After the Corona pandemic (Covid 19), there has become an increasing interest in sleep due to many people suffering from insomnia and a poor ability to get good sleep (Getty Images)
In early 2020, the Zedwell Hotel was opened in London. The opening of a new hotel may not be considered a special event, especially if it is in the heart of the British capital, which is full of hotels, but the hotel was a special event at the time. This is because it was the first hotel in London to focus solely on 'sleeping'. All it promises its guests and patrons is that they will be able to have a comfortable and distinctive “sleeping” experience.
The hotel includes rooms equipped with innovative sound insulation, without windows so that no sunlight penetrates you, so you sleep as if you are isolated in a completely silent cocoon. However, the hotel rooms are not plunged into darkness, because relaxing lights of different and soothing colors have been designed to gently push the mind to stop working and relax. The rooms also smell of citrus and flowers that encourage calm.
Does the idea of hotels offering all these boosters just to get you sleep sound weird? Maybe it won't become that way, if you know that there are many people who visit some countries, hotels and resorts just for the sake of sleeping, in what is known as 'sleep tourism'.
Tourism for the purpose of sleeping only! Sleep tourism is traveling with the aim of getting the best possible sleep. Here the traveler focuses on choosing a place that provides the necessary amenities to enhance the sleep process for the vacation.
Studies have shown that sleep problems have become a global epidemic that threatens the health and quality of life of up to 45% of the world's population. She pointed out that there are about 35% of people who revealed that they do not feel that they are getting enough sleep. These people are looking to achieve stability in their circadian rhythms, so they do not mind at all traveling in order to obtain an environment that provides them with the maximum amount of sleep.
Increased demand for sleep tourism A report published on CNN in October 2022 explained that sleep tourism has been increasing in popularity for several years, and the number of sleep-focused stays in hotels and resorts around the world is constantly increasing. The same report shows that interest in sleep tourism has risen significantly following the outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic, Covid-19.
A 2021 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that 40% of more than 2,500 adults who participated in the study reported a decline in their sleep quality since the beginning of the pandemic, after which a number of hotels and tourist resorts turned their attention to those suffering from sleep deprivation.
Sleep problems have become a global epidemic that threatens the health and quality of life of up to 45% of the world's population (Getty Images)
Rebecca Robbins, a sleep researcher and co-author of Sleep for Success, explains to CNN that previously, the hotel industry focused primarily on things that actually detracted from sleep quality, one of which was filling out the program. Tourism provides the traveler with many activities from sunrise until after sunset, while travelers, in fact, book hotels to have a “place to sleep.”
Robins adds that hotels have been focusing on providing delicious meals, attractions and activities that travelers prefer to do while travelling, which comes at the expense of sleep. Robins emphasizes that after the Covid era, there has been an increased interest in sleep, due to many people suffering from insomnia and poor ability to get good sleep.
Fortune explains that hotels have responded to the rise in travelers focusing solely on sleep by upgrading their sleep services and even hiring sleep experts. She adds that the sleep tourism market is set to grow by approximately 8% and more than $400 billion between 2023 and 2028, according to an analysis by HTF Market Intelligence. Euronews explains that during 2023, “sleeping tourism” will become particularly popular, as travelers increasingly focus on getting good sleep during their holidays.
Find innovative ways to promote sleep About a year after Zedwell's opening, specifically in 2021, Park Hyatt New York opened a suite called the 'Bryte Restorative Sleep Suite', which is a 900-square-foot suite, and its main focus is... Provide amenities that promote sleep. Then, during the same year, a succession of hotels and suites focused on providing the same service and diversifying their methods in different ways, such as offering a specific tea before bed that helps to relax, or paying great attention to the quality of pillows or sound insulation in innovative ways.
The five-star BLESS Hotel Madrid, which is located in a charming area of the Spanish capital, has also provided its guests with the “HOGO Bed Wellness” experience, which is claimed to be scientifically guaranteed to “rejuvenate” the body during sleep. And to restore vitality, the mattress is made of a mesh of silver and graphite, and it has a patent to protect against electromagnetic pollution and eliminate radiation accumulated in the body. This is supposed to strengthen the person’s immune system and increase his melatonin levels, and melatonin is a hormone in the body that plays a pivotal role. In the process of sleep.
The world is witnessing an unprecedented shift in how sleep is valued and its importance (Pixels)
As for the Unplugged cabins in London, they have come up with another way to enhance and stimulate sleep, which is to perform a technological detox, during which the guest completely abandons his digital devices, to get good sleep. These cabins are a collection of eco-friendly huts, spread across the UK. Upon arrival, visitors are asked to leave all devices in the safety deposit box for 72 hours, and the visitor then spends this time surrounded by nature, getting a peaceful sleep.
The world seems to be witnessing an unprecedented shift in how sleep is valued and its importance, giving rise to the concept of “sleep tourism” as a new trend in the hotel industry. Sleeping is no longer just a secondary activity while traveling, but rather an end in itself. As interest in this type of tourism continues to rise, we can expect to see more innovations and technologies that seek to enhance sleep quality. This phenomenon reflects a radical shift in the way of thinking about health and well-being, as getting good sleep has become an essential part of the journey in search of a better life.
