The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    INTERVIEWAhn Hyo-seop wanted to share dedicated love with 'A Time Called You'

  • 3

    PHOTOSTeam Korea' s decisive moments at Asian Games

  • 5

    Seoul's financial assistance for egg freezing draws attention from single women

  • 7

    Korea wins gold, silver in men's golf

  • 9

    Korea's Coast Guard apprehends 22 Chinese after illegal entry attempt

  • 11

    SHINee launches first Japan tour in 5 years

  • 13

    Police launch belated probe into another teacher's suicide after parental harassment

  • 15

    Expressway congestion partially eases up as Koreans return home following Chuseok

  • 17

    Korea's drop in exports eases in Sept. on chip sales recovery

  • 19

    Germany's government and Elon Musk spar on X over migrant rescue ships

  • 2

    Korea blank China to reach men's football semifinals

  • 4

    Will blue crabs from Italy arrive on Korean dining tables?

  • 6

    Korea wins 1st gold in women's team badminton in nearly 30 yrs

  • 8

    Distraught roller skater apologizes for costly premature celebration

  • 10

    Over 30,000 protesters march for climate actions

  • 12

    Korea makes last-ditch bid to host World Expo 2030 in Busan

  • 14

    KOICA pushes for $1.8 mil. project to support Nigeria's ICT education

  • 16

    S. Korea wins 1st table tennis gold in 21 yrs

  • 18

    Heavy traffic jams mostly eased on 5th day of holiday

  • 20

    M+ deputy director discusses Seoul's potential to challenge Hong Kong as Asia's art hub

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Tue, October 3, 2023 | 22:26
Fashion
Nap cafes flourish in sleep-deprived Korea
Posted : 2017-06-25 17:49
Updated : 2017-06-26 18:22
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Bean bags in a nap cafe Shim Story in busy districts of Gangnam, southern Seoul, offers the comfort of home. / Captured from homepage
Bean bags in a nap cafe Shim Story in busy districts of Gangnam, southern Seoul, offers the comfort of home. / Captured from homepage

By Park Jin-hai


Kim Min-chul, an office worker with three years at his job, frequently skips his lunch and goes to a nearby "nap cafe."

With continued days of working overtime and drinking, he says a nap cafe is the place to recover quickly from his stress and fatigue.

"I visited the place out of curiosity then I've become a regular since," he said. "Having a half-hour sleep in the coziness of a dark and aroma-filled cafe refreshes me to spend the rest of the day at work."

Another frequent nap cafe user, a female office worker with a baby, agrees.

"Because of my baby, I cannot have a good night's sleep and during the day I need more sleep," she said. "I used to take a nap at my desk during lunch hour, but it was inconvenient."

The latest OECD data suggests Koreans are deeply deprived of sleep, partly because they work the second-longest hours among OECD member countries, after Mexico.

As a result, the local "fast-healing market," where people look for a quick remedy for relaxation the same way they consume fast foods, is up and growing.

According to a Shinhan Card study published June 14, customer spending last year showed the fast-healing market, including nap cafes and massage chairs, is the hottest new trend.

"In a country notorious for long working hours and heavy workloads, the demand for sleep and fast healing is being provided in nap cafes," the study observed.

People in their 20s made up 63 percent of such cafe users, people in their 30s made up 22 percent, and people in their 40s made up 9 percent.

"Although the younger generation, who tend to accept new culture, is leading the trend, there is a strong increase in users in all age brackets," the study says.

Those in their 30s and 40s doubled their visits to nap cafes, while those aged 60 and over jumped 177 percent.

Bean bags in a nap cafe Shim Story in busy districts of Gangnam, southern Seoul, offers the comfort of home. / Captured from homepage
A Nap cafe Cool Jam in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul. / Captured from hompage

Cafes offer various themes


Offering a nap in a hammock or reclining chair, various themed nap cafes are operating across the country. With prices ranging from 6,000 to 13,000 won including beverages, visitors can have an hour of relaxation.

"Mr. Healing," one of the biggest nap cafes with 60 branches across the country, specializes in massage. "Cool Jam" in Gangnam and many others have a similar concept.

Hearing classical music, people can sit in large massage chairs and relax for up to 50 minutes.

"We opened the first cafe in 2015 and riding on the booming healing industry, customers have been increasing quickly," a worker there said.

