It is no secret that Hong Kong is notorious for having one of the longest working hours worldwide. According to the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, 20 percent of the city’s employees worked an average of 55 hours per week in 2018. If they did standard five-day work weeks, this means an average of 11 hours a day.
Despite the setting up of a Standard Working Hours Committee to push the introduction of standard working hours so workers are provided with legal protection, the government has only promised to introduce working hour guidelines in 11 industries, with no plans to legislate standard working hours. It is therefore up to us to establish a healthy work-life balance for ourselves, but we know that within Hong Kong’s working culture, it’s a difficult thing to achieve. That’s where napping comes in.
The power of napping
By now, we have all heard of the benefits of a power nap in the afternoon when your energy is flagging. A short siesta of 20 to 30 minutes can help improve your mood, alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents. NASA has conducted a study on military pilots and astronauts and found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness by 100%.
There is still somewhat of a social stigma attached to the idea of napping—that it indicates laziness, a lack of ambition, and is only for the children or elderly. But in fact, some of the greatest minds were fans of napping: Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Napoleon, and Thomas Edison among others. Despite our hectic schedules, we all take the time to eat, use the bathroom, and exercise personal hygiene. Sleep is no less important and should be incorporated into our habits for the sake of our long-term wellbeing.
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The solution to sleep deficit
We’ve found what could well be the perfect solution to our sleep woes: flexible napping locations. SLEEEP understands that in Hong Kong, space is limited and beset by an affordability crisis, which combines with our overstretched schedules to seriously challenge the foundation of our wellbeing: sleep. They have therefore set up capsule hotels in the heart of the city, so workers can easily pop in whenever they feel like they need a refresher, and wake up to tackle their next task with renewed vigour.
Their SLPer capsule beds are not at all like the hunks of plastic and metal that you’re imagining out of a dystopian film. Instead, each SLPer is decked out with pine wood-lined interiors, indirect backlighting, customisable mattresses, organic bedding, and adjustable sound and air levels. There is even an aroma diffuser that releases a scent specifically calibrated for a good sleep. The dim, quiet environment immediately puts you in a state of calm and restfulness.
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The unique SLEEEP experience
SLEEP has designed their patented and award-winning capsule amenities from studying scientific papers from the sleep lab at the Harvard medical school. As a hotel, SLEEP offers a user experience and premium amenities that have been well researched and thought through, as opposed to the fringe perks in other hotels that a lot of travellers or urban dwellers never actually have the time to enjoy. The stay experience has been pared down to the essentials that are then done very well: a great bed suited to your own specifications, smart personal care facilities, with caffeine and croissants in the morning.
Conveniently located in Central and Causeway Bay, it is more than easy to hop into a SLPer for a quick boost as and when you need it. Their flexible hourly plans, called Recharge, start from $99 per hour of quality sleep. You can also just check in for a shower in their minimalist-designed sustainable showers for only $39; we can see this being a great option in the sweltering summer months, especially for sales workers, real estate agents, or other professions which include a lot of running around outside.
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The other SLEEEP option
SLEEP also operates a longer-term co-living space called the SLEEEP.SHRINE in Sheung Wan, also focusing on the quality of sleep above all else. Co-living rentals start from $4,800 per month and are all-inclusive of bills and amenities including laundry facilities. Their shared amenities and spaces were designed with the same thoughtfulness and care that went into their SLPers. These include private ROOOMs for hire, with options ranging from meditation and VR gaming to music immersion and HD cinematic experiences.
Unlike the other two locations, SLEEEP.SHRINE’s bathroom amenities are next level, offering a solo steam sauna shower experience. There is even a body blow dryer you can use afterwards, which we think is awesome for being cool and eco-friendly at the same time. SLEEEP co-living can even take care of your breakfast and dinner needs by placing daily orders for you. Members are also eligible for a 20% discount on all extended services, goods, and social events.
With plans to expand to Bangkok, Thailand and Kohlenberggasse in Basel, they also thoughtfully connected users’ personal settings to the cloud, so when an existing member checks into a SLEEEP branch overseas, their customisable settings will all automatically migrate over—no more sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, even when abroad!
The special offer
SLEEEP understands that simply providing a great environment for napping doesn’t necessarily mean that people will jump at the chance to be well-rested. Our distorted societal views in Hong Kong that severely undervalue sleep needs to be changed, and a new culture created that supports napping.
To foster the creation of this way of thinking, SLEEEP will be launching 100 SLEEEP Habits membership passes for more people to try out their facilities and start cultivating the good habit of regular napping. Those who sign up for this membership scheme will get a 30% off discount for all Recharge bookings for one month.
Localiiz readers can book this service through our exclusive coupon code
naplocaliiz.
For more information, visit
SLEEEP or ring them up at (+852) 6513 3310.
Read more! Here are
eight tips for sleeping better, or explore the rest of our
Wellness section on
Localiiz.
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