Sleep Tourism: A New Path to Healing and Wellness
*“When you rest, you heal. When you sleep, you transform.”*
This quote struck me the other day while I was rummaging through a health magazine. Isn’t it true that most of the time we take this elixir for health, our sleep, for granted?
Yes, it is a restless world, and our day-to-day life demands it. Yet it is time to pause the race and start to think of the quality of sleep that we get each day. It is such awareness that has prompted the new revolution in the wellness industry, sleep tourism!. This trend invites travellers to check in and experience not the usual sightseeing or adventure, but deep rest and restoration.
Luxury resorts across Switzerland, Bali, and Singapore are now offering guests spaces with soft lights, soothing essential oil aromas, and sleep therapists who can craft sleep time rituals for you! The goal is not indulgence in wakefulness, but recovery and peace in sleep.
The Science of Sleep and Health
Sleep as all of us know, is a dynamic process. The fact that the human body requires to have a good night’s sleep to restore and repair the wear and tear is common knowledge. But do we take sleep seriously is a matter that requires serious introspection. When that deadline approaches, when the late-night party demands, when we get allured by the trending web series leading to late-night Netflix binge, who else suffers than our sleep? Sleep repairs our tissues, strengthens our immune system, clears away metabolic waste, and the list goes endless. Thus, chronic sleep loss can contribute to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and depression (Walker, 2017).
Sleep, Hormones, and Growth - Never underestimate the power of sleep!
The power of sleep can never be stressed more when it comes to maintaining hormonal balance. The fact that it is during deep non-REM sleep that the Pituitary gland releases growth hormone, essential for muscle repair, cell regeneration, and metabolism, is of profound importance, especially during growing years. (Van Cauter et al., 2000).
Do you feel like gorging on the ice cream tub at midnight when you are not asleep? And do you gain weight despite the fact that you put in constant efforts to lose it? The answer lies in the disruption of Cortisol; the stress hormone rises along with Leptin and Ghrelin peaks, which are hormones controlling appetite. The poorer your sleep, the hungrier you are and the faster your weight gain.
It is needless to state the importance of sleep in children and adolescents, as it is essential for their physical, emotional, and mental development, as stated in many studies. Children who sleep well show stronger memory, better mood, and sharper focus in school (Mindell & Owens, 2015). Sleep deprivation, in contrast, is linked to irritability, learning problems, and even childhood obesity (Chaput et al., 2016).
Behaviour and the Brain
As many studies rightly state, a good sleeping habit not only decides your health as a person but is essential for healthier relationships. Sleep shapes our behaviours. The brain’s emotional centres recalibrate during sleep. All of us have experienced being irritable, reactive, anxious, and impulsive on a day after less sleep the previous night. Goldstein & Walker, in a study in 2014, have clearly stated the importance of sleep in behaviour and mood changes. Adequate sleep is thus the cornerstone of positive relationships and mental well-being.
The Future of Wellness
Sleep tourism represents a remarkable shift in how humanity views health in modern days. From race for productivity to pursuit of presence, from constant indulgence to mindful rest hours, the perspective shift is triggered by scientific evidence from various studies conducted on the influence of sleep on health. As a traveller, when one surrenders to silence and stillness, they rediscover the simple truth: sleep isn’t an escape from life — it’s how life renews itself every night.
So perhaps you don’t need a mountain for your next great adventure, maybe you just need a pillow and your favourite Spotify playlist!
References
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Walker M. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. New York, NY: Scribner; 2017.
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Van Cauter E, Leproult R, Plat L. Age-related changes in slow wave sleep and REM sleep and relationship with growth hormone and cortisol levels in healthy men. JAMA. 2000;284(7):861–868.
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Mindell JA, Owens JA. A Clinical Guide to Pediatric Sleep: Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Problems. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015.
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Chaput JP, Gray CE, Poitras VJ, et al. Systematic review of the relationships between sleep duration and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016;41(6):S266–S282.
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Goldstein AN, Walker MP. The role of sleep in emotional brain function. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2014;10:679–708.