In a city that famously never sleeps, businesses are now selling rest itself. Sleep studios offering guided naps, sleep coaching, and darkened rest pods are opening in Manhattan, aimed at chronically exhausted professionals.

The fictional studio Slow Hour near Grand Central rents quiet, dim rooms by the half hour for midday naps, marketing to workers who can't recharge at their desks. Its founders say the busiest slots are early afternoon, when the city's energy dips.

Sleep scientists welcome the attention but caution that a paid nap is no substitute for consistent nighttime rest. Still, the studios have found a ready market in New Yorkers willing to pay for even a borrowed hour of calm.