If you ask me how I feel at work most of the time, my answer would be: sleepy. And judging by the exhausted faces on the MRT on any given weekday morning, 99% of Singaporeans feel the same way.
Anyone who knows the feeling of inadvertently drooling during a meeting, has resorted to taking a nap in a toilet cubicle or considered taking half day MC to go home and sleep has felt the desperation of watching the clock and wondering if you can really make it through the next 5 hours without dying of exhaustion.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. If you really don’t think you can get through the day and feigning illness isn’t an option, here are three places in the Raffles Place area that will offer you a place to get a bit of shut-eye.
Chop! Chop! Massage Express
Chevron House #02-36
This establishment actually specialises in massages, but they have since branched out to offering people a place to enjoy a power nap. As the name suggests, this place offers no-nonsense massages without frills and extras like elevator music or scented candles.
You can expect the same from their power nap service, which enables you to lie down on a massage bed with walls that shield you from prying eyes. Don’t expect million thread count sheets or fluffy pillows—you’ll be too tired to care anyway.
Price: $28 for 30 minutes ($20 between 2:30pm to 5:30pm)
Physique
One Raffles Place, #05-17
Physique actually specialises in cryotherapy, which supposedly helps you burn calories without your having to exercise by placing your body in a cold environment. Whether that sounds heavenly or scary to you is irrelevant, as they also offer power nap services.
Unfortunately, you won’t be rolling around in bed but rather placed on a recliner and given a bit of privacy. There’s also free wifi access and use of an iPad, although if your goal is to actually get some shut-eye you should probably avoid using them.
Price: $28
Virgin Active
One Raffles Place #06-00 Tower 2
If you hate exercising, you now have a reason to get a gym membership thanks to the fact that Virgin Active allows its members the use of sleep pods. In fact, the gym is probably better known for these sleep pods than its gym equipment or exercise classes.
These futuristic looking contraptions enable you to sleep without worrying that someone will catch sight of drool falling from your mouth, since your upper body will be enclosed in the pod.
Price: Free with membership, which costs $42.50 a week (+ one-time activation fee of $199)
Should you actually pay to take a nap?
If you’re actually considering forking out money to sleep, you must either be really overworked or just partying way too hard.
To be frank, the available options aren’t cheap (unless you already happen to be a Virgin Active member). If it’s a one-off thing and you don’t plan to make paid power naps a habit, like you have am important appointment after lunch at which you can’t afford to look tired (eg. interview, closing a deal) you might be able to justify the cost of an emergency power nap.
Otherwise, you’re probably better off taking a snooze at your desk or even rolling out a sleeping bag or yoga mat and stealing 40 winks under your desks like they do during lunchtime in China.
If you drive to work, sleeping in the car is a pretty viable alternative. Heck, if I had a car I’d probably have slept in it every darned afternoon. If you park in an above-ground car park like Tong Eng Building you can get away with just winding down the window, and reclining the driver’s seat.
Would you consider paying to take a power nap during work? Tell us in the comments!