What’s On reviews sleep pods at Yas Viceroy spa, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Read about the hotel’s ESPA spa and their MetroNap relaxation pod.

A lack of sleep can be bad news: not only will it leave you grouchy and yawning the following day, scientists claim it can have an effect on your weight and increase chances of a stroke. If you’re not clocking up the sleep your body needs, Yas Viceroy may be able to help.

The hotel’s ESPA spa has installed two MetroNap relaxation pods in the men’s section. The makers claim just 20 minutes dozing in the chair will make you feel as if you’ve been asleep for several hours.

Sitting inside a white dome, nappers lie in a zero gravity position (knees in line with your chest). Ambient music similar to the Blade Runner soundtrack is piped into the dome.

We don’t remember falling asleep during our 25-minute session, but the time went surprisingly quickly, and we remember giggling at a dream, which suggests we did doze off for a few minutes. It was certainly relaxing. The therapist suggested the effect would be better if we had had a sleepless night before trying the pod. Maybe we’ll give it another shot after a night’s partying at the Viceroy’s nightclub Rush.

Yas Viceroy, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to 9pm. Tel: (02) 6560000. Taxi: Yas Viceroy. viceroyhotelsandresorts.com