The Most (and Least) Sleep-Friendly Airports in North America

While taking a nap at the airport may not be the first thing to come to mind before taking a flight, finding a good space to lay your head for a few hours can make a huge difference to the overall travel experience, especially for passengers on long-haul flights with a lengthy layover or those affected by delays.

However, airports come in many shapes and sizes, and some are considerably better than others when it comes to providing passengers with a quiet and comfortable place to rest and recharge.

A recent study from cpap.com, a site that supplies sleep apnea equipment, has attempted to rank the most sleep-friendly and least sleep-friendly airports in North America.

The report analyzed airports throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and judged them on a range of factors that go toward providing passengers a sleep-friendly space.

Factors included lounge facilities and the availability of minute suites, seats without armrests, shower facilities, and massage options, as well as less obvious considerations such as 24-hour food availability, charging outlets, and free Wi-Fi.

According to the report, Los Angeles (LAX) is the most sleep-friendly airport in the U.S. and the second overall in North America, behind Mexico City (MEX).

Photo: Tom Bradley Terminal Main Hall, LAX Airport. Courtesy of LAX.

LAX boasts many of the features that sleep-deprived passengers look for in an airport, including 24-hour lounges, massage chairs, and shower facilities, with many of its 24 premium airport lounges being considered among the best in the country.

However, this wasn’t enough to beat MEX, which offers travelers 14 lounges with access to showers, 19 24-hour food vendors, and no less than six massage chair areas. What really sets MEX apart, however, is its sleeping capsules, which allow passengers to pay by the hour for a quiet and relaxing place to rest without having to pay for a hotel or lounge access.

In third place was New York John F. Kennedy (JFK), which houses an impressive 30 lounges across its five terminals and minute suites – private spaces to sleep, work, or escape from the bustle of the airport floor.

Both Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Philadelphia (PHL), which came in 4th and 5th place, respectively, also offer minute suites to weary passengers.

Top 20 Sleep-Friendly Airports

The report also ranked North America’s 20 least sleep-friendly airports, unsurprisingly dominated by smaller regional airports with few facilities.

Fort Mackay/Firebag Aerodrome (YFI) in rural Alberta, Canada, may be one of the worst places to be stuck for a few hours due to a delay or diversion, having been revealed as the least sleep-friendly airport in the continent. The tiny airport has little to offer a tired traveler, with no lounge, charging stations, or other extra amenities.

Alaska’s Bethel Airport (BET) also has virtually no amenities to offer exhausted travelers and was ranked the second least sleep-friendly airport in North America.

In third place was Meadow Field (BFL) in California, which was found to have one redeeming feature – free Wi-Fi – so passengers can at least browse their phone or laptop while waiting for their flight… but not much else!

Least Sleep-Friendly Airports