The nap renaissance

For many of us, the subject of napping — and even the act of napping itself — seems a little silly and self-indulgent. If we are healthy, thriving, successful adults, then surely we don’t need to nap like children, right?

It turns out that what we often patronisingly refer to as a “nanna nap” or “catnap” actually has profound physical benefits. Napping is also becoming an increasingly serious business. From gyms in the UK to wellness studios in Sydney, napping classes are on the rise. So are “nap bars” or cafes that provide a space for city workers in Europe to doze during their lunch breaks. Napping rooms in corporate offices — something that would have been laughable a decade ago — are trendy now too.

This nap and author of , who embarked on a sleep crusade after collapsing from exhaustion and subsequently hitting her head on her desk in 2007. Huffington is now a huge advocate for nap rooms in offices and has had one in the office for years. “I predict in the next few years that nap rooms are going to be as universal as conference rooms because the science now is conclusive about the value of napping,” she said in 2016.