Need a nap? Fresno State offers students comfy pods to recharge

Naps aren’t just for little kids anymore. They’re all the rage in corporate America’s most progressive companies, like Google, Nike and Ben & Jerry’s.

And, now they’re a thing at Fresno State, too. At the Recharge Zone in the lower level of the student union, students can crawl into a futuristic looking pod to take a 25-minute power nap.

The thinking is that naps aren’t a waste of time, but an opportunity to recharge your brain and body. Even some high schools are using the pods. Several high schools in New Mexico have begun using them to help sleep-deprived students catch up on their sleep.

A quick Internet search reveals the pods come in lots of shapes and sizes. Some pods look oddly like what you may find in the county morgue, while others resemble a huge football helmet. The two at Fresno State look like Pac-Man with his tongue sticking out. The comfy pod plays soothing music and have a slight vibration to help the user relax.

The pods can only be used by students with ID. And they have to be reserved in advance. They’re available Fall and Spring semesters from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and on Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This story was originally published August 22, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Need a nap? Fresno State offers students comfy pods to recharge."