The owner of "Shim Story" designed the cafe to provide home comfort in busy Gangnam. Customers can lie on bean bags, sleep in a private area or chat in an area like a living room.

"Nazzzam" in Anguk-dong has brought hammocks into cafes, while "First Class" offers first-class airline comfort.

At "Beauty Sleep" in Banpo-dong, southern Seoul, women can lie in a lace-decorated room and experience a tourmaline stone bed and the aroma of the forest.

CGV, Korea's biggest cinema chain, has also jumped on the bandwagon. In March, the chain began offering a siesta service. During lunchtime, customers can lay on a fully reclining chair in its premium theaters listening to the sounds of nature, with a cup of tea and blanket.

Use of the service has jumped 65 percent since it was introduced, according to the company.

Bean bags in a nap cafe Shim Story in busy districts of Gangnam, southern Seoul, offers the comfort of home. / Captured from homepage
Female customers can take a break in a lacy room of a nap cafe Beauty Sleep in Banpo, southern Seoul. / Captured from homepage

Burgeoning sleep-related services, items


The steep rise in the number of citizens with sleep disturbance is contributing to the growth of the market for various sleep-related services and items.

A "sleep coordinator" or "sleep consultant" advises customers on how best to have a good night's sleep.

Home textile company Evezary has launched "Sleep & Sleep," stores, where sleep coordinators recommend products to solve sleep disorders.

In three years since its 2014 launch, the number of shops has risen to more than 80.

Lotte Department Store also runs shops at 11 branches offering sleep solutions. Products range from small home appliances to aromatherapy products.

Although the local sleep market is relatively small -- one-third that of Japan and one-10th the U.S. -- the steady rise in fatigued Koreans has helped the annual sleep industry grow in recent years to about 2 trillion won, according to the Korea Sleep Industry Association (KSIA).

Online shopping mall Gmarket says its sales of sleep-related products -- including soothing sound machines and eye masks -- rose 83 percent in the first quarter from the same period last year.

Beverage maker Lotte Chilsung recently released relaxation drink "Sweet Sleep," a mixture of herbs and vitamins, targeting sleep-deprived Koreans.

Industry insiders predict the local sleep industry will continue to grow steeply.

"Although accurate statistics on the market are unavailable at the moment, the local sleep-related industry is estimated to have surpassed 2 trillion won already and is forecast to show stronger growth in coming years," a KSIA official said.

Emailjinhai@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
miguel
wooribank
LG
Top 10 Stories
1Korea makes last-ditch bid to host World Expo 2030 in Busan Korea makes last-ditch bid to host World Expo 2030 in Busan
2LA-based photographer captures Koreatown unfazed by pandemic LA-based photographer captures Koreatown unfazed by pandemic
3Consumers to face higher prices for daily necessities after ChuseokConsumers to face higher prices for daily necessities after Chuseok
4[INTERVIEW] It is premature to revise ROK-US mutual defense treaty: veterans' group head INTERVIEWIt is premature to revise ROK-US mutual defense treaty: veterans' group head
5Samsung chief visits Middle East to explore new businessesSamsung chief visits Middle East to explore new businesses
6Internet-only banks outperform legacy lenders in labor productivityInternet-only banks outperform legacy lenders in labor productivity
7Public transit fares to increase in Seoul and Busan this week Public transit fares to increase in Seoul and Busan this week
8Ruling party vows to investigate China's alleged influence operationsRuling party vows to investigate China's alleged influence operations
9Ruling party vows to investigate China's alleged influence operationsRuling party vows to investigate China's alleged influence operations
10Genesis GV80 Coupe looks to compete with Mercedes-Benz, BMW Genesis GV80 Coupe looks to compete with Mercedes-Benz, BMW
Top 5 Entertainment News
1[INTERVIEW] Ahn Hyo-seop wanted to share dedicated love with 'A Time Called You' INTERVIEWAhn Hyo-seop wanted to share dedicated love with 'A Time Called You'
2'Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman' tops Chuseok holiday box office 'Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman' tops Chuseok holiday box office
3TREASURE takes flak for excluding Dokdo from its Japan tour map TREASURE takes flak for excluding Dokdo from its Japan tour map
4Two artists' windows to light and serenity Two artists' windows to light and serenity
5M+ deputy director discusses Seoul's potential to challenge Hong Kong as Asia's art hub M+ deputy director discusses Seoul's potential to challenge Hong Kong as Asia's art hub
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group