A Good Night’s Slumber Is the Ultimate Form of Self-Care, and Resorts Are Taking Note
We all know that sleep is important, and most of us aren’t getting enough of it. According to the National Institute of Health, at least one in every three people don’t get enough sleep. Sure, there are many tricks, supplements and products out there to help, but what if you could take a sleep vacation?
Sleep Tourism, as it’s being called, is a big market that’s projected to have a market size worth $148.98 billion by 2030.
“Frankly, people are exhausted. The fast pace of life; the frenetic interconnection of technology and our private lives; the ever-present buzz of global, political and economic tensions; it all is playing in the background,” said Dr. Marcus Coplin, medical director for Murrieta Hot Springs in Murrieta, California, and The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
Hotels, resorts and spas are heeding the call with specialized programs for the weary.
“Being able to truly dedicate time and intention to deep restoration has become a luxury,” said Coplin, who also serves as the chief medical director at Bastyr University in Seattle Washington.
Not all programs are created equal. Some focus on creating a spa-like respite and wind-down routine, while others focus on finding the perfect pillow or identifying the root cause of sleep issues.
What To Look for in a Program
Sleep goals vary from person to person and the expectation for these programs should be to give you a few restful nights and some tips to bring home.
Places like the Jade Mountain Resort, located just outside of Soufrière, St. Lucia, provides rooms free of technology and open fourth walls to breathe in nature while you sleep. That, paired with one of the resort’s signature massages, and you’ll let everything go and fall into a deep, relaxed slumber.
At Villa Bokéh in Antigua, Guatemala, sleep takes center stage with a wind-down night ritual complete with Relax tea, soothing eye pads and essential oils of your choice. A meditation kit and pillow menu deliver additional calming comfort to help lull guests into a full night’s rest.
You’ll find many sleep programs at hot springs resorts stateside too, since these warm, soothing mineral waters can help induce relaxation and are great when paired with other sleep programs.
At Castle Hot Springs in Morristown, Arizona, the “Soak & Slumber” package includes a “Divine Slumber Session,” which teaches you about the body’s sleep energy, along with a private guided hike, spa treatment and nightly sleep kit.
Murrieta Hot Springs offers 24-hour access to its hot springs, plus a variety of curated personal wellness retreats. Some of the resort’s accomodations feature technology-focused beds with customizable firmness, climate control and built-in sensors that provide sleep insights; blackout curtains; sleep ritual trays; and hammocks on the porches.
No matter where you travel in the world, there’s likely a program designed for rest and rejuvenation.
Bringing It Home
After returning home feeling rested and restored, you may wonder if a sleep vacations will actually translate once you’re back at work and dealing with your daily responsibilities.
While you shouldn’t expect an instant fix, a sleep retreat experience can act as a reminder that deep, restful sleep is possible. And, by adding some of the activities and rituals you learned into your daily routine, you may just find you’ll enjoy more restful nights ahead.
According to Coplin, simply remembering the experience “often becomes the place from which people make foundational shifts—or almost more powerfully micro changes—to their habits to sustain the feeling.”
