wellness
Old Town Residents Reconsider Nap Timing Amid Fitness Class Surge
Old Town residents balancing long workdays with evening fitness classes are weighing the timing and length of daytime rests more carefully this summer.
How we reported this
More adults in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood report experimenting with scheduled naps after recent local surveys showed 42 percent of residents between 25 and 45 struggle with midday energy dips during July heat.
The trend matters now because longer daylight hours and packed evening schedules at neighborhood studios have shifted sleep patterns for many who commute along Wells Street and Clark Street. Without clear guidance, people risk turning a short rest into an overnight disruption that leaves them groggy for early-morning runs along the lakefront path.
Local spots tracking nap effects
At the Old Town Athletic Club on North Avenue, trainers have added optional 15-minute rest rooms equipped with blackout curtains and timers after members asked for recovery options between 1 p.m. spin classes and 6 p.m. strength sessions. A few blocks south, the wellness program run by the Old Town Triangle Association on Sedgwick Street began logging participant sleep logs in June to see whether short naps improved attendance at its Thursday evening yoga series on the park lawn.
Evidence on duration and timing
A 2025 analysis by the National Sleep Foundation found that naps lasting 10 to 20 minutes improved alertness and reaction time for up to three hours afterward, while rests stretching past 30 minutes often produced sleep inertia that lasted 60 minutes or more. Local data collected by the Old Town Athletic Club this spring showed members who kept naps under 25 minutes reported 28 percent fewer caffeine purchases from the on-site café compared with those who skipped rests entirely.
Residents who finish work by 4 p.m. along Wells Street tend to benefit most from a brief rest before heading to evening events, whereas those with later shifts or family obligations after 7 p.m. see better results from skipping the nap and extending nighttime sleep by 45 minutes instead. The Old Town Triangle Association plans to release updated nap guidelines at its next community meeting on July 22. Anyone experiencing ongoing fatigue should check with a primary-care provider before changing routines.