A good night’s sleep can do wonders – it energizes and rejuvenates, leading to good health and productivity. Sleep deprivation is a condition that is no longer taken lightly. The global sleep economy is valued at $432 Billion in 2019 and is projected to touch $585 Billion by 2024. Still, around 62% of adults in the world do not sleep well. Lack of sleep affects physical, mental, and emotional health.

The best luxury resorts in the wellness hotel business, have incorporated sleep therapy into their programs to attract those who want a good night’s sleep! They are making special arrangements for an ideal sleep room. Sleep cations are one of the latest offerings in any reputed wellness retreat in the world. These well-designed, sleep-inducing rooms give sleep seekers the rest they deserve. This guide is all about how to create a sanctuary of sleep, the perfect relaxing room at your wellness resort.

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A Guide to Creating the Best Sleep Room at Your Wellness Resort

Sleep Tourism booming as a wellness travel trend

Sleeping during vacation is no more considered as a boring activity but a definite way to recharge and rejuvenate. Sleep tourism is an emerging wellness travel trend where people travel to specific destinations to improve sleep through restorative experiences. It is projected to grow by nearly 8% surpassing $400 billion between 2023-2028. Also known as napcations, the objective of this type of short vacation is to escape from the demanding stressful lifestyle and focus on the much-needed rest and sleep.

Gone are the days of exhaustive travel. Vacationers are opting for ‘slow travel’ or ‘mindful travel‘ where restful sleep and quality experiences matter. A survey among 600-plus travelers shows, that only 1 in 3 travelers experienced good sleep during their vacation. Guests putting up in wellness resorts and hotels expect more than basic sleep-supportive amenities to reclaim their lost sleeping habit.

The soaring popularity of tailored sleep wellness packages or sleep wellness retreats in resorts and hotels reflects a deepening awareness and appreciation for quality sleep in well-being. Integrating sleep rooms as a quintessential part of wellness programs enhances guest satisfaction along with setting new standards in wellness hospitality. This evolution is shifting travel priorities where self-well-being comes first.

Sleep medicine consultation

For those who cannot get their required hours of sleep, it is important first to assess the pattern of sleep, as well as other body vitals. These can be addressed and the sleep therapist at the resort can suggest effective sleep therapy.

Lack of sleep causes fatigue which restricts a person from being fully productive at work and home, irritability, mood change (quick tempered) and depression. Liver and heart problems, increased risk of Type 2 diabetes are other possibilities due to sleep apnea and other sleep related disorders. Sleep therapists at wellness resort in world are providing sleep medicine consultation.

At your Wellness Resort too, you should have on board a sleep medicine expert who would consult guests about the various physical, mental, and other issues originating due to lack of sleep. A wellness hotel business would advise you to hire a sleep therapist or expert who would curate the right sleep program for wellness seekers at your hotel or wellness resort.

Part of the sleep program would be to diagnose sleep disorders and suggest a cure, as well as provide the right environment to induce deep, refreshing sleep.

To create a room that helps insomniacs and other sleep-deprived people get much-needed sleep, you can add these advanced tech accessories:

Diagnose sleep patterns with advanced tech

WatchPat Sleep tracking device

Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea can be potentially life threatening. The WatchPAT One can be provided to your guests to test sleep apnea, as it detects True sleep patterns, sleep efficiency, as well as REM Latency.

The associated smartphone app transmits the data to the cloud, and the physician or therapist can access this data and suggest therapies for your guests. The device is worn on the wrist and has a finger sensor that detects body position, heart rate, Rem cycles, oxygen levels, and all.

Sometimes, many couples face problems in their relationship due to the loud snoring of their partners. Your sleep therapist can help couples to deal with this problem and save their relationship by helping them overcome sleep apnea. A wellness hotel consultant would help you with more pointers to make your wellness hotel/resort room more sleep-friendly.

EMFIT QS Sleep tracker

Fatigue is a reality for sportspersons. This device collects the Heart rate variability (HRV) data while sleeping. You can just put the device under the mattress which is pretty convenient as nothing has to be worn. The advantage of knowing HRV clearly lies in optimizing the performance of sportspersons, as they would get to know when to push themselves and when to relax a little.

Guests at wellness resorts around the world will know how to use this device and pace their daily activities, conserving energy in the process and improving the quality of sleep.

There are countless sleep trackers available for you to make the best choice for your wellness resort.

Only the best for your guests

Apart from tracking sleep and creating customized sleep programs, the rooms of your wellness resort should be equipped with top class equipment and amenities for guests to enjoy a restful sleep. It should be something more than conventional pillow menus offered by starred hospitality brands.

High-tech pillows and mattresses

Mattresses specially designed and crafted which adjust to the body shape provides relief from back pain and fatigue. These mattresses are the last word in comfort and luxury and are sure to provide much-needed slumber to your guests. Mattresses from The Sleep Company are highly sought after as they are more than just mattresses that you sink into.

As important as the mattresses are the pillows which are now no longer just soft and fluffy. High-tech pillows are designed keeping in mind the different sleep profiles, and some wellness resorts even offer a customized pillow menu. Details such as sleep-inducing pillows would be advised by the wellness hotel consultant that you hire.

