By Chris Cosci

It is said that every adult has an inner child -- a remnant of youth that yearns to break free from one's shell of maturity. As we desperately try to convey a sense of formality and decorum, this inner child begs us to let loose, shout and laugh out loud.

Truthfully, I think we're all really still children, and that we actually have an inner adult. Throughout the day, we play "grown-up." We dress, speak and act like adults, but underneath this pretense, we're nothing more than kids stuck in a bigger body. Just sit in a long business meeting and wait for someone to say, "Let's take a fifteen-minute break." On the inside, everyone is breathing a huge sigh of relief, jumping out of their chairs and celebrating the blessed relief from the torture. On the outside... well, they're pretty much acting the same way.

That's because you're seeing people's true nature. It takes a lot of effort to sit still and play grown-up for hours at a time. That fifteen-minute break is a chance to pause the game for a few minutes and go back to who we really are -- children. During that break, we're no different than a group of school kids released from class to battle for the best swing on the playground. "Fifteen-minute break" is just the adult term for "recess."

The break is not the only activity we carry over from childhood. For many people, naps are still an important part of the daily schedule. The only problem is that most bosses are unfairly opposed to finding their employees curled up on their desks taking a restful snooze. And because most offices are built without master bedroom suites, there aren't many places to slip away for a nap, unless of course you can sleep standing up in the supply room with a box of staples as your pillow.

We should not be denied the right to nap. It makes us cranky and irritable, and causes us to walk around tired, dragging our feet. In a world where we pay for water and, in some places, pay to breathe fresh air, there should be a place where we can pay to take a nap. That's just the kind of thinking behind MetroNaps.

MetroNaps is a relatively new company that provides a soothing environment designed for quality napping. At MetroNaps, customers pay to sleep in one of their precision-designed, ergonomic napping pods, which eerily resemble the kind of device people use to evacuate exploding spaceships in science fiction movies.

The pod inclines for easy entry, reclines for optimal napping positioning, and uses relaxing sounds, lights and vibrations to ease you in and out of your nap. The entire process lasts about 20 minutes. When you wake, MetroNaps has a Wake Station that provides lotion, facial spritz and scented hand towels to refresh you. If that's not enough, there's sure to be a Starbucks within walking distance.

Designed for the overworked businessperson, the first MetroNaps opened in a quiet location, nestled away in a small corner of New York City -- the Empire State Building. This allows well-rested individuals the opportunity to calmly push their way through hordes of tourists and make their way back to work.

The cost for a single nap in New York is $13.45, which is not that bad when you consider how much it would cost to do the same thing in a New York hotel. Currently, the only other MetroNaps location is in Canada at the Vancouver International Airport, where the cost is $9.50 in Canadian dollars. However, for the billions of people who don't live in New York or have connecting flights in Vancouver, MetroNaps leases their pods to companies for as little as $300 a month -- Wake Station not included.

The inventors are quick to point out all of the scientific studies that show the health benefits of naps, including increased productivity, memory and concentration skills. But let's be honest. People aren't napping for the health benefits. The only way the true appeal of MetroNaps could be clearer would be if customers were given a plate of cookies and a glass of milk with their order.

We're all still children. There's no denying it. Stop looking for that so-called "inner child" and recognize the truth. If you still can't see it, go make yourself a nice grilled cheese sandwich and take a nap. You know you want to...