CNN -- Getting enough rest should be as simple as just shutting your eyes . The alpha pod , designed for napping , includes . a heated , vibrating bed and a CD player . But according to a recent study done by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , a branch of the National Institutes of Health , it 's really not that easy . Their research has found that 40 million Americans suffer yearly from chronic sleep disorders , and an additional 20 million complain of occasional sleeping problems . For some of us , it just means dark circles under our eyes and a desperate need for triple-caffeinated products . But the reality is that over the long haul , trouble with sleep can cause bigger problems . `` There are studies out there which would suggest that people who sleep less over long periods of time are at much higher risks of car accidents , and also some medical disorders like high blood pressure , potentially heart or stroke disease , '' said Dr. David Schulman , director of the Emory Sleep Clinic Laboratory in Atlanta , Georgia . And that means fewer than the seven to eight hours most people need daily to get the proper amount of rest . So what is the solution to all this restlessness ? For some people , the answer might be to just buy some . Yes , sleep has now joined the ranks of those products we at one time thought we would never have to pay for , like water . Years ago , the thought of paying money for a bottle of something you could get for free from the tap would have had people laughing . Now we can add sleep , or , more accurately , napping . Spas across the country have now added this new nap therapy to their offerings , so along with facials , waxing and massages , you can now grab some Z 's for about a dollar a minute . Susan Vanyo , founder of the Rejuvenate Spa in Atlanta , describes what her spa offers to those who need extra shut-eye : . `` We have two types of nap pods , '' she says . `` They are called the energy pod and the alpha pod . The alpha pod has more of a spa-experience feel to it . '' The pods release aromas and have a heated , vibrating bed , a CD player and headphones . `` Everything outside just goes away , '' she says . The energy pod reclines , and has headphones with music piped in . `` You get a different sensation , '' Vanyo says . Watch people try out the pods » . This napping therapy , while not taking the country by storm , has found some happy clients willing to pay for sleep . For Autumn Watson , whose full-time job becomes more challenging after a night where her young son does n't sleep , a nap is worth every penny . `` To have a designated place to be able to come and take a nap and relax away from the office , and not being afraid somebody 's going walk in on you , is nice , '' she says . `` And you get on the ball quicker , after the nap , instead of feeling like you 're exhausted . '' And for Tremaine Perry , who works close to the spa , it took a bit of time to embrace this latest trend . `` Initially , I was skeptical . You 're paying for something that you can do at home for free , but it was n't until I actually tried it and realized the difference '' between going through a full day needing rest and coming in , taking a quick break and going back to work . So it seems there is some truth to the phrase `` power nap . '' Schulman , the sleep expert , says , `` For people who are chronically sleep-deprived , there is evidence that as little as 15 to 30 minutes of napping during the day can improve performance for two to four hours after the nap . '' But while a nap might refresh , Schulman cautions , it 's not going to make up for a long-term sleep deficit . So if you 're getting by on five or six hours a night , `` it 's ridiculous to assume that a 15- to 20-minute nap during the day , even if it 's every day , is going to compensate for a two-hour deficit each night . '' And finally there are other ways to recharge that do n't cost money , including meditation , a walk outside , a hit of caffeine or even just getting up and walking away from your desk . But Schulman says that while all of these are good options , none of them work quite as well as a 20-minute nap . So maybe that dollar-a-minute price for some rest is actually money well spent .
Research : 40 million Americans suffer yearly from chronic sleep disorders . Comment: Expert : 15 to 30 minutes of napping can improve performance that day . Still , short nap not going to make up for a long-term sleep deficit , expert says .