"Airport sleeping is no longer just for the cheap young backpacker"

You may think airports are primarily about one thing: shopping. That's right. Not flying -- that's what you do after you've had your credit card stretched on gallon bottles of duty free
eau de parfum and single malt.

But there's yet another activity -- or, rather, inactivity -- apparently important for rating airports: sleeping.
Started 17 years ago as a guide for budget travelers on where to snooze in airports worldwide, to save on accommodation during a long layover, Sleepinginairports.net claims now to have wider relevance.
"Airport sleeping is no longer just for the cheap young backpacker," the site says.
"Nowadays, early morning flights ... flight cancellations, snowstorms and erupting volcanoes are just a few reasons why you'll see people of all ages and incomes stretched out on airport floors around the world."

5. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
Some might say Helsinki itself is pretty soporific so this snooze-friendly airport should really knock you out.
"There are benches all over the place," writes one Sleepinginairports voter, the amusingly named Sleeping Around.
Never mind that that commendation sounds like something you might overhear at a tramps conference, Vantaa has a book swap, airport tours and a Relaxation Zone with a whole smorgasbord of seating types to keep the restless, or rest-seeking, passenger satisfied.
"If you can't find a way to sleep in this airport, there might be something wrong with you," concludes
SleepinginAirports.

4. Hong Kong International Airport
"There are a few 'beds' made of four seats together (no armrests)," coos airport sleeper thisisme.
"Look for the lounge chairs hidden behind shrubbery," the site adds.
Schiphol has a forest area to curl up in.

3. Amsterdam Schiphol
A new entry to the site's top three, Schiphol scores for its "comfortable couches," a museum and a forest-like area between Departures 3 and 4 complete with nature sounds.
Makes you sleepy just writing about it.

2. Seoul Incheon
"We moved two seats next to each other and had enough sleeping room for three people," writes Phtraveler of Seoul Incheon.
Travelers also loved the traditional dance performances, the site says -- although whether as a substitute for Valium isn't recorded.

1. Singapore Changi Airport
The dormouse's favorite, Singapore Changi, wins top spot for the 17th year in a row.
Could that be because Changi extends Singapore's no-nonsense approach to law and order -- including banning chewing gum and arresting spitters -- to relaxation?
"Silence is mandatory in the snooze lounge," says one SleepinginAirports survey respondent approvingly.
Changi's six rest zones, with special reclining deep seats, seem to be the icing on the dream cake here.