As more companies come to realize that tired workers affect their bottom line, we have seen a growing number of dedicated nap spaces pop up around the country in universities, airports, and even in malls. But as NBC reported, the lack of sleep still costs the US 411 billion dollars annually or approximately 1.2 million dollars per work day as sleep deprivation has been directly linked to decreased work performance.
Research continually shows that the benefits of only a short 20-minute nap can help increase alertness, focus, productivity, and reduce mistakes at work. A lack of sleep impairs your memory and your cognition—your ability to think and process information. Additionally, our own bodies can play a role in needing a nap. Our brain’s natural sleep chemical, melatonin, causes the midday hump, which tells our bodies it’s time to sleep. Tony Schwartz, the president and CEO of The Energy Project, makes a claim for the Harvard Business Review that sleep is even more important than food.
“There were many times I found myself sitting in my cubicle fighting the urge to fall asleep. I had heard of nap spaces before, but I only saw them in more forward-thinking offices like Nike, Huffington Post, Google, and Uber. Which is great for them, but where was the option for the rest of us? Where do we sleep to recharge for the day when we’re away from home?” said Simone Magee.
Wanting to remedy this conundrum, Magee got to work and designed caNAPy. A nap lounge created to bridge the gap between sleep deprivation or the midday hump and accessibility. You make a reservation through the dedicated app; where you can view available times and set your preferred nap setting ahead of your arrival. Your stay can be anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. Upon receipt you receive your room number and key code to enter, creating a faster and more seamless process.
The caNAPy app also allows users to purchase upgrades, like one-time-use shorts, a sleep mask, or a blanket. The rooms will be equipped with sound proof walls and dimmed lighting. A walk-in option is available for caNAPy. However, with the average American receiving only 6 out of the 8 recommended hours of sleep per night, Magee is confident that the rooms will maintain full capacity during the week. Thus, booking in advance through the app guarantees customers will have a space. The price of a single stay will range from $18.00 to $45.00 dollars.
Magee is no stranger to bringing new ideas to life. In 2016, her entrepreneurial spirit led her to create a successful consumer product for women. Within a year, she had designed, filed a patent, manufactured, and landed the product on store shelves nationwide. In that same year, she won the Chicago Tribune’s Big Idea Award for Art and Design for her creation.
Magee would later go on to enlist the help of her former high-school classmate and best friend Camille Baker to create the app. Baker has experience developing and coding apps, having created the fastest growing meal-sharing marketplace for at-home chefs.
And Baker says it took no convincing at all. The same night the idea was shared with her was the same night she got to work building it.
Magee was able to raise funds for the initial infrastructure from an angel round consisting of notable family and friends. She is currently in the midst of securing funding for her seed round to accelerate growth for caNAPy. caNAPy is set to launch with a soft opening in Chicago this summer, with a rollout for locations throughout the United States by the fall in central business districts.
She feels the most important part of guaranteeing caNAPy’s success is keeping it affordable and accessible to everyone. “This is for the parent who had to stay up with a sick child all night, the person who feels that intense wave of sleep from the midday hump, a day traveler, or just for when you stayed out a little too late the night before.”
Magee believes that the more customers who are able to catch some z’s throughout the day the more productive of a nation we can become.