By Arabella Peterson EntertainmentWellness 13.07.2025

Sleep Tourism Is on the Rise – But Can You Really Travel for Rest?

Catch a flight to catch some Zzzs – it’s time to check into your dream night’s sleep.

Is good rest really just a reservation away? From high-end sleep suites to dream-enhancing retreats, this travel trend promises to soothe sleeplessness. Bed Threads Editor Arabella Peterson delves into the growing industry of sleep tourism – and explores what it says about our collective craving for slumber.

In season three of The White Lotus, strung-out Southern Belle Victoria Ratliff laments losing her beloved sleep-inducing sedatives. “I don’t even have my Lorazepam. I’m gonna have to drink myself to sleep!” she trills. In the previous season, Aubrey Plaza’s character Harper bemoans the trouble she has sleeping, attributing it to “everything that's going on… in the world.” Even in the fictional lives of luxury holidaymakers, sleep is a coveted commodity not so easily obtained.

Back in the real world, the truth isn’t far removed. Like the guests checking in to The White Lotus, escaping the daily grind to catch deep, quality sleep is becoming a sought after offering at hotels, resorts and retreats all over the world. In fact, a HTF Market Intelligence report values sleep tourism at $US690 billion, and this is projected to grow by billions before 2031.

Last year, Hobart boutique hotel MACq 01 introduced a Slumber Suite, curated with sleep expert Shea Morrison. The winter package included elements like room scents, sleep drops, weighted blankets, a sleep-optimised menu, red lighting and bath salts. Over in Queensland, The Langham teamed up with the World Sleep Society to design the Sleep Matters by Chuan programme, including a Sleep Cycle tracker, sleep playlist and breathing exercise guide. Abroad, you can find a growing number of sleep retreats, The Sleep Enhancement Programme at Kamalaya in Thailand and Lefay Resort & SPA’s Sleep Programme in Italy promise immersive experiences with restorative sleep as the central focus.

One of the most in-demand and comprehensive sleep experiences is Sleep at Hyatt Australia and New Zealand, created in collaboration with Nancy H. Rothstein, MBA, The Sleep Ambassador®. The package includes a Ritual Pack – sleeping mask, sleep-friendly tea, de-stress linen mist, relaxing bath salts, and aromatherapy pulse points roll-on; in-room dining; an array of Tips for Getting Great Sleep; and Dreamers Lucid Sleep glasses. Creating ideal sleep conditions within the walls of the hotel, the programme provides every amenity one would need to have a restful night. “When we designed Sleep at Hyatt, it was definitely about what could help somebody every day – whether they’re travelling or not,” she says, "The goal is to provide an excellent sleep experience at Hyatt so the guest can replicate at home what worked best at the hotel."

While it may seem like a short-term escape, Nancy views travel tourism as part of a holistic attitude to sleep, and stresses the importance of integrating sleep tips into everyday life, including the lead-up to travel, offering a simple but essential piece of advice: “Embark rested.” This means trying to arrive at your destination already well-rested, rather than depleted from the prep. “We’ve all done it – stayed up late trying to finish work, pack, then start the trip exhausted,” says Nancy. “If you can start your trip rested, that’s a stepping stone to a successful experience – whether it’s business or pleasure. Wherever you are, "A good night’s sleep begins when you wake up. And a good day begins the night before, when you go to sleep.”

Advocates of these sleep experiences see them as a counter to hustle culture – spaces for reflection that support mental health, structured rest, and gentle routines. Others opt for sleep packages to break unhealthy patterns; empower proactive healing; or simply have a few nights of deep, restorative sleep.

Dr Moira Junge, a registered health psychologist and CEO of the Sleep Health Foundation, warns not to get so concerned about having the ‘perfect’ night’s sleep that it becomes obsessive or over-pathologised. “There's sleep-specific anxiety that comes from getting scared or anxious about bedtime – a preoccupation with sleep,” she says. “People find themselves thinking about it from the moment they wake up and all throughout the day. Asking ‘What went wrong last night? How am I going to get better tonight?’”

Nancy echoes this, pointing to sleep technology as an area that can help greatly, but needs to be used in a way that’s mindful and personalised to the individual. “We are designed to sleep. The best sleep technology is inside of us,” she says. “The question is: Are you honouring your biology, or interfering with it? Our biology isn’t changing anytime soon. You need to align with your circadian rhythm – not fight it.”

