Hey, I get it, there’s nothing more needed on an exhausting day than a quick nap. But it’s too bitterly cold and far to hike back home—besides you only have an hour until your next class. Eleven years ago, students took to r/mcgill to discuss this pressing concern, and a decade later, they are still struggling to find places to relax on campus. While McGill doesn’t have a dedicated sleeping space, there are plenty of places to drop in for a 40-minute doze.
Located to the left of the main entrance, the student lounge in the University Centre is packed with comfy couches and armchairs to rest up before trekking back to your studies. There are sofas in the corner and along the walls so you can get your recommended feng-shui rest. Although the room gets crowded during the afternoon and early evening, it’s nothing that some noise-cancelling headphones can’t fix. If you also prefer a nap not under the focus of fluorescent lights, you may opt for a thick Montreal-style scarf as a nightshade. Not to mention—it’s above Gerts, so you can grab a quick coffee or bite to eat afterward.
Are you one to fall asleep in the cinema? If so, 3475 Peel, with its dim screening and upstairs meeting rooms, is perfect for you. It’s home to Peel Street Cinema, and while the club or other film classes are not in session, the rooms are incredibly private and soundless. However, there aren’t any couches, so it’s best to bring a pillow or two to make it more comfortable. Even with the breathless climb up to this Victorian-style building, this secret spot on campus can finally allow you to exhale all the stress of school.
Under the wooden stairs of the Islamic Studies Library, there is, as many of you may have noticed, a large red sofa that screams comfort. You sink right into that couch like a swimmer in a scarlet wave. The wooden library halls are quiet, but if the creaky stairs are still a bee in your sleeping bonnet, then just pop in your favourite tunes and you can sail into dreamland.
The Birks Building is a sanctuary, providing ample napping places for weary students. The leather armchairs in the lobby and common areas are sturdy and comfortable. The building has the added benefit of generally being a bit quieter than others, as it houses a chapel and a silent reading room.
One has to point out the obvious, of course. Each landing of the upper floors of McLennan is lined with couches, often in shadow. On slow hours there are fewer pedestrians walking by, so it is a great place to snatch a quick snooze. There are also other couches and chairs scattered throughout the study spaces, ready to be heartily weighted. On the fifth floor, in particular, there are several couches between the brick walls and bookshelves, and much fewer people after sunset. McLennan is a labyrinth of possible slumber sofas for your interest, you must only gather your strings and explore.
