Sleep pods take power naps to a new dimension
In work-conscious Hong Kong, it's the ultimate no-no that's on a par with back-stabbing your colleagues and worse than cheating on your taxes.
I am talking about power-napping - 20 minutes of shut-eye in the middle of the day to allow the brain and body to recharge.
One afternoon last week I trudged to Cyberport, where I was invited to try one of three space-age sleeping pods designed by Metronaps - a US company that runs a sleep clinic for weary office workers at New York's Empire State Building.
The pods, recently imported and installed at the Bel-Air on the Peak clubhouse, retail at the not inconsiderable sum of $100,000, including shipping costs.
They consist basically of an S-shaped mattress tucked into a massive visor that shuts off the user from the outside world. Using the armrests, the pod may be reclined to a relaxed sleeping position.
There are also lighting controls, a timer and a sound system that plays one of four 'natural' sounds to help you drift off to sleep.
There was also a mysterious white disc connected to the chair, and when no one could tell me what it did, I just hoped I was not sitting in an ejector seat.
I later discovered the device's purpose was to gently wake users from their slumbers by softly vibrating as their chosen period for rest expires.
I opted not to turn on the sound, which seemed a little too artificial to be soothing, pulled down the visor, set the timer for a full 20 minutes and closed my eyes.
The chair cradled my spine surprisingly comfortably, producing an effect not unlike reclining in a big leather chair with your feet up. When 20 minutes had elapsed, the lights came on slowly and the sound of birds singing filtered in through the speakers.
People have told me that 45 minutes resting in the pod is equivalent to hours sleeping in a bed.
I didn't feel particularly energetic after my session but was refreshed enough to get through the rest of the day. It certainly beat napping on a park bench, anyway.
Perhaps as he takes a long-awaited rest after stepping down, former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa might consider spending some of his payout on one.