Guests can choose the pillows according to their sleep patterns/conditions to ensure that they get the best headrest while they sleep. Personalized pillows can be used to ensure that your guests feel at home too!

Restorative beds

For people who are extremely conscious about their beds, the Bryte beds are one of the beds you can consider including in your room. These beds can change the pressure points in real-time throughout the night, as your guests slip into a deep sleep.

Better sleep is good for the mental and physical well-being of your guests and would amplify the sleep therapy you provide at your wellness hotel/ resort. Your wellness resort business would become profitable with upgrades such as these.

White noise machines

Very few people can doze off in a surrounding which is noisy and disrupting. Installing white noise machines would provide your sleep-sensitive guests with the perfect sound experience as they start to sleep. The white noise machines have a soothing sound that dulls the senses and blocks out disturbing sounds.

White noise machines feature soundscapes of natural and white noise such as rain, ocean, water and more. Guests can choose their favorite sound to sleep including meditations, sounds, and sleep stories. Some devices have the sound of sunrise and can connect to the lights as well and wake people up with simulated sunlight.

This would be a great investment for your wellness resort in India which will pay you back manifolds. You can get white noise machines within your budget, low to high.

Weighted blankets

Weighted blankets have been seen to reduce anxiety and offer a sense of security. Many insomniacs have been helped to fall asleep due to weighted blankets. The ideal weight is considered to be 10% of a person’s body weight, so you could keep a range of weighted blankets to offer a wider choice to your guests.

Some companies offering weighted blankets are Bearaby, Sweet ZZZ, Saatva, Luxome and others. There are eco-friendly choices too, and the filling ranges from cotton to glass beads.

Cooling and heating mattresses

Aircool mattresses are a worthwhile investment as they are able to regulate the body temperature during the night and enable better sleep. For instance, The Pod which cools or heats automatically before bedtime so that you sleep faster. The partner’s side will automatically cool or heat according to their set temperature preferences as well.

BioAcoustic Mat

This is a groundbreaking device in vibroacoustic therapy and has been US FDA certified. For those who toss and turn due to joint and muscle pain, this mat makes them fall asleep as it delivers a deep massage to the joints and tissues. If you want to feature as one of the top wellness resorts in the world, you could invest in vibroacoustic therapy.This is highly sought-after by global wellness seekers.

The acoustic massage is at low frequencies of 30-68 Hz (for larger muscles) and 52-88 HZ for smaller muscles. Guests would be able to choose from 4 categories – renew, relax body, relieve stress or prepare for sleep. Guitar, piano, bass, mono, digital sound, and binaural high alpha or beta provides therapeutic melodies that scientifically dulls the pain and leads to sleep.

Circadian lights to restore balance

Many people find it hard to sleep as their circadian rhythm or the body clock is disturbed. It is difficult to restore the natural clock of the body, but with the help of circadian light systems installed in the rooms, you can help your guests sleep and wake on time, as nature intended.

Mobile circadian task lights such as Journi, creates energy efficient lighting in warm tones, reducing blue light that has been found to hamper sleep. Journi also has a spectrum of soothing Goodnight which can transform to focus and alertness light in the daytime.

Accessories to induce sleep

The room design, bed, mattress, pillows, and lighting play an important role in creating the right environment for sleep. You can also keep a few accessories for sleep handy for those guests who have a tough time falling asleep.

Lumos sleep mask

The Lumos sleep mask is a notch higher than ordinary sleep masks which also help undoubtedly, but the high-tech Lumos allows users to enter their sleep routine into the app. The app then designs a personalized sleep routine.

The app optimizes every night’s program using the data from previous night’s sleep sessions. Instead of being woken up by harsh sunlight streaming through the windows, the mask gently awakens with the soft sunlight of the dawn at the specified time.

High quality ear plugs

For the convenience and comfort of guests highly sensitive to sound, you can provide high quality ear plugs that block out every sound. Ear plugs are great for couples on holiday as one can choose to wear them and the other can watch a movie or listen to something before sleeping.

The creation of a sleep room by integrating all of the things mentioned above will help your guests sleep well. During the day, your wellness resort can incorporate the following therapies to allow guests to rest and rejuvenate.

Natural Therapies to induce sleep

Singing bowls

Our bodies are humming at different vibration frequencies, day and night. Due to stress of any kind including lack of sleep, the vibrations are altered creating ill health. Certain healing frequencies emitted by traditional music therapies such as Tibetan Singing Bowls align the frequencies of the body endowing a sense of relaxation and peace. Offering Singing Bowl therapy at your resort would attract people who want to feel deeply relaxed, harmonized and alleviating their tension, high BP, sleep disorders etc.

Full body acupressure massage

Acupressure is one of the therapies belonging to Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM. The practitioner uses the finger, palms, elbows and feet to put pressure on specific body meridians. Many diseases and disorders are healed with this therapy, including sleep disorders. A full body massage will open up blocked channels and help in falling asleep. Guests can learn the acupressure points and can practice this massage at home to help in resting and de-stressing.