This personal approach applies to all facets of sleep hygiene. An important consideration when exploring sleep tourism is recognising that there’s no blanket solution for every sleeper. Self-quantification can be empowering or stressful; some love tracking sleep data, others find it overwhelming. For some, luxury settings can inspire, but for others may find them intimidating or prohibitive.

Ideal candidates looking to engage in sleep tourism may be business travellers who struggle with jet lag, overworked individuals facing burnout, and anyone looking to improve on disordered sleeping. Nancy makes the distinction between disordered sleeping and sleep disorders – the latter being chronic conditions, including sleep apnea, insomnia, or narcolepsy – which likely need clinical support.

Dr Junge recommends people with more serious sleep concerns consult a doctor. “The gold standard [for treating insomnia] is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – changing the way you think about sleep… But it usually takes several months,” she says. “If people have slept poorly for a long time, and they've got maladaptive, unhelpful beliefs and behaviours around sleep, people have to realise that it's not going to be a quick fix.”

She emphasises that an overnight stay can only do so much. The most important thing, she says, is exploring the “possible cause of their sleeping difficulties and making decisions or plans from that point. There is no use going onto melatonin tablets when the main issue is not being able to switch off your busy mind,” she explains.

“Not all sleep suggestions will necessarily hit the mark for their particular problem. I would like to see people being their own ‘personal scientist’; being self-aware and self-reflective and therefore choosing information and solutions that suit their situation. Sleep support needs to be tailored to specific issues. There is rarely going to be ‘one size fits all’ sleep advice.”

An immersive hotel stay is a special experience, it’s curated for a reason, and it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to completely replicate the wellness experience at home – but you can bring parts of it into your daily routine. Above all, Nancy advocates for taking the tenets of sleep tourism home with you. “Hotels are in the business of sleep – especially luxury ones. So it makes sense that they’d offer packages that support it. But the goal should be: What are you taking home with you? What shifts did the experience inspire?” she says.

"Consider what’s different about the hotel experience. What are your takeaways? You’re not going to spend most of your time in hotels – your life happens at home. So be curious and attentive. Ask yourself: What can I learn from engaging in a hotel stay that’s focused on giving me a good night’s sleep?” says Nancy. “It could be something simple, like realising how well you sleep in a room with blackout curtains. Maybe at home the light wakes you up, or you notice all the blue lights in your bedroom. Sometimes it's about those small environmental factors.”

She continues, “Say you do the Sleep at Hyatt programme and have the best weekend. You used the lavender, you had chamomile tea, you felt great. What are you going to do differently when you get home?”

But why has sleep travel taken off so rapidly, and why now? To understand our current attitudes to sleep, we have to go back to the days before the Industrial Revolution. Prior to artificial lighting, sleep was more fluid, following the sun and seasons and deeply tied to communal living and agrarian rhythms, not productivity. During the Industrial Revolution, sleep began to be seen as “unproductive” time, which bled into the late 20th century hustle era. In postwar capitalist cultures, being busy and underslept signified ambition, and success and sleep disorders started to rise, as did caffeine and stimulants.

Now, we’re seeing the rise of the wellness era with sleep at its core. There are movements framing rest as resistance in a hyperproductive world where burnout is a badge of honour. But with mainstream momentum comes commodification. Nancy is frank about the state of sleep worldwide. “It’s not getting better,” she says. Apps, wearables, and sleep supplements have emerged to ‘optimise’ sleep. Rest has become aspirational – something you earn or treat yourself to. With that considered, perhaps the key to engaging with sleep tourism in a helpful way is approaching it like other wellness and luxury experiences: with self-awareness, intention, and realistic expectations – and by pursuing joy rather than perfection.

Ultimately, sleep tourism can be both a balm and a bandage – it offers real value in a world running on burnout, but it’s not a substitute for long-term habits. “Sleep tourism wouldn’t exist if people weren’t so desperate for rest. And that desperation should be met with more than just a beautiful hotel room. The real luxury is figuring out what works for you – and applying it in everyday life. Nancy puts it plainly, “You can’t outsource your sleep. It’s about quality, quantity, and consistency – and making intentional choices. Wellness travel is great. But sleep habits? That’s a lifestyle.”