Safe havens for your power naps
If publishing doyenne and Huffington Post co-founder and editor-in-chief, Arianna Huffington, is to be believed, we are in the middle of a global sleep deprivation crisis. Whether or not you agree, there is no denying the physical and mental affects a lack of sleep has on our bodies and our minds. Unfortunately, Singaporean workers are clocking in the lowest average amount of sleep in the world, according to a global study and research collected by the University of Michigan last year. Huffington, believes the source of the problem stems from the collective delusion prevalent in many working cultures, that being overworked and chronically sleep-deprived is an inevitible tradeoff to achieving success. In the long run, chronic sleep deprivation has profound effects on our health, job productivity, relationships and happiness.
While closing that laptop early and clocking a few extra hours of sleep sounds great in theory, in reality it is often impossible. So, what to do? Well, one way is through a power nap. The popularity of power naps has emerged as a solution to alleviate the ‘global sleep crisis’ triggered by the rising social pressures of modern living. To curb this, global companies like Google that have invested in sleeping pods and nap rooms for their employees to have a quick kip. With this in mind, we round up these few place right in the heart of the CBD, that provide safe havens for privacy and relaxation admist the hectic work day.
Virgin Active
Virgin Active offers its members total rejuvenation with the addition of sleeping pods to its list of services. These cocoon beds are built with zero gravity technology, and play soothing sounds to lull you into dreamland. The pods that are the same exact ones provided in Google and Procter & Gamble, each retail for an eye-watering $20,000, so you can be assured they are the very best. If a humble nap alone is insufficient to quell your yawns, indulge in the Rest & Recovery zone where you can soak your tired feet in luxurious footbaths and enjoy a detoxifying steam in the Himalayan Salt Inhalation Room. All these services are provided free-of-charge with a gym membership, which costs $42.50 a week.
Physique
The lifestyle and performance centre, Physique, aims to leave you in the cold by specialising in a freezing treatment called Cryotherapy based on proven research that sleeping in the cold helps lose weight as the body’s metabolism is forced to speed up in order to keep you warm. It has expanded is range of services to include private nap spaces for the weary souls. For $28, you get a private room with a comfy recliner chair and a view overlooking Raffles Place, you can now snore to your hearts content without fear of embarrasment. Other perks include premium beverages, Wi-Fi access, as well as iPad and phone chargers for you to stay connected.
Golden Village Executive Zen Zone
With its velvet seats and the darkened auditorium, the movie theatres are best locations to induce sleep. In fact, unbeknownst to many, Golden Village Suntec City has opened its theatres for a public nap fest during weekday lunch breaks for the second year running. After its trial run sessions that saw two-thirds of the theatre space filled, Golden Village has extended the Executive Zen Zone sessions till the end of this year. For $18, enjoy a 90-minute nap on a signature GV Suntec City Gold Class recliner, a meal from the Gold Class menu and free flow drinks. Alternatively, it costs $10 for a simple no-frill nap.
Huiling covers a diverse range of topics at Billionaire, fuelled by her passion for environmental sustainability and humanitarian advocacy. In her downtime, she enjoys getting lost in a good book and tending to her urban garden.
