Since 2022, a new trend in tourism has been emerging: sleep tourism. Travelling to sleep sounds paradoxical at first, because we usually travel to get to know other countries, people, cultures and landscapes. Apart from pure beach holidays, most people want to experience something new during their holidays and are much more adventurous than at home. So it’s no wonder that many people find it alienating to the point of ridiculous to take a long and often exhausting trip to sleep.
In fact, sleep tourism has a serious background and points to the fact that it is not possible for many people to get enough sleep and rest at home. They feel an urgent desire to change the environment in order to finally be able to do what the body is calling for.
What is Sleep Tourism? Explanation, meaning, definition
Many people find their everyday lives increasingly stressful and feel an intense desire to finally get a good night’s sleep. And where better to do that than on holiday? A recent survey by Techniker Krankenkasse shows that two-thirds of Germans feel stressed and a full 23% suffer from sleep disorders. They are exhausted during the day and wish for a holiday that does not demand performance from them, but one in which they do not go on a discovery tour, but can finally sleep in. They have a considerable need to catch up on what they seem to be failing to do in everyday life.
Doctors advise adults to sleep 7.5 h (but at least 6 h) per night in order to be able to start the next day rested and remain productive. The amount of sleep that is healthy falls by the wayside for many. They stay awake late in the evening to cope with the (often self-imposed) workload of the day and suffer from acute sleep deprivation. For many, a nightly sleeping time of 4-5 h has settled in, which is definitely not enough to meet the demands of the day. However, the body can only recover if it experiences all sleep phases during the night, especially the important deep sleep phase. With such a short night’s rest, this is hardly guaranteed.
What should be natural becomes a bonus
Resourceful hoteliers and destinations are now advertising precisely the possibility of getting one’s all-important night’s sleep and have geared their tourist offers precisely to this advantage. What a healthy person should be able to do anytime and anywhere is here inverted to a luxury good that is only possible under certain conditions.
The hoteliers focus on a reduced, quiet offer without a large selection of offers and excursions. Relaxation and recuperation are the top priority, so the holiday guest spends a lot of time in bed. Of course, this cannot be compared to the bed at home. Both the ambience and the offers around sleep ensure exceptional sleeping experiences with the highest recreational value.
A lot of support for better sleep
Sleep aids are diverse and always have a precious touch. This can be a huge selection of different pillows, an evening meditation offer or a proven sleep aid such as soothing music, tea and the like. A bed that can be individually adapted to the guest’s needs is especially important. Some people also benefit from the advice of a sleep expert who works out a practicable, new sleep strategy together with the guest.
Does sleep tourism really make sense?
Whether it helps to fly to another city or country to acquire new sleeping habits is something everyone has to decide for themselves and try out if necessary. The hotels that offer the hip sleep experiences to finally be able to sleep through the night again are usually luxury hotels. They have their price. It would be perfectly possible to regenerate in one’s free time. Why one cannot get some rest after a stressful day at work or a strenuous week should be questioned more closely.
Perhaps it makes sense to put one’s lifestyle habits to the test and ask oneself where the exhaustion actually comes from? Is it perhaps because leisure time is also far too strenuous?
Before going on holiday, every holidaymaker should ask himself what his basic expectations of a holiday are. If you choose an exceptional destination for your stay, you should make it a point to discover the highlights of the city or region instead of sleeping most of the time. It would be a shame to return home without having seen anything of the holiday destination. In the worst case, the lack of sleep remains at home and you have only spent a lot of money.