Sleep Tourism is a Growing Travel Trend
Spend your vacation resting and rejuvenating.
Sleep tourism is a growing trend. The days of whirlwind European tours or frenzied bucket list vacations have made way to vacations where resting and recharging is the key. And for many, that means getting a good night's sleep.
A recent survey of 1,095 Americans, conducted by the travel company CARL FRIEDRIK, found that over 94 percent of the participants want to participate in slow travel in the future and are opting for quiet and rest instead of adventure.
“Gone are the days of traveling and coming home exhausted,” Rebecca Robbins, a sleep scientist at Harvard’s Division of Sleep Medicine, told Fortune. “The idea that travel could restore you — to cognitively learn things and experience new things and also physically and mentally get the rest you need to power your trip and to allow you to return home rested — is a really exciting proposition.”
The science of sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is something that eludes many people, according to ABC News. More than one in three Americans are sleep deprived and not getting the minimum of seven hours of sleep that is recommended by the Center for Disease control.
“We’ve said before that sleep has a public relations problem in this country,” ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton said. “We think of it as a luxury but it’s really a medical necessity.”
Poor sleep can cause a host of chronic physical and mental health issues that include diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary disease, stroke, as well as anxiety and depression. It’s no wonder that people want to destress and catch some ZZs while on vacation.
“[Hotel] guests are increasingly valuing sleeping when they’re traveling and getting a good night’s rest on the road,” Robbins told Fortune.
Sleep tourism destinations
While many hotels have provided sleep amenities like masks, light blocking shades and comfortable pillows, according to Fortune, sleep tourism is taking it many steps further. Several hotels in the Hilton chain now offer “power down” services including temperature-adjusting mattresses and dim light settings, according to Amanda Al-Masri, the vice president of wellness at Hilton.
“Travelers engaging in sleep tourism are taking that extra step and seeking out unique experiences, amenities, and environments that help them achieve their sleep and relaxation goals,” said Al-Masri.
One Hilton property, The Rome Cavalieri, offers guests pillow menus, while the Conrad Bali features what they call a SWAY experience where guests participate in a sleep therapy session while suspended in a cocoon-like hammock.
Other sleep tourism hotels include Park Hyatt New York which offers a restorative sleep suite with an AI-powered smart bed to adjust pressure points on the mattress, as well as essential oil diffusers and sleep-related books to read yourself to better sleep.
For people who want a sleep-dedicated wellness vacation, the Six Senses chain – which has locations around the globe – offers guests a curated sleep program that includes sleep meditation, a sleep tracker, and guidance from sleep doctors.
Maybe a sleep vacation is just what the doctor ordered, especially if travelers use the sleep techniques they learned when they return home.
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