Fashion/Beauty

I Cured My Insomnia at a Nap Salon

We’re constantly being told we don’t get enough sleep. NAP Sleep Salon has created an inner-city sleep sanctuary to try and encourage everyone to get a bit more shut eye.

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Ethan McAulay
Photography: Courtesy of
@napsleepsalon
April 11, 2017
James Bond (2004) (Behind the scene)

I don’t sleep. That may be an exaggeration. What I mean is, I've always had a difficult relationship with sleeping, in that we both refuse to spend any meaningful time together. An average week sees me sleep about a quarter of the time I'm supposed to. We've all heard the recommendation to catch at least eight hours of sleep per night for healthy brain and body function. But when you don’t have any motivation, desire, or ability to get a long night’s sleep every time you put your head down, that number ends up being a dream instead of a goal.

NAP Sleep Salon was created to address the hurdles modern life has thrown in the way of a healthy sleep cycle. After searching for years to find a salon that offers a relaxing massage and shampoo, without the cut, the owners returned empty-handed. Enter NAP Sleep Salon: an inner-city temple of sleep dedicated to shampoo and massage.

The dark interior of NAP Sleep Salon immediately gives a spa-like impression. Dim lighting, soft decor, and gentle music round out the package and leave you with no doubts as to the purpose of your visit.

Breakfast at Tiffany (1961) (Film still)
The welcoming staff settled me into a reclining bed, tucked me in with a plush blanket, and covered my eyes with a warm mask. I don't spend a lot of time being massaged or visiting spas, so I was already feeling pampered and relaxed even though all I had done was lie down with my head in a sink. Which, surprisingly, was a comfortable experience. There are two massage options available: The 600 baht NAP Signature, which gives you about 90 minutes of massage, shampoo, and relaxation time; and the 1500 baht NAP Treatment, which adds a deep scalp treatment to the mix.

We started out with a head, shoulder, arm, and hand massage—locations chosen for a mostly desk-ridden clientele. After a week hunched over a computer, this was amazing. I didn’t even realize I could have tension in my forearms until my masseuse/shampooist (massooist?) got stuck into the sticks attached to my hands.

After the dry massage, the shampooing. After a brief interaction about water temperature, they got straight to business. Before I was a bougie barbershop-attending hipster, I visited my fair share of salons. So I knew what to expect from the shampooing. What I didn’t expect was how long it would go on for. This was genius. The absolute best part of going to a salon is the shampooing. It’s warm, they massage your scalp, you don’t have to speak to anyone because there’s water in your ears anyway and you can’t hear anything, and your hair feels soft and awesome. Don’t buy into the bullshit that the best part of getting your hair done is the way the haircut makes you feel: your self-esteem or whatever. It’s all about the whole head wash story that takes place before the cutting.

At NAP Sleep Salon that’s what you’re there for. The massooist (seriously, is this a word we are comfortable with?) doused my head in organic shampoos and lotions and unleashed her magic fingers. By this point, I was actually asleep. Yep, they got me. I would offer a more thorough description of the actual experience, but I was blissfully skipping my way to Z-town while all of this went down. Me, who will choose literally anything over sleep. Me, who wakes up from a nap mad at how much time I wasted with my eyes closed. I was asleep, during the day, while someone touched my head.

An hour and a half later—and 600 baht lighter in the pockets—I left NAP Sleep Salon feeling completely at ease with the fact that I had just left the office for an “appointment” that was actually a 90-minute snooze-fest. Plus: my hair felt soft, smooth, shiny, and perfectly-styled in a way my barber could only dream of. 

Address:
29/2-3, 1st floor Siam Condominium ,Rama 9 road, Huai Khwang, Huai Khwang
Bangkok, Thailand
Google Siam Condominium, and enter the complex from Rama IX. It’s the easiest way to find it.
Open 10:00am -10:00pm every day
Bookings essential. 095 248 9350

Lead image credit: A ‘rag & bone Films’ production directed by John Turturro set for world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival April 2017 – rag & bone is pleased to announce that “Hair”, a ‘rag & bone Films’ production is set to premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival®, presented by AT&T.

Made In USA (1996) (Film still)