You Need to Book “Vacation to Sleep”

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but more and more often they just… aren’t. More than 90 percent of people in a recent study admitted that travel causes them stress for obvious reasons: it takes a lot of work to plan it , especially with inflation and a post-pandemic travel boom that makes everything more expensive.

But there are plenty of non-monetary reasons why our vacations suck these days. The separation between our work and personal lives has blurred, and ” jobs ” are becoming more and more routine, destroying what should have been a break from our work. Our devices prevent us from leaving our worries behind and truly being in the moment while traveling. And the rise of an influencer culture that sees travel and vacations as work, while also giving the impression that every moment of your trip needs to be Instagram-ready, is causing serious FOMO .

For these reasons and more, your next trip should be a “sleep vacation.” If you want your off-duty time to refresh rather than exhaust you, stop running around trying to cram in classes and film TikTok that no one will ever watch. Instead, go to some peaceful and beautiful place and get some rest.

We all suffer from lack of sleep.

Prioritizing sleep even while on vacation is critical because many of us are sleep deprived . Our daily life is filled with work, household chores and family affairs. We have so much going on that we can’t go to bed when we know we should, and this “social jet lag” can disrupt our sleep cycles so we don’t go to bed when we should and can’t. fall asleep as soon as we finally fall into bed.

The negative effects of sleep deprivation and social jet lag are enormous. Poor sleep affects your judgment and decision making , can lead to chronic health problems including high blood pressure and depression, and increase anxiety.

So when planning your vacation, keep this in mind: if you already have a sleep deficit, a vacation that somehow doesn’t prioritize rest will only exacerbate the problem and leave you worse off than before, which is the exact opposite of how it should be. vacation. Instead, it’s time to seriously consider sleep and rest as part of your journey.

Go in for sleep-tourism

There are two ways to approach the dream vacation. One is to focus on sleep by going to a sort of “sleep retreat,” which usually involves booking a luxurious hotel room specifically designed for relaxation and mindfulness. So you can travel to Italy and book a sleep retreat at Six Senses Rome , where a program of yoga, meditation and other therapies is combined with a medical assessment of your sleep problems and a great spa atmosphere. Or book a stay at the Park Hyatt New York Bryte Restorative Sleep Suite , which features an AI mattress that constantly adjusts room conditions to give you the best sleep of your life.

Another approach is to prioritize sleep while on vacation. Most of us focus on activities, food, and adventure when we travel, and treat sleep as an afterthought—as long as we have a place to crash at the end of the day, we’re happy. Sleep tourism reverses this scenario : you still go out and see the sights, you still eat delicious street food and trendy restaurant dishes, but you are also absolutely sure that you are back at the hotel (or other place where you will sleep). ). well) at a reasonable hour. Instead of getting up early and staying up late (turning vacation into a chore and fighting your body’s natural sleep rhythms), you allow yourself to sleep as much as you want and need.

Plan, but plan carefully

To avoid giving the impression that vacation planning is the enemy of sleep, consider that a well-planned trip can actually be incredibly relaxing as long as you don’t overload yourself with a schedule. By all means, book ahead – much less stress going to bed every day knowing what the next day will bring – just don’t book too many things. Instead of running from one activity to another, focus each day on one main activity and one relaxing activity. No, you might not be able to check out as many sites on your list, but you’ll likely enjoy whatever you find time for if you’re not shambling by 3pm or running solely on caffeine and adrenaline. .

bottom line

Even if you don’t want to plan your holiday around relaxation, rest must be part of your plan or you’ll return from your trip feeling even more exhausted. This is a self-care practice that will not only improve your overall well-being and well-being, but also enhance your vacation as it reduces the stress associated with scheduling every free minute with some kind of activity. The next time you go somewhere, make sure there is a really nice bed waiting for you on the other side.