Slave-driving bosses of Hong Kong beware: la siesta has arrived. The workaholic city will begin to play catch-up with the rest of the world in 'power napping' when a property company next month takes delivery of three specially designed daytime sleeping pods. The pods, designed by start-up New York company MetroNaps, have been purchased by a subsidiary of Richard Li Tzar-kai's PCCW. At US$7,950 each, the single-seat pods promise to put tired Hongkongers to sleep, with ambient music piped through headphones. Knees are slightly elevated to take pressure off the lower back, along with the feet, to help increase blood circulation. A timer wakes the user with a combination of gentle vibrations and lights. Local sleep experts believe that napping during the day is especially important in helping to boost productivity in the chronically sleepless city. A University of Hong Kong study last year found that 92 per cent of respondents do not get enough sleep and 40 per cent are not even aware of the problem. MetroNaps runs a sleep clinic on the 24th floor of New York's Empire State building, catering to weary office workers. But in Hong Kong, only those at PCCW's flagship luxury residence will be able to enjoy their 40 winks using this 'room within a room'. 'If a person is very sleepy, then a short nap can help improve their alertness level,' University of Hong Kong sleep expert Chung Ka-fai said. Chinese University psychiatry professor Lee Sing agreed that quick naps could improve mental acuity for the sleep-deprived, but he warned against taking afternoon naps habitual since that could make it harder to sleep at night. Professor Lee was also sceptical about whether hard-working Hongkongers would ever catch on to power napping - a term coined by Americans to describe short naps in the office. 'In a place like Hong Kong, to tell people that you are busy and tired means you are productive. Sleeping during lunchtime in a place where there is no such tradition may stigmatise you,' he said. This was in contrast to the practice in most parts of the mainland - especially in rural areas - where people rose at the crack of dawn and took a refreshing nap in the middle of the day, Professor Lee said. Latin Americans and some European cultures also take a different view. In Greece, most offices are usually closed when siesta is observed between 3pm and 5pm, while smaller establishments in Spain close between 1.30pm and 4.30pm.