42 TRAVEL+LEISURE | APRIL / MAY 2020
ILLUSTR
ATION^BYMAYPA
RSEYproperties to counter stress and jetlag.
In Manhattan, Equinox Hotel (equinox-
hotels.com) has melatonin smoothies on
the in-room menu and a magnesium
spray in the mini-bar.GET HELP.
Book a complimentary consultation
with the Jet Lag Guru at Waldorf
Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah (hilton.
com), who will help manage your room
temperature, pick pillows, draw you a
bath with relaxing essential oils, and
give you fitness tips. Their Vietnamese
restaurant has a special menu built to
facilitate digestion (think lemongrass,
ginger and hot pho), thus better sleep.STAY WITH THE EXPERTS.
Sleep With Six Senses—that’s both an
order and a way of life at their resorts
globally (sixsenses.com). Created by
psychologist Dr. Michael Breus, the
program analyzes your sleep patterns,
movements and heart rate, and offers
lifestyle recommendations. Sheets are
made of moisture-wicking eucalyptus,
PJs are bamboo, and you have free use
of body pillows, humidifiers, a Sleep &
Sounds Ecotones player, and even a
CPAP machine. The team at ITC Hotels
India (itchotels.in) has also done its
scientific research. Their Sleeep (sic)
Experience includes music to help your
sleep waves, relaxing pre-bed spa
therapies like shirodhara and drinks like
warm spiced milk, an Ayurvedic menu,
light pajamas and a wind-down call to
tell you to power down.DROWN OUT NOISE.
Using the app Relax Melodies: Sleep
Sounds (US$59.99 per year), design
your own mix of sounds at varying
volumes—a strong ocean base with a
smidge of thunder, or whooshing wind
with a smattering of rain, for example.CREATE COMFORT AT BEDTIME.
“Bringing elements of your normal
wind-down routine to a new place will
prep your brain for sleep,” Schneider
says. Brew a cup of herbal tea or dot
your pillow with lavender oil to help tell
your subconscious that you’re safe.
Raffles Sleep Rituals (raffles.com)
launched last year in the Phillipines
(Makati), Dubai and Seychelles, with
Maldives Meradhoo coming soon. Gratis
for all guests, they include a linen eye
pillow, a custom relaxing oil from
Aromatherapy Associates, cute little
notes to encourage feelings of
contentment, and a five-minute sand
timer personalized with your initials.
Those in premium room categories can
also order from a menu of foods withI
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PH
OTOIF YOU’VE ARRIVED at your hotel beat,
only to have trouble sleeping, there’s a
physiological explanation: the analytic
part of your brain stays alert on your
first night in a new place. “Your brain is
hardwired to keep you safe in an
unfamiliar environment,” says
neurologist Logan Schneider, a sleep
specialist at Stanford Medicine. Hence,
you’re less likely to progress into deep
sleep, which solidifies memories and
makes you feel sharp the next day. It
gets easier with each evening, one
reason the ideal vacation should be
eight days minimum—but here’s how to
help speed the process along.COOL DOWN.
Since your body temperature drops to
kick-start sleep, you should set the
thermostat between 15 and 19 degrees
to adjust more quickly. Wellness suites
at California’s Estancia La Jolla
(meritage collection.com) have beds with
a mattress, topper, sheets, and duvet
that draw heat from the body.ELIMINATE LIGHT.
Brightness and darkness signal your
subconscious that it’s time to wake up
and shut down. Bring a mask or deploy
blackout curtains. Marriott now has
Stay Well (staywellrooms.com) in six
hotels. Among the design elements: a
circadian-based lighting system that
dims to promote sleep, then simulates
sunrise to wake you up gradually.