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A good night's sleep has become such a luxury that weary wellness-seekers are now jetting to special resorts just to drift off in style.
While being served by a sleep butler, selecting from a 'pillow menu' and lying on an AI-powered smart bed would certainly be restful, it doesn't really address the problem, says sleep researcher Dr Charlotte Gupta.
You couldn't fix 11 months of poor sleep even with a one-month luxury sleep holiday, she tells Mark Leishman.
If you're one of the many people not getting the rest you need, she recommends taking inspiration from high-end resorts to create your own optimal sleeping environment at home.
The optimal sleeping environment doesn't have to be opulent, Dr Gupta says.
Those of us restricted to our own bedrooms for a sleep holiday can set the scene by doing five things:
1. Avoid bright artificial light a few hours before bed (overhead lights, phones, laptops) and also avoid caffeine and food close to bedtime
2. Make your bed as comfortable as possible with fresh pillows, a supportive mattress and maybe an eye mask or a weighted blanket
3. Set up black-out window coverings and maintain a cool temperature in your bedroom
4. Commit to an evening wind-down routine, such as a warm shower, reading a book or even sipping a sleepy girl mocktail
This drink - popularised on TikTok - is soda water mixed with tart cherry juice (high in melatonin) and magnesium (which can promote sleep). It's worth a try three to four hours before bed, Dr Gupta says.
5. Aim for a similar bedtime and waking time - even on weekends
To have "really strong rhythms of alertness and sleepiness", our bodies want to sleep and wake at the same time every day, Dr Gupta says.
Like most people, she often sleeps in and goes to bed later in the weekends but says can pay for this with "social jet lag" on a Monday morning.