Healing crystals, probiotics, flower essences and more

Many wellness retreats in India and in the world are using natural therapies such as healing crystals which are placed on facial points, oral tonics, probiotics, essential oils and flower essences to ease anxiety and stress. Salt stone is pressed against the abdomen – all of these therapies boost the production of melatonin.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, one of the latest trends to assist sleep is to consume melatonin, with 3 million users in the US itself. The high demand of naturally boosting melatonin is due to melatonin being able to regulate the circadian rhythm. Research states that melatonin helps most people fall asleep quickly. Added benefits of melatonin are preventing disease, protection of cardiovascular health and slowing down the process of aging.

The sleep expert at your wellness retreat in India can give melatonin drops in a regulated manner to sleep deprived guests to help them fall asleep quicker and have better quality of sleep.

Aromatherapy diffuser/scented candles

Chemical free aromatherapy candles would add to the ambience of the rooms. Carefully chosen aromatherapy scented candles would address different physical and mental conditions. For example, Basil, Chamomile, Lavender, and Ginger reduce anxiety, pain and respiratory problems. Orange scented candles will lift low spirits and promote sound sleep. It is beneficial for digestion and skin as well.

Pre-sleep drinks

Pre-sleep drinks that boost sleep would be a great addition to the guest rooms at your wellness resort. It is a chance to make your guests feel welcome and pampered, as well as beneficial for them. Drinking hot milk for a good night’s sleep is no longer an old wife’s tale – milk has tryptophan which increases melatonin and induces sleep.

Cherry juice, almond milk, ashwagandha tea, chamomile tea are other pre-sleep drinks that you can offer your guests.

CBD-infused snacks, oil, and tea

CBD is trending as an ingredient for snacks, teas, juices and sparkling water. If there is not regulatory prohibition, you can place CBD infused gummies, candies, oils to apply and waters in your rooms as sleep aids. Sleep for eight hours is an achievable goal with all the wellness strategies inside the room, including CBD infused edibles.

Sleep mist

Sleep mists are being used to calm the senses and help in gently drifting off to sleep. Many varieties of sleep mists are available with carefully chosen ingredients. Chamomile, frankincense, lavender etc are bottled up to create delicate fragrances that your guest would love to fall asleep to. The sleep mists can be misted/sprayed on pillows and bed linens to promote relaxation.

Melatonin drops

Melatonin drops can be taken before sleeping and should be administered by the therapist at your resort. Those who are on certain medications such as anticoagulants and antiplatelet medicines, anticonvulsants, contraceptives, diabetes medicines and immuno suppressants should avoid melatonin drops.

Foot Spa ritual

Being pampered with a foot spa would be the perfect way to end the day. Foot spas are a treat and it is one of the best ways to relieve stress, forget about all kinds of troubles and anxieties. The nightly ritual of foot spa would go a long way to help your sleep deprived guests get some deep sleep. Foot spa for your guests would be a welcome addition to your wellness resort programs.

Aromatherapy massage

Aromatherapy massage is considered to be a part of traditional Swedish massage but with some difference. The massage is done using essential oils that promote relaxation. Integrating aromatherapy massage into your wellness therapy menu would be a good investment for your resort.

Guided meditation and mindfulness techniques

Guided meditation led by an experienced practitioner as part of your wellness resort programs would be highly beneficial for guests at your resort to relax during the day. Mindfulness techniques would help sleep deprived guests to let go of some of the anxiety and tiredness due to lack of sleep. You could place Guided meditation CDs, or help them install apps that would help them sleep.

Personalized bedtime snacks

Yummy snacks that are healthy and personalized according to every guest will make them feel special. Different people have different requirements that vary according to their sleep pattern and any previous illnesses. The snacks should be targeted to help guests fall asleep sooner.

Personalization of the room is key to good sleep

Whatever you plan to add to create the perfect sleep room, it should be highly personalized. Sleep medicine consultation and guests’ personal likes and dislikes should match to create the perfect sleepcation. Sleep is very much linked to a person’s mental set up and emotions. Aligning the room and sleep programs with that of your guest’s mental setup needs lots of deliberation.

Creating the perfect sleep-inducing room will put your wellness resort on the global map. You need to keep abreast of the latest sleep-inducing devices and techniques to curate some great ‘sleep experiences’ for your guests.

Get Dr. Prem’s Support for Your Wellness Resort and Wellness Hotel Business

Dr. Prem Jagyasi, a globally-recognized medical tourism and wellness expert, is reputed for his deep-seated expertise in enhancing wellness resorts across the globe. With a remarkable journey that spans over 65 countries, Dr. Prem’s encounters with more than one hundred top wellness resorts in the world have equipped him with unparalleled insights into curating exceptional guest experiences. His proficiency in wellness resort consultancy is a catalyst for unlocking new vistas of opportunity. Harness the transformative potential of Dr. Prem’s consultancy to elevate your wellness resort business to new heights. Get our tailored proposal and watch your business thrive. Book a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Prem today.