23-Nov-17 – Sleepy shoppers are in luck. A “nap studio” has opened on Michigan Avenue across from Millennium Park, offering a bed, blanket, and pillow to the sleep-deprived.

Peace Power Napping says its service is for exhausted professionals, students, and travelers. 30 minutes of naptime costs $20. Using a mobile app, nappers can reserve a small space complete with eye mask, eye pillow, ear plugs, silk pillowcases, and aromatherapy. Wi-Fi, USB ports, and outlet are available, too, if you can’t completely unplug. When your time is up, lights and music fade in. (Left) Beds at Peace Power Napping. (Click on image to view larger version.)

Founder Jennifer Thomas calls it “on-demand napping.” She says the goal of Peace Power Napping is to “make it as easy as possible for city dwellers to grab a restorative midday power nap.”

According to a 2016 study by Centers for Disease Control, 35 percent of adults in the United States do not get at least seven hours of sleep per day on a regular basis. Seven hours is the minimum recommended by American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society for adults aged 18 to 60 “to promote optimal health and well-being.”

“Sleep isn’t a luxury,” says Thomas. “it’s the foundation on which every aspect of our being rests upon. Our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness, our ability to be actively engaged in our work and our relationships, and our likelihood to fulfill our life’s true potential is all contingent upon how rested we are.”

Free 30-minute naps will be offered on Friday and Monday.