Sleepcations could be the new trend

HYDERABAD : What’s the big deal about sleep, anyway? Co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post Arianna Huffington shows in her New York Times bestseller The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time how our cultural dismissal of sleep as time wasted compromises our health and our decision-making and undermines our work lives, our personal lives – and even our sex lives. Sleep has been under the spotlight of health ever since books were dedicated to this eight-hour daily ritual. 

What’s WSD?
World Sleep Society will celebrate World Sleep Day (WSD) on March 19, 2021. The slogan for the 14th annual World Sleep Day is ‘Regular Sleep, Healthy Future.’ Although a fairly new concept, on the lines of World Cancer Day, World Heart Day, this is an annual, global call to action about the importance of healthy sleep. Created and hosted by World Sleep Society, World Sleep Day is an internationally recognised awareness event bringing researchers, health professionals and patients together to recognise sleep and its important impact on our health. This focus is purposefully broad in meaning, surrounding the message that quality of life can be improved with healthy sleep. Conversely, when sleep fails, health declines, decreasing quality of life. Sound sleep is a treasured function. 

Sleep Study’s insights 
A detailed Sleeep Study was undertaken at ITC Hotels in association with the Scientists of ITC LSTC, which concluded that the Sleeep Enhancement package improved the sleep quality – onset of sleep improved significantly while the sleep quality improved marginally. Rest & Rejuvenate Package in their specially-curated package is designed to help the guest recharge. They are also including spa treatments, specially-curated Sleeep menu, optimised decibel levels, blackout curtains, sleep music, etc. It contains little goodies such as pillow mist, essential oils, eye mask, ear plug, pillow menu etc. The Sleeep Menu is available at the hotel for the guests at an additional cost. 

Zubin Songadwala, Area  Manager – ITC Hotels South, General Manager, ITC Grand Chola, reveals the idea behind this initiative: “A  significant factor in hospitality is the quality of sleep and the rest a guest experiences in the room for which there is really no substitute.  Be it a business or leisure traveller, a good night’s sleep is panacea for the body and soul. It is this belief that triggered this research over a decade ago and we have implemented the results in several Sleeep practices and packages that enhance the quality of sleep experienced by the guests at our hotels.  Some of these initiatives include vacuum- insulated multi-glazed windows,  optimised decibel levels, innovative lighting such as the anti-stumble  lights, the right shower pressure, the fragrance in the room, sleep-inducing cuisine, among many others. Just  like staycations picking up pace, we envision Sleeep Staycations also becoming popular, especially in these pandemic-induced stressful times.”

Furniture for better sleep
Now, furniture brands too have started designing what they call the ‘sleep ecosystem’ for their consumers. The House of Nilkamal, for instance, has created ‘a holistic sleep solutions brand Doctor Dreams’ which is part of a comprehensive sleep ecosystem with its host of products, accessories, and softer solutions. Doctor Dreams mattresses have been designed keeping in mind the sleep patterns, body ergonomics, and India’s prevalent weather condition. It also comprises a host of digital experiences such as the Sleep Journal, Sleep music, and Sleep stories.

What the docs say
Dr Nalini Nagalla, senior consultant, pulmonary and sleep disorders, Continental Hospitals, says that in her 20 years of experience as a doctor, she has seen that there are two ways patients present with sleep problems. “One group complain of snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. The second group goes to different specialities with problems like uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled blood sugar, heart problems, fatigue, forgetfulness and headaches. When a detailed evaluation is done, we find that sleep deficiency is one of the root causes of their problems.

New age apps
Considering the increased and often the unreasonable amount of screen time that urban adults indulge in these days, there are a host of wellness apps that are focussing on sleep. Calm, for instance, has reminders to not just wake you up with a pleasant music, but also remind you to sleep at a particular time with soothing music. Similarly, Sleepwell app asks you to mark your quality of sleep everyday so that you are aware of how your sleep cycles are. The options will help you understand if you had light, sound, disturbed, painful or nightmarish sleep etc. From suggesting the kind of tea you must have to the kind of guided meditation one needs to listen too, there are advises galore. Choose your app and start zzzing.

World Sleep Day is on March 19 and therefore a good time to look at our own sleep quality and patterns for better health

— Manju Latha Kalanidhi kalanidhi@newindianexpress.com @mkalanidhi