Making sleep a profitable business

It may not be a novel idea to tell people to sleep well, but providing them with slumber pods so they can catch up on their shut-eye is a first.
Arshad Chowdhry, a Bangladeshi American entrepreneur, is providing just such a service in New York.

He has started a sleep centre for corporate employees and anyone who wants to catch a quick "power nap".

Metronaps is situated on the 24th floor of the Empire State building surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.

Mr Chowdhry says: "Metronaps is the first place in the US where people can come and take a midday power nap. It keeps busy executives alert and functioning at their best during the day.

"The entire process takes about 25 minutes and is designed to fit right into their business day."

'Limited time'

"We know that our customers have a limited amount of time, so we make it as easy as possible for them to do during the day. So we order lunch for them," he explained.

The cost? Fourteen dollars for 20 minutes in one of the state-of-the-art sleeping pods.

"Most people come in sceptical and curious but leave truly believing in the service that we offer," he said.

Mr Chowdhry and his business partner spent three years researching the design of the pods, which are specially adapted chairs fitted with vibration devices designed to make them nod off and lights to wake them up at the end of the sleep.

"These pods are designed to fit anywhere, like airports, highway restaurants and even in corporate offices. We designed the pods and oversee its manufacture and we own the trademark of these pods," he says.

Information overload

Mr Chowdhry points to experiments done at Harvard University which suggested that even a short nap helped reverse information overload.

"There is a tremendous amount of research that supports the notion that a 20-minute midday nap can rejuvenate people. It improves memory, learning and mood and can boost productivity by up to 30%," he says.


The National Sleep Foundation found the average American adult slept for less than seven hours a night during a working week.

Ben Skinner is a regular napper and one of Metronaps' satisfied customers.

'Enormously efficient'

He says: "It is enormously efficient for me. I wish there were more of them. It is very convenient for me to take a 20-minute nap. It helps my productivity. I also like the fact that it's discreet."

Mr Chowdhry got the idea when he worked as a banker in New York.

He noticed many colleagues dozing off at their desks.

"At work I realised that people are quite tired at work and falling off their desks or even sneaking off to the toilets to catch rest. Then I realised that we are really missing a comfortable and a convenient place to take a nap during the day," said Mr Chowdhry.

He studied napping at the Carnegie Mellon University for two years and at the end of the course he decided the idea was strong enough to create a business model around.

Mr Chowdhry said he had received enquiries about the pods, which cost $8,000 each, from companies in India, Pakistan, Singapore, China and some European countries.

'Wellness rooms'

Many US companies have created "wellness rooms" for their employees, to allow them to take breaks from the hectic action of their offices or the stock market floor.

Mr Chowdhry said several were considering buying pods and installing them in these wellness rooms.

Some pods are fitted with a visor, which swings down to provide more privacy.

"We have hit upon a nerve globally, not just here in the US. So we have started making international sales. We are selling through our website. And we have set our eyes on airports," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3637768.stm

its true! i feel asleep in class today, and when i woke up i was in a better mood
and i was able to think a lot clearer!

besides a sleep pod could be the perfect treatment for midday boredom

Knowing my luck.... I'd pay the money to take a nap and then wouldn't be able to get to sleep!

When I start to sleep I always want more than 20 minutes though, before I've planned to have a 20 minute nap and ending up sleeping for like 3 hours lol.

Hehehe... I always said there should be beds at college for people who have a big lunch break, like 2 hours, but it's not worth going home for! I also suggested they have showers for people who oversleep and don't get time to have one at home, but the idea has sadly never caught on lol.

Ames

When I worked for Interplay(Software developer) the hours were so long that the employees decided that we needed to have what amounted to "barracks" in the building that had beds and showers in order to accomodate folks that needed to be able to crash after a 20 hour day(Or more in some cases)...

Naps are a good thing on a long day...as was a shower...it was very refreshing...

I love naps!

i love naps too

I believe you

it sounds good, but it takes me more then an hour to fall asleep, what do they do then

Naps are all well and good, for those who can get to sleep quickly, I can only sleep at night when I go to bed, I just cant nap, its actually very annoying, but this is really quite a good idea!

i have alot of trouble sleeping, i always have

look at your avatar. that might explain it

They should have those things in high schools across america, it would help us so

Not just America... everywhere!

As good for you as it is, it just worries me that Capitalism has now marketed something as basic as sleep.

I would have to agree with you on that one!

In kindergarden, I never slept at nap time.

How little did I know that I would only truly appreciate nap time until I entered high school. . . . . .

[quote=ames2787,Sep 11 2004, 12:57 AM]
Knowing my luck.... I'd pay the money to take a nap and then wouldn't be able to get to sleep!

When I start to sleep I always want more than 20 minutes though, before I've planned to have a 20 minute nap and ending up sleeping for like 3 hours lol.

Lol, i'm the same. 20 minutes are just not enough