Spa Offers New Sleep Holiday

Mind-Body-Spirit News:

Sleep is part of a healthy lifestyle, and people of all ages are suffering from a lack of it. According to the National Institutes of Health, 70 million Americans do not get enough sleep. Even children are experiencing negative consequences of sleep deprivation.

People who sleep less than 6 hours per night are the most sedentary and have the highest obesity rates, according to a report by the National Health Interview Survey. Clinical research has shown that lack of sleep impairs endocrine function and metabolic and inflammatory responses. If we help clients learn how to sleep better, they will get better results from any exercise and wellness program.

The Iru Fushi Beach & Spa Resort in the Maldives has come up with a creative program, entitled “Sweet Dreams,” to help adults and children relax and get the sleep they are missing. The adult Sweet Dreams program includes afternoon and evening spa treatments to encourage a nap or a good night’s sleep; a yoga instructor who offers private classes, teaching breathing techniques and stretches to encourage relaxation; special sleep-aid teas; massages and baths with sleep-inducing essential oils; an all-hours on-call sleep concierge offering encouraging sleep advice; poetry, music or talking-book CDs to provide bedtime stories; and a “sleep-all-night-cap,” a special cocktail of ingredients that promote sleep.

Children’s sleep amenities include bedtime-story books; an early-evening dinner buffet; fall-asleep audio-books or music; bedtime-story groups and slumber parties; and warm milk or hot chocolate.

Guests may select linens from a “pillow menu” and get advice on what type of pillow best suits their preferred sleeping position. The yoga instructor also guides guests on how to complete sleep diaries, which are discussed each day. The purpose is to give clients useful insight into their sleep patterns and help them learn techniques for sounder sleep at home.

For more information about the sleep holiday, see www.irufushi.com.

The findings from the National Health Interview Survey on Sleep are available online at www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/sleep04-06/sleep04-06.htm#Conclusions.