A third of Americans are sleep deprived, according to a Centers for Disease Control study, and millennials are reportedly losing more sleep than anyone. Healthline states skimping on the recommended seven-to-nine hours can lead to memory loss, moodiness, a weakened immune system, overeating, and high blood pressure — all things you don’t want to be dealing with when you’re supposed to be sightseeing and drinking Mojitos.
These days, the tourism industry is cashing in on the epidemic with retreats specifically designed to help clients catch up on their z’s. Ahead, six sleep-inducing destinations so dreamy you won’t even feel guilty about spending your entire vacation in bed.
Photo: Sandpearl Resort Clearwater Beach/Facebook
This coastal oasis on the Gulf of Mexico offers a special spa package for sleepyheads called Nap Therapy. In this unique massage session, you’re actually encouraged to doze off. The Sandpearl Resort combines hydraulic beds meant to simulate zero gravity, aromatherapy, and a constant light massage to give sleep seekers a top-quality snooze.
Where: 500 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater Beach, FL
You won’t need to travel across the country for this amenity. Westin Hotels’ Sleep Well package is available in 30 states — not to mention Canada, the US Virgin Islands, and Guam — so you can save those precious vacation days and opt for a long weekend sleep retreat instead. The package includes a complimentary stress-relieving lavender balm, $100 in spa credit, and $10 off the hotel’s special Sleep Well dining menu, which features oatmeal tabbouleh, poached eggs, an array of bedtime snacks, and calming teas.
Where: Nationwide
Photo: Carmel Valley Ranch/Facebook
For some, a gentle massage just won’t cut it. Chronic insomniacs might consider a trip to Carmel Valley Ranch in California’s postcard-perfect Monterey Peninsula, where Dr. Bee Epstein-Shepherd awaits to hypnotize you to sleep. The resort’s Hypno-Health & Wellness package is intended to “reduce stress and to promote deeper, sounder sleep.” In addition to a good nap, you’ll also take a few sleep-inducing tricks home with you.
Where: 1 Old Ranch Rd, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA
If the best sleep you’ve ever gotten was surrounded by nature (or if your budget simply doesn’t allow for luxurious spa treatments and sleep packages), then consider pitching your tent in the official quietest place in the US. Deep in Hoh Rain Forest, located within Washington’s Olympic National Park, is somewhat of a silent sanctuary. One Square Inch of Silence is a haven for light sleepers, offering the least amount of noise pollution in the lower 48. So, save a penny and let the surrounding lakes, streams, and therapeutic wilderness sounds lull you to sleep.
Where: 3002 Mt Angeles Rd, Port Angeles, WA
Photo: The Benjamin/Facebook
The mother of all sleep retreats is, ironically, in the city that never sleeps. The Benjamin in New York City offers a Rest & Renew program that includes a pillow menu with Swedish memory foam, five-foot body pillow, water-filled, and seven others; noise machines; black-out curtains; triple-pane windows to block out the buzz below; and an around-the-clock sleep team. You can sign up for work-down calls, in-room pampering, and get a guided meditation session on-demand.
Sleep expert Dr. Rebecca Robbins created a customized design for The Benjamin’s rooms “to align with what we know to be effective for optimal sleeping environments,” she told Well & Good. Rest assured you won’t find guests with puffy eyes checking out of this Midtown East refuge.
Where: 125 E 50th St, New York, NY
You could call Tucson’s Canyon Ranch resort the desert’s premier spiritual and holistic wellness retreat. Think tarot card readings and crystal healing therapy. Here in the land of cacti, a licensed therapist is on-call to help guests “improve [their] sleep hygiene.” The hotel’s Sleep Enhancement experience entails a 50-minute consultation with an expert to assess sleep problems and determine the remedies — a nightly valerian tea, maybe?
Where: 8600 E Rockcliff Rd, Tucson, AZ 