If the increase in fingers brandishing Oura rings in your circle of friends is anything to go off, I’m firmly in the sleep deprivation club. Entry to the club is quite simple. Have one or more humans in quick succession and kiss your normal sleep routine goodbye, and you’re there. No offspring? No worries! Overload yourself with work stress and anxiety, and you can also join, free of charge.
Photo by Dmitry Ganin on Unsplash
I’m well aware I’m not alone. Almost 3 in 4 Australians struggle to get the recommended seven to nine hours sleep per night, according to a new survey from financial comparison site Finder. Lack of sleep on an ongoing basis chips away at our health, piling up losses in productivity, and an increase in diseases and depression.
We already know that behind every Slow Stay booking is a quest for a good night’s sleep. But increasingly, boutique accommodation and hotels from New York to Singapore and palm-lined Palm Cove in Queensland are unveiling sleep programs and sleep-aides designed to help their guests in the worthy pursuit of quality Z’s.
Say hello to sleep tourism.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Sleep Tourism in Australia
When guests check in for a sleep retreat at The Reef House in Palm Cove, they’re not just opting in for some sleepytime tea or a magnesium spray by their pillow. Expert sleep scientist, Sabine Christelli, is on hand to guide the weary through “the eight pillars of sleep”, ensuring guests not only check out feeling well rested, but better equipped to understand the sleep process and how to improve each pillow date.
A pillow menu, herbal tea, blackout curtains, and aromatherapy diffusers are all there, along with quality mattresses, but it’s the up-skilling on sleep hygiene, relaxation techniques, and the impact of diet and exercise on sleep that really promises to shift patterns of insomnia and lethargy.
Last year, Pan Pacific Melbourne introduced its Happy Sleeper Program for guests staying in Suites and Club rooms. From the pillow and Slumber Supper menus – the latter offering complimentary nightcaps like warm milk – to a Bath Butler, all elements of the program have been designed to promote deep and restful sleep. A Happy Sleepers Guidebook also offers up rest-inducing yoga poses to try out before bed.
Indeed, it seems sleep tourism is booming everywhere. In Hobart, the MACq 01 hotel has a special ‘slumber suite’ with weighted blankets and scientifically backed lighting.
At Park Hyatt Sydney, glasses that block blue light are on hand and new Eco Lodges at Peninsula Hot Springs on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula have been designed around the neuroscience of sleep. Heated floors, private soaking tubs, magnesium mist and a lockbox for your phone are just some of the sleep-assisting features.
The Peninsula Suite at Peninsula Hot Springs
So, would you pay more to ensure a really good night’s sleep? Or consider a dedicated sleep retreat?
Hilton’s 2025 Travel Trends Report found nearly half of all travellers avoid setting an alarm on holidays because sleep and rest is the ultimate indulgence. In fact, 20% of travellers practice what the Scottish call ‘Hurkle-Durkling’ – intentionally lounging all day in bed, while on holidays.
Travelling solo is your best bet when it comes to sleep retreats, with the Hilton research also finding 63% of travellers report sleeping better when they sleep alone.
With the increase in demand for sleep tourism, we can expect to see even more inventive, tech-assisted, and wellbeing-focussed slumber packages popping up in the years ahead.
Because ultimately, no matter where we roam, the ultimate luxury in travel has become a really good night’s sleep.
