on March 31.
So are nap bars really becoming a thing? Or is this just the latest attention-grabbing fad to hit our generation? (Attention, urban commuters still whizzing past us to the boardroom: 2008 called and it wants its micro scooter back).
By now we are fully aware of the benefits of a power nap. Companies are beginning to realize that pushing through when we’re tired isn’t very productive, and these days it’s not just Google employees who have nap rooms to facilitate some much-needed shut-eye.
But the idea of paying for sleep – however cheaply – is a little strange. And no matter how tired we’re feeling, expecting sleep to on command in a controlled environment is not always reasonable. How many times have you pinched yourself to stay awake in an afternoon meeting only to be completely wired when you get home?
That said, we’re pretty sure the line would go around the block on a Friday at 5:30pm if King Street opened up a nap bar in Toronto. Because it’s never “just one drink” after a long work week, is it?
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