Barely a day goes by that I don’t come across a news item, survey or tip concerning sleep. Even as I write, a quick Google search for “news sleep” reveals media weighing in on the rise of “Scandinavian sleeping,” how people may catch better ZZZs on a couch than in bed, various causes of night sweats and Hawaii’s status as the “most sleep-deprived state.” Meanwhile, a 2023 consumer survey by U.S. News & World Report found that 21% of respondents “rarely or never wake up feeling well rested,” while 43% experienced insomnia during the year.

With such interest and yet, in Hawaii at least, apparent lack of success, why do people even bother trying to improve sleep? It’s because the benefits of restorative sleep and the consequences of irregular sleep are so great.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sleep deficiency can lead to physical and mental health problems, injuries, loss of productivity and a greater likelihood of death. It has also been linked to chronic health problems from heart disease, kidney disease and high blood pressure to diabetes, stroke and depression.

Though the medical community has long beaten the drum on the importance of sleep, guests that I cater to at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort rarely sought sleep programming prior to the pandemic. Now, the resort gets requests for it all the time, and our replies are indicative of new trends shaping sleep wellness.

Top Relaxation Technologies

For starters, Carillon Miami Wellness Resort has made guest beds ideal for restorative sleep and inviting to guests. We outfitted each of the 150 luxury apartments with The Bryte Balance Smart Mattress. An AI-powered mattress developed in partnership with leading sleep scientists, The Bryte Balance smart bed makes gentle, targeted adjustments to mattress firmness through the night—or nap—to orchestrate an ideal combination of pressure relief and support, for fewer wakeups and improved sleep efficiency.

The resort isn’t the only destination that employs this technology: Four Seasons, for instance, offers Bryte bedding in select wellness rooms and suites in Los Angeles. Travelers headed anywhere with a Bryte option can create a portable profile to save their preferred settings and continue to optimize their sleep journey on the road.

Carillon has also outfitted each apartment with an Infinity Salt Air Machine, which is about the size of the over-the-counter humidifiers that pharmacies stock when cold, dry winter air begins stuffing up noses. The Infinity offers a personalized play on halotherapy, emitting a near-invisible aerosol of salt particles to clear lungs and sinuses for a good night’s sleep.

Similarly, we utilize ActivePure, a purification technology that scrubs in-room atmospheres of pathogens—like mold, mildew, Covid-19 and more—creating squeaky-clean air to aid sleep. Each technology can be especially rewarding for frequent travelers who bounce from hotel to hotel with different mattresses, pillows and environments waiting to challenge their sleep.

Related: 3 Destinations Where Sleep is On the Menu

Beneficial Sleep Programs

Wellness-focused destinations are now offering therapeutic treatments that enhance relaxation in the moment, as well as expert-led seminars on sleep science, which arm guests with knowledge they can take with them to enhance sleep on their own.

Last October, Carillon Miami Wellness Resort launched The Sleep Well Retreat, an immersive experience created in partnership with Bryte and timed with the in-room introduction of The Bryte Balance mattress. The multi-day program includes a Pro Sleep Body Treatment with Tranquility Sound, and Ayurvedic and Indonesian Sea Malay massage.

Guests also receive a copy of Sleep for Success! Everything You Must Know About Sleep But Are Too Tired to Ask, co-authored by Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a sleep scientist and faculty member of Harvard Medical School. I serve with her on the Global Wellness Institute’s Sleep Initiative, where we work to uncover evidence-based strategies that contribute to restorative sleep.

Cutting-Edge Sleep Circuit

Such strategies are features of the Sleep Circuit, a wellness circuit offered at Carillon Miami. Notably, it employs touchless technologies to promote deep and rejuvenating rest. The technologies take on sleep issues from various angles.

V.E.M.I., for instance, uses healing sound resonance in tandem with full-body vibrations, natural earth frequencies and infrared light for a mind-body-spirit experience that can otherwise be reached only in deep states of meditation.

The Salt Float Bath incorporates 800 pounds of Epsom salt to lull users into a deep state of relaxation as they absorb magnesium, which relieves muscle pain, calms anxieties, stimulates blood flow, releases endorphins and improves sleep.

Meanwhile, the health-optimization platform BioCharger NG transmits energy to stimulate and invigorate the body for improvements to health, wellness and athletic performance.

There is also the Somadome, a tech-enabled personal meditation pod with a zero-gravity bed. It’s designed to clear minds, relax and heal via seven sensuous experiences, from aromatherapy to vibrational infrared sound therapy.

Finally, MindSpa by Synctuition is an oasis of tranquility: It invites users to get comfy on a zero-gravity chair and relax with a handcrafted, star-studded light display in an atmosphere of total silence. Immersive, mind-clearing effects are employed to heighten focus and perception.

And there are more! Taken together, such sleep-focused technologies and programming are about raising people’s awareness that “dealing” is no way to address sleep issues, as well as their consciousness of how beneficial restorative sleep can be.

With HTF Market Intelligence recently forecasting the market for “sleep tourism” to grow by $410 billion between 2023 and 2028, it is time for the greater hospitality and travel industries to wake up and build sleep wellness into their guest experiences.

Tammy Pahel, VP of spa and wellness operations at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, is a transformative and strategic spa, wellness, fitness and retail executive with 30 years of leadership experience. She’s responsible for all spa, health, wellness and fitness operations at Carillon, including forecasting, talent acquisition, learning and development.