If you’re one of many (myself included) who scrutinize the sleep data from your wearable every morning and panic if your sleep score falls below a certain number, adamant that now your day will be catastrophically ruined, you’re not alone.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute states that between 50-70 million Americans have sleep disorders, and one in three do not get the recommended amount of sleep to protect their health. In the UK, a study by the Mental Health Foundation showed that the average UK adult only gets three nights a week of good quality sleep, and four in ten say that poor sleep negatively impacts their mental health.
So, it’s hardly surprising that the global sleep tourism market has taken note and acted accordingly. A study by Fortune Business Insights states that the market is estimated at $96bn and projected to increase to over $265bn by 2034. According to the Global Wellness Institute, 91 percent of frequent travelers are willing to pay up to 10 percent more for sleep-enhancing amenities while on the road.
Beyond hotels that offer sleep enhancers — The Cadogan in London has an on-site sleep concierge that works with a hypnotherapist; the Park Hyatt New York has a sleep suite with a smart bed that uses AI to adjust and reduce pressure points as you move; Andronis Concept in Greece can adapt meals to enhance sleep — there are more intensive sleep clinics.
But do they really work? Dr Chelsie Rohrscheib, neuroscientist and head sleep researcher at Wesper, thinks it’s possible.
“When patients are evaluated at an accredited sleep clinic and receive an accurate diagnosis, sleep clinics can be highly effective. Sleep medicine is a specialized field because there are more than 80 recognized sleep disorders, many of which can have similar symptoms,” she says. “The first step is identifying the underlying cause of a patient’s sleep complaint. Once a diagnosis is made, many sleep disorders respond well to treatments such as medications, medical devices, behavioral interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), or lifestyle modifications.”
She notes that the most common sleep disorders (sleep apnea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, circadian rhythm disorders, narcolepsy, and hypersomnia) do respond well to treatment, but the hardest ones to treat are those without a single underlying cause or definitive cure.
Chronic insomnia, especially, is challenging as it’s influenced by many factors that can’t necessarily be treated in a sleep clinic alone: “Circadian rhythm disorders can be difficult when work schedules or lifestyle prevent patients from maintaining consistent sleep timing. Complex cases involving multiple sleep disorders or chronic medical conditions also require ongoing management rather than a one-time treatment.”
Some of the world’s more medical-focused spas and retreats have dedicated sleep programs for deprived guests. Lanserhof, sitting on a high spine plateau in a Tyrolean village in Austria, is one of Europe’s leading medical spas. Its sleep programs begin with an in-suite assessment using polysomnography — an overnight sleep study that monitors brain waves, eye movements, heart rate, oxygen levels, and body movements. An individual ‘sleep cure’ is created based on the results — specifically on the regeneration of the gastrointestinal tract because it ensures balanced melatonin and serotonin levels, meaning they are responsible for a good night’s sleep.
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I visited Chenot Palace in Weggis, not for its sleep offerings (the sleep cycles program is extensive) but for a detox. Even then, I noticed that I was sleeping at least ten hours a night; an unheard of stint for me and my usual max of six hours of broken shut-eye. The change in my stress levels, diet, and overall wellbeing was surely a contributing factor.
To answer the question: Sleep clinics can work, but with a few caveats. Some might offer a reset that your body needs, but the underlying problem needs addressing — to understand why you’re not sleeping. It might not be fixed in a single visit, but in a longer term plan that combines better habits, medical assistance, and sustainable lifestyle changes.
