The hospitality industry has recognised the importance of sleep in promoting well-being. Joanne Pinto Pereira finds out the extra steps taken to ensure guests receive this vital element
Are you too tired to effortlessly drift into sleep after a hard day at work or one who could catch a power nap dozing over your desk? For all of us sound sleep is not a luxury. It is essential to our functioning.
Cognisance of body rhythm
The complexity of the world turning into a global village has impacted our lifestyles. Be it the corporate executive trying to max the day or living out of a suitcase defying time zones, the brunt is borne by the body’s natural rhythm. These subtle biorhythms once disturbed have a bearing on your normal daily functioning. Disrupted sleep patterns make for a groggy day ahead making it difficult for the sleep deprived person to concentrate and make decisions. The person is also at risk of injury and accidents.
A Meta-Analysis on Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Performance by June J. Pilcher and Allen I. Huffcutt Department of Psychology, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. US.A. found that cognitive performance was more affected by sleep deprivation than motor performance and that mood was much more affected than either cognitive or motor performance. It is important to note, however, that even on motor tasks the sleep deprived persons researched performed considerably worse
How much sleep should you get?
The National Sleep Foundation has listed in its journal Sleep Health nine age-specific categories with a range for each allowing for differences based on genetics and environment.
Older adults, 65+ years: 7-8 hours
Adults, 26-64 years: 7-9 hours
Young adults, 18-25 years: 7-9 hours
Teenagers, 14-17 years: 8-10 hours
School-age children, 6-13 years: 9-11 hours
Preschool children, 3-5 years: 10-13 hours
Toddlers, 1-2 years: 11-14 hours
Infants, 4-11 months: 12-15 hours
Newborns, 0-3 months: 14-17 hours
The effects of lack of sleep
Sustained sleep deprivations leads to a spiralling of interlinked physiological and mental well being besides lowering your immunity making you prone to ailments. Extreme manifestations include heart ailments, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, lower sex drive and depression.
Recognising the importance of being well rested, the hospitality industry today offers a plethora of options to ensure its guest get a refreshing night’s sleep.
Giving sleep its due
At the count of 6 pm, four staffers bearing lanterns and candles perform a ritual in the Sofitel, Mumbai lobby marking the close of day. As they congregate to the centre and crisscross to the far corners this is a signal for the harried business traveller or the guest living out of a suitcase across the meridians to unwind and surrender to their body rhythm.
Most hotels like the ITC grand central have a detailed pillow menu for their discerning guests or at least a basic amenity like a sleep mist (as does Taj Hotels Mumbai), to lull the guest into a restful pattern inducing sound sleep.
The Leela Mumbai attempts to enhance the sleeping comfort and experience with options from a range of pillows like goose down feathers, to keeping in mind the needs of smokers and those prone to allergies besides providing posturepedic mattresses.
Keeping in mind the needs of the traveller, Sofitel Mumbai BKC offers a sleeping experience with their signature MyBed™, which is a seven-layered bed with soft over-mattress, sheets and duvet, together with a detailed pillow menu that guests can choose from for their comfort. The hotel says the sleeping experience is designed as a tribute to the French bedtime and rising ritual of the medieval era.
Sleep Menu
Their Experience Sleep menu lists sleep amenities which include sleep masks, ear plugs and a reading selection. The exhaustive pillow menu has customised offerings for side sleepers, pregnant women, Natupalm made from natural extracts of palm oil shaped for maximum comfort, an indication of duck feathers in the natural selection to alert guests and eye pillows with aromas. Of course junior too can have a special pillow too.
Sleep soundly cards placed strategically carry motivational messages like “While night is to see the dream, day is to make them true.” They also serve as a reminder to have some calming herbal tea before you retire. Kids too can turn in post bath, (mind you kiddos are provided their own towels, bathrobes and slippers) have their hot chocolate nightcap, leaving the adults to indulge in the spacious bathrooms equipped with therapeutic bath salts and essential oils to pave way for a good night’s sleep.
Spa treatments
The menu lists the hotel's signature scent for a sense of warmth. Further to cater to the harrowing schedules of today’s jet-setter traveller, Sofitel has made its signature spa a 24-hour offering. So SPA’s ‘Pre Jet Lag’ treatments stimulate circulation and ease muscle tension, leaving the guest renewed.
Getaways
Novotel Imagica Khopoli has recently launched their premium spa - O2 to rejuvenate their guests. Be it a getaway from their hectic urban life or a company offsite, the spa offers a variety of therapies to unwind promoting better sleep.
Their signature Aromatherapy massage –that comprises of essential lavender oils enhance a sense of complete relaxation that also aid in tranquil sleep. The therapists also suggest a warm shower before the massage instead of after so the body can retain all the aromatic oils which enhance sleep quality.
Making sleep priority
While nutrition and excercise supplement overall wellbeing you cannot dispense with the average of 7-8 hours of sleep essential for functioning. Sleep disorders expert Harneet Walia, MD says it’s important to focus on getting enough sleep and make it a priority. She highlights that even missing out on 1.5 hours of sleep can have serious short term impact beside the very visible impact on your appearance. Research links a lack of sleep to increase of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, responsible for skin health as well. Besides the obvious premature wrinkling and dark circles, the long run impact on health taking a down turn is a very real. All the more reason to make time for and acquire a turn down routine.