Work deadlines. Dinners with friends. Household admin. New Netflix series. 24/7 emails. We all know sleep is important but, heavens, who has the time? In jam-packed 2023 eight hours a night feels increasingly like an indulgence.
“Even though modern life offers more opportunities for leisure and interaction – particularly with new audio-video platforms and social media – the length of each day remains the same,” says Dr Vicente Mera, of SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain, one of Europe’s leading medical spas. He says as we try to fit in more (whether on our phones, or in our schedules), our sleep suffers in turn. “As quality and quantity of sleep decreases, we feel tired and less efficient physically and mentally, with symptoms such as brain fog, chronic fatigue and daily drowsiness.”
Sound familiar? That’s where the sleep retreat comes in. When you can’t get the necessary sleep at home for whatever reason, a holiday with rest at its core lets you properly recharge. Especially as away from everyday life’s demands, extra time under-the-covers feels guilt-free – after all, you’re on holiday.
Hotels have long offered sleep-inducing evening massages or jet-lag treatments, but these are short-term fixes. In contrast, sleep retreats, an extension of the growing wellness travel movement, are concerned with identifying the source of exhaustion and making lasting lifestyle changes. More than just comfy beds, there are doctor consultations, nutritional plans, exercise regimes and meditation sessions to allow for a total reset of your routine. They’re about self-education, too. “On sleep retreats travellers learn more about their sleep and circadian rhythms,’ says Dr Rebecca Robbins, author of Sleep for Success.
It’s not only SHA Wellness Clinic running these increasingly popular programmes. Other established wellness resorts have expert-led itineraries, including the Six Senses group – which has sleep programmes in many resorts worldwide – and Ananda in the Himalayas, a holistic Indian destination spa. Other hotels are taking up the trend too; both The Peninsula and Novotel have partnered with mindfulness apps to encourage better sleep. Some properties, such as Hotel de LEN in the Italian Dolomites, have even designed rooms to be more ‘sleep-friendly’, with high-tech systems that, for example, might reduce radiation from electronic devices or contain ‘anti-ageing’ Hogo beds.
Of course, they do say that a change is as good as a rest, and that’s where the holiday bit comes in. When you aren’t busy snoozing, on these retreats you’ll get gorgeous Swiss mountains, sun-drenched Spanish beaches or Indian Ocean islands to enjoy. A proper rest *plus* a tan? Now that’s the ultimate 2-4-1 holiday deal…
Marbella Club Hotel, Andalucia, Spain
It’s the ‘dream’ set up: days spent on the sun-drenched beachfront of Marbella, evenings working on your ZZZs. The expert-led Tranquility and Sleep Enhancing Programme, available for between two and seven days, includes Tibetan singing bowl massage, guided meditations, yoga classes and refined-sugar-free menus. Together they’ll help kick to the curb any bad lifestyle habits that prevent you from getting quality rest.
Two days from £1,136pp, accommodation extra, marbellaclub.com
Rogaška Slatina Healthy Sleep Programme, Slovenia
Eastern Slovenian wellness spot Rogaška Slatina is known for its healing water, Donat Mg, which has the highest concentration of magnesium in the world. This four-day sleep retreat set across two local hotels puts the lauded H2O front and centre, with thermal treatments plus prescribed glasses to drink. You’ll also meet up with a balneologist (bathing scientist), and sleep with a polygraph that records everything from your nighttime movements to your blood oxygen saturation.
Four days from £665pp, fleewinter.com
Banyan Tree Veya Phuket, Thailand
As if being in Phuket isn’t already relaxing enough, Banyan Tree’s Sleep Regeneration programme will help you further unclench your shoulders with a practical sleep workshop, therapeutic massage and meditation rituals. If you want something targeted but don’t want a holiday featuring particular meal plans or workout regimes, this is a good compromise.
From £437, banyantree.com
Post Ranch Inn, California, USA
This luxurious Californian hotel doesn’t do things by halves, getting renowned American sleep expert – Dr Michael Breus, aka The Sleep Doctor – on board for its programme. Breus describes it as a ‘new sleep regime’ that people can ‘use for the rest of their lives’. Translation? Menus with foods that promote the production of sleep hormone melatonin (salmon, avocado, banana), a range of relaxing spa treatments and access to a Breus-created video tutorial that educates you on your chronotype (personal sleep cycle). By day, the epic hiking and beaches of the Californian coast await.
From £972pp excluding room rate, postranchinn.com
Beau Rivage, Geneva, Switzerland
With all that fresh mountain air and a strong medi-wellness tradition, Switzerland feels like the perfect getaway for a holiday centred on a great snooze. Whether you’re sleeping so-so or often awake all night, the Sleep Check Up at Beau Rivage – including a techy polysomnography – will aim to deeply analyse the quality of your ZZZs and make recommendations for improvement. Many guests tack on the other doctor appointments while there too, to get a full picture of their overall state of health.
Two nights from £2,000, beau-rivage.com
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, Maldives
You’ll be waking up to serene Maldivian blues after a beautiful night’s sleep at this Anantara resort in the Maldives. Its Sleep Enrichment Programme – available for stays between five and 21 days – starts with an epigenetic hair test to determine your wellness status, then goes on to measure sleep quality and quantity with a dedicated expert. Improvements are made through holistic means, whether that’s Ayurvedic-inspired massage or guided breathing sessions.
Five days from £1,636pp, anantara.com
Santani, Central Province, Sri Lanka
Seriously troubled sleepers make for Santani’s programme in Sri Lanka to tackle the root cause of their restless nights – whether it’s anxiety, stress or physical imbalance. Compared to some programmes it’s a time commitment, with a bare minimum of a week required, but results are worthwhile; the resort claims that guests who have been on sleeping pills for years are often sleeping naturally just a fortnight into the doctor-led programme. Expect a combo of Ayurvedic spa treatments, yoga nidra, calming breathing techniques and a physical cleanse – plus daily hikes and natural supplements.
Seven days from £2,500pp, santani.com
Castle Hot Springs, Arizona, USA
Check into this Arizona hotel from May 18-21 for a one-off Sleep Retreat hosted by American sleep expert Dr Rebecca Robbins. You’ll recalibrate your circadian rhythms with hikes through the Sonoran Desert and chat with Robbins in-depth about the science of sleep. There are pampering bits too, like soaks in geothermal pools and relaxing sound baths, and you should hopefully leave equipped to make real healthy changes in your life.
From £2,000, castlehotsprings.com
Jumeirah Al Qasr, Dubai
Who says a city break can’t also be a glorious snooze-fest? Dubai may be mostly known for its frenetic pace but at Jumeirah Al Qasar’s Talise Spa a new personalised Sleep Wellness programme gives you the chance to relax and reset in between shopping trips or days at the beach clubs. For three, five or seven days (the length is your choice), you’ll sign up for a range of sleep-boosting treatments ranging from diet coaching and hypnotherapy to reiki and qi gong. Everything’s tailored to you, so no two packages will look the same.
