What do you do when you are desperately in need of a lunchtime nap after a night of burning the midnight oil, or, as the case may be, drinking the night away.

If you work in Yeouido, Seoul's financial hub, and have 10,000 won ($8.70) to spare, you could make a dash for the Yeouido CGV where the movie theater chain transforms its Premium Theater into a cozy sleep nook during lunch hours, Monday through Thursday.

“Plenty of office workers visit the Yeouido CGV lobby just to sit on a bench and rest during lunchtime. This is how we came up with the idea for the Siesta Service,” said Rhee Sang-jin of CGV’s public relations team.

Indeed, Monday morning just before lunch hour it was easy to spot office workers using the theater’s lounge as a shelter. They appeared to be looking not only for comfy seating, but also a place free of potential stares from their bosses.

“There’s no place to put down my head,” said an office worker who wished to be identified only by his surname, Heo, adding that he could not nap at the office where he cannot escape noise and light and, more importantly, disapproving stares from colleagues.

The lack of a staff lounge, especially for male office workers, seemed to be the main reason for the workers’ using Yeouido CGV’s siesta service.

“There’s only a female staff lounge at our office,” said Heo, adding that it’s the second time he used the service and he expects to use it frequently.

Another office worker, Shin Myeong-gi, agreed there’s no place to lie down for male workers at the office. 

Statistics show that Korean office workers are shortchanged when it comes to sleep. White collar workers slept an average of six hours and 44 minutes a day in 2013, according to Gallup Korea, falling short of the U.S.-based National Sleep Foundation's recommendation of seven to nine hours of sleep for those over the age of 18.

As a study at NASA found that a 40-minute nap improved performance and alertness, the benefits of napping is now widely acknowledged.

For a good sleep, the National Sleep Foundation recommends making sure to have a restful place to lie down in an appropriate temperature with the least possible amount of noise and light.

The Siesta Service comes close to creating a similar sleep environment.

Along with the soft fully reclining chair, the theater is lit with soft lights mimicking candle lights and sounds of nature -- think birdsongs and babbling streams -- play ever so softly. A cozy blanket and a pair of disposable slippers are offered at each seat. The “Siesta Kit” provided consists of products to help you settle for a relaxing nap: a cup of tea, steam eye mask and pair of earplugs.

“People say that it is too expensive, but our survey shows 90 percent of those who have used the service are satisfied with both the service and price,” said Rhee of CGV.

While it is a much needed service, some customers find the cost -- 10,000 won for a single hour -- prohibits more frequent visits.

“It’s a reasonable price considering all the service and products provided, but it is hard to use the service as often as I need,” said office worker Shin. “I wish the basic price could be lowered and the other products would be optional,” he added.

The CGV Siesta Service is available from noon to 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

By Jung Eun-jin (jej2403@heraldcorp.com)