It is well known that South Koreans work more and sleep less than their international counterparts. <br />Against this backdrop, people in Korea have been looking for ways to catch a snooze in the least amount of time. <br />Our Seo Eun-kyung has the full story. <br /> <br />On a workday, during lunch hour, Mr. Choi visits a cafe near his company. <br />But this is not an ordinary cafe. Located in the heart of Yeouido, Seoul's major finance district, this cafe offers visitors the opportunity to get a shuteye. <br />With about 6 to 12 U.S dollars an hour, people can catch a snooze with either a recliner or a massage chair or watch TV alone. <br /> <br />"I come here to take a quick nap when I work overtime at night. I feel more refreshed from resting in a private space than from putting my head down on the office desk and sleeping. "<br /> <br />"Office workers in their 20s and 30s are my major customers."<br /><br />The cafe registered more than 5 thousand visitors last month alone, a fivefold increase from a year earlier.<br /> <br />Lack of sleep and stressful schedules have prompted more Koreans, especially young people, to search out ways to take a power nap. They find a short block of time in the day to get some much needed shuteye.<br /><br />For those who wish to explore an unusual but allegedly powerful form of napping, the hyperbaric oxygen chamber has been a popular choice. <br /><br />The chamber offers higher concentrations of oxygen, which boosts concentration and reduces fatigue. <br />This cafe welcomed 300 visitors when it opened in May 2017, but by December last year, the number skyrocketed to 2,000 a month.<br /><br />Amid the growing popularity of power naps, a new word has been coined, sleeponomics, meaning that people pay money for sleeping.<br /> <br />"The market size of sleeponomics in Korea has jumped to over 4 billion U.S dollars from 1-point-7 billion dollars in 2016. "<br /><br />The expert added that as more and more people learn about the health benefits of short naps, the market is expected to continue growing and diversifying.<br />Seo Eun-kyung, Arirang News. <br />
