Sleep tourism is booming. Grace Graham-Taylor goes in search of a good night’s rest...
We’ve all been there. It’s 3 am, ominous birdsong is creeping in, and the dreaded early alarm is still hours away. Yet no matter how tired you are, you simply can’t nod off. As a natural night owl with chronic sleep issues, I often wish that I could turn my brain off like an appliance at night. And I’m clearly not alone.
‘Sleep tourism’ has become a trending topic in the travel industry, with many hotels offering bespoke packages that promise relief from restless nights. Here are three of the best near you. Bonne nuit!
hshotels.co.uk
The Good Sleep Retreat
📍 Ockenden Manor Hotel, West Sussex
One of the UK’s leading sleep experts, Dr Maja Schaedel, is a clinical psychologist who has worked in sleep disorder clinics at St Thomas’ and Great Ormond Street hospitals, as well as the Queen Victoria in East Grinstead.
Now running her own practice, The Good Sleep Clinic, Maja has designed a retreat at Ockenden Manor Hotel to teach guests long-term techniques for improving their sleep habits.
“Things like a nice pillow and a lavender spray don’t really touch the sides for people with significant sleep problems,” she says. “I wanted to set up an evidence-based retreat combining real treatment with a luxury spa.”
The two-day programme starts early in the morning with a two-hour group workshop, after which guests participate in various exercises and relaxation activities. Each has a one-on-one consultation with Maja, with a further workshop and a Q&A session on the second day.
Dr Maja Schaedel
“People often say that they’ve been doing all they can, getting into bed really early and so on. But that’s a good example of what not to do! In order to sleep well, you have to build up your ‘sleep pressure’. It’s like a tiredness that builds throughout the day just from being awake.
“If your brain gets wind of the fact that you’re struggling to drop off, it can become very alert and alarmed. We suggest getting up after 15 minutes, if you haven’t fallen asleep. Going to bed later and waking up earlier also helps. You’re more likely to have a good quality sleep if you spend less time in bed.”
The Good Sleep Retreat costs £999 per person. For more info and to book visit: hshotels.co.uk/ockenden-manor
kimptonfitzroylondon.com
Room to Dream: Lucid Dreaming Experience
📍 The Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel, Russell Square, London WC1
Charlie Morley is a lucid dreaming expert and author who has travelled the world teaching people how to harness the power of their subconscious mind. His work in treating trauma and PTSD has been studied by the NHS and the Metropolitan Police.
In 2018, he was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to continue his research, and last year, he collaborated with historic hotel Kimpton Fitzroy London to create the Room to Dream experience...
“A lucid dream is one in which you know that you’re dreaming as it’s happening,” explains Charlie. “You’re inside the dream, fully conscious, and you can decide what to do – fly across the sky, meet a movie star, whatever you want.”
Room to Dream is designed to help guests lucid dream at will. Each room is equipped with a VR headset containing guided visuals and meditation practices to ease guests into the hypnagogic state between wakefulness and sleep.
“There’s a lot of research to indicate that VR primes you for lucid dreaming, because with virtual reality, you’re experiencing things that seem to be real, though you know they aren’t.
Charlie Morley
“In a lucid dream, you’re conscious within the unconscious mind, much like hypnotherapy and with similar benefits. Just as a hypnotherapist will plant suggestions of healing intent – to give up smoking or drinking, say – in a lucid dream, you are guiding your conscious into the depths of the unconscious mind. So you can work with addictions, trauma, and confidence.
“It’s one of the best interventions for PTSD, with a powerful reconditioning effect on the brain which allows trauma to be integrated at a very deep level.
“There’s research, too, on athletes successfully using lucid dreaming to train in their sleep. If you practise press-ups in a lucid dream, you can actually do more of them in the waking state the next day.
“Moreover, it’s really fun. In a lucid dream, it’s like having access to the most powerful VR simulator in the world. Which is, of course, the human brain.”
The Room to Dream experience can be added to any stay at the Kimpton Fitzroy for an additional £50. For more info and to book: kimptonfitzroylondon.com/room-to-dream
The Pennyhill Park Spa
The Pennyhill Park Spa Pro Sleep Retreat
📍 Bagshot, Surrey
What you’ll get:
- An 80-minute ‘Tranquillity Pro Sleep Ceremony’, including massage using techniques and oils to induce restfulness
- A suite or room decked out with calming gels, lotions and teas
- Full spa access throughout your stay, plus breakfast at the hotel restaurant
The Pennyhill Pro Sleep Spa Retreat costs £680 for one person, or £920 for two; exclusive.co.uk/pennyhill-park
