Sleep tourism: When great nightlife means a good night’s sleep
And now, holidaymakers are dedicating their all important annual leave to getting some decent shut-eye.
According to TripAdvisor, so called ‘sleep tourism’ is set to be a big travel trend for 2023. Relaxation is the primary purpose of upcoming trips for over half (51%) of global travellers this spring, according to research by the site, and hotels are catching on.
Pillow menus are now standard, calming teas expected. And in some resorts, an in-house sleep coach will even sit in your room like a patient parent while you drift off.
Whereas getting more sleep was once a by-product of a getaway, now, it’s become the whole point.
Why the shift? Today marks World Sleep Day, and it comes at a time when we’re more concerned with our sleep than ever.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it – amongst many other things – a rise in insomnia, or ‘coronasomnia.’ A study in August 2020 from the University of Southampton showed that the number of people experiencing insomnia rose during the pandemic from one in six to one in four.
Experts said this increase in mass sleeplessness was down to the fact that more of us were experiencing stress and anxiety due to the extremely challenging circumstances we suddenly found ourselves living in.
But as we approach the third anniversary of the first lockdown, we’re still struggling. The recommended sleep for an adult is between seven and nine hours – but research by BBC Panorama found that in a survey of 207,000 participants, the average length of sleep was just six hours and 48 minutes.
Nearing half (44%) of people described themselves as ‘poor sleepers’, meaning they struggled to get to sleep or go back to sleep, felt unrefreshed or that poor sleep quality was affecting their day.
It’s perhaps no surprise then that the hospitality industry has attempted to come up with a solution for so many sleep-deprived holidaymakers.
Travel expert, Aurel Gross, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Usually, travel is associated with indulgent meals, partying until late, alcohol consumption, being busy visiting tourist attractions, all at the cost of sleep. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “I need a holiday from the holiday” – you end up more tired after the trip than when you left.’
Source of data and images: metro
