This gym has introduced napping classes and this is not a drill

Yep. It’s true. Sleep-classes are a REAL FITNESS THING in the U.K and why haven’t you booked your tickets yet?

But seriously. Sleep is a remarkable health tool – and one often underrated in its importance. Phrases like “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” perpetuate the notion that sleep is a waste of time, when in fact, it is one of the most important health gifts you can give your body. That’s right, we would go so far to say that the quality of z’s you are getting a worth as much to your health as, if not more than, the foods you eat and how often you exercise.

And it seems that people are taking notice.

‘Napercise’ is the latest exercise trend taking off at gyms across the U.K following the introduction of sleeping classes at David Lloyd Clubs.

The classes were founded when research conducted by the club revealed 86% of parents admit to suffering fatigue on some level, with 26% getting less than 5 hours of sleep a night.

Take into account that the ideal hours of uninterrupted sleep for adults is anywhere between 7 and 9 hours, and you can see there is a real problem.

Considering sleep is vital for not only our physical health, but emotional and mental wellbeing, as well as productivity rates at work, safety when driving or operating machinery, and the list goes on – its almost questionable as to why this type of class hasn’t been introduced sooner!

In her book The Sleep Revolution, Arianna Huffington says:

“The evidence is all around us. For instance, do you know what happens if you type the words “why am I” into Google? Before you can type the next word, Google’s autocomplete function—based on the most common searches—helpfully offers to finish your thought. The first suggestion: “why am I so tired?” The global zeitgeist perfectly captured in five words.”

Napercise classes will swap weights for beds, as well as even dropping the room temperature to promote calorie burning during sleep. Classes run for 45 minutes, and have been designed to allow participants to rejuvenate their mind and improve their mood. There is even relaxing music to really unwind to!

Napercise classes will swap weights for beds, as well as even dropping the room temperature to promote calorie burning during sleep

Dreams sleep expert Kathryn Pinkham helped develop the Napercise class, and told the Birmingham Mail:

“Sleep is a lot more important than people realise. It is essential for our long term physical and mental wellbeing. In addition to a lack of sleep brining with it a higher risk of developing anxiety or depression, when we are sleep deprived we lack the energy to exercise regularly, and also the mental clarity to make good decisions about the food we eat, which could negatively impact our physical health in the long run.”

While we aren’t aware of any such classes yet to reach our Aussie shores, it’s only a matter of time. Sleep and rest go hand in hand, and with that in mind there are plenty of wonderful drop-in meditation centres popping up all over the place for you to take time out in your day – if only half an hour – to dedicate to rest.

Centred Meditation is just one of these centres, in Sydney’s CBD – a retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life, for you to recline on a sofa, tucked under a blanket, and rest. And maybe that is the next best thing.