WASHINGTON -- "I'd forgotten a lot of the details of 'Little Red Riding Hood,'" Jordan Hinson said as he emerged from an outdoor nap pod on Friday afternoon.
Hinson, 26, doesn't usually nap in the middle of the day. After all, he's busy enough with his job as an engineering contractor. But he decided to take a few minutes to check out mattress company Casper's "Nap Tour" on its stop through town.
Advertisement
The company's trailer -- containing four "pods" in which people can lie down and listen to recorded fairy tales as they doze off -- is touring East Coast cities, offering naps to anyone who needs them.
The pods will be set up in Washington's Eastern Market neighborhood between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. from Sept. 25-27.
Advertisement
Hinson learned about the power of naps from his neuroscience professor. "I think the idea is great," he said.
Each of the octagon-shaped nap pods are fitted with wood paneling and designed similarly to Japanese capsule motels.
Advertisement
Many visitors to the pods on Friday admitted that they don't get enough sleep.
Kevin Hinton, for example, who came by between meetings, said he gets seven hours of sleep a night, which he acknowledged was "not enough."
"I'm out ... looking for jobs," said Charlene Davis, a District resident who tried one of the nap pods. "I'm not able to take naps."
Advertisement
Beyond getting people to nap, Casper is promoting its mattresses, which go for $850 in a queen size.
Casper's co-founder and chief creative officer, Luke Sherwin, said the company wants to be "the world's first brand that stands for giving people better sleep."
"In 2013, we watched people who had gone from bragging about all-nighters in startups to coming in and showing how sleep was something not to be hacked out of your life, but was something to be hacked into your life," said Sherwin, who cites The Huffington Post's editor in chief, Arianna Huffington, as a source of sleep-related inspiration.
Still, even ready-made nap pods can't always convince people to put down their phones and relax.
When asked if he actually slept in the pod, Hinson admitted, "I was taking selfies and sending them to my family."
The "Nap Tour" has already visited Boston, New York and Washington, and plans to travel to Philadelphia, Nashville, Atlanta and Miami.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.