16 March,2025 02:36 PM IST | Mumbai | Debjani Paul
Five-star hotels like Westin are known for mattresses and bed linen that are designed for better sleep. Pic Courtesy/Westin
Sleep tourism, also known as going on a snoozecation, is set to be the biggest new travel trend to emerge in India in 2025, forecasts a report by Skyscanner. According to the Skyscanner Travel Trends Report, 85 per cent of Indian travellers are now more mindful of how much sleep they get on trips. Twenty per cent - or one in five desi travellers - plan their vacations entirely around sleep, and consider it as one of their main activities during holidays.
The third season of The White Lotus - featuring a wellness resort in the Thai island of Koh Samui, where the entire point of the vacation is to focus on rest and restoration - must also have you thinking of the same. It's all about spa treatments, meditation, going gadget-free and getting unbroken sleep through the night. In a world of constant hustle, when we can't switch off our screens or brain, sleep tourism offers a guilt-free chance to hit the snooze button on stress.
But why spend tens of thousands to lakhs to go to a new place just to sleep, one may wonder.
For the new-age Indian traveller, accommodation is often the biggest vacation expense, averaging about Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per night at mid-range hotels, and Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 at luxury resorts. The best way to get value for their money is to enjoy that cosy room to the fullest.
"Life in general just feels so hectic; I feel like we are always so busy. When I go on vacation, I want it to be about rest and sleep," says Pemiya Gandhi, a 30-year-old PR professional, "The only vacation planning I do is to find a hotel room with a great bed and bathtub. I hate planning activities for vacations; if I spend so much energy hopping from one activity to another, I'll return feeling drained instead of rejuvenated."
Gandhi recently moved from her Wadala home to Delhi, but made sure to recharge her battery after the big move with a snoozecation in Gurgaon, especially because a huge life change is on the cards - she's due to deliver her first baby in a few weeks. "I'm in my third trimester so we weren't able to travel far, but we wanted to do something to mark my babymoon, as well as my birthday and our wedding anniversary. We soaked in the tub, ate good food and napped," she says, adding that it was totally worth the Rs 18,000 they spent per night at a five-star.
Gandhi's approach to international trips, too, is much the same. "Everyone talks about exploring the sights, but the most we did was to find great places to eat. The rest of the time, we took long baths and lounged in bed," she says, adding, "Again, we spent more on the room, about Rs 8,000 per night. On most trips, 60 to 70 per cent of our budget goes towards hotel rooms."
Worried about FOMO (fear of missing out) in a new city or country? Sayali Angachekar, a 40-year-old fashion stylist from the city, has an easy fix. "A year ago, I went to Coorg and I wanted to relax a bit, but also explore. I snoozed through the first two days and then went out and about," she says.
She also reserves napcations for solo trips. "It's been a decade since I started solo travel," she says, "Last year, though, I did two trips with my friends. On both trips, I was mentally prepared because I wanted to go out with them and explore the place. I only plan group trips with friends to places I am interested in exploring. Otherwise, I make it a point to book at least one solo trip a year when I can just take it easy."
If one is travelling in a group, in order to avoid clashes or disappointment, it's best to have a conversation beforehand about what everyone expects from the trip. "You're spending hard-earned money on vacations. No one wants to be cranky once you get there," says Angachekar.
The dream tourism trend is not an entirely new concept. The Scots have had a term for it since the 1800s: hurkle durkle, which means to "lie in bed or lounge about when one should be up and about".
The idea has, however, gathered steam in recent years since the COVID-19 pandemic, when an increasing number of people began to report insomnia and stress.
LocalCircles, a citizen engagement platform, last week released its How India Sleeps-2025 study ahead of World Sleep Day on March 14. It reveals that nearly 59 per cent of Indians get less than six hours of sleep each night. And for many, even that is far from uninterrupted. This sleep deprivation comes amid rising work stress and calls for up to 90-hour work weeks in the country.
"Sleep is an essential biological need, just like food and exercise. I always say you cannot avoid sleep even on your deathbed," says Dr HN Mallick, President, Indian Society for Sleep Research.
Sleep tourism's appeal possibly lies in the lack of noise or distractions that we face in our homes on a daily basis, he says. "They are looking for a better sleep environment. In a hotel room, you can shut out the world and sleep in solitude. That's not always possible at home, where there are many disturbances," he adds.
The Skyscanner report estimates the global market for sleep tourism at $74.54 billion, and hotels, resorts and wellness retreats are all gearing up to cater to the demand.
Another 2025 trends report by the Hilton Group states that one of the top reasons people want to travel is to rest and recharge, and that 70 per cent of global luxury travellers choose hotels with sleep-centric amenities. Further, one in four will book a spa or wellness treatment to enhance their sleep while on vacation.
Pune's Atmantan Wellness Centre is one of the early entrants in the field in the country. "Since we began in 2016, we have been focusing on sleep and rest," says Sharmilee Kapur, Founder and Director, "Atmantan has six pillars of wellness, one of them is sleep. If someone is not sleeping well, they aren't living well. That is one of the things we seek to work on during guests' stay here."
Travellers check in for help with a myriad of health issues, such as stress, poor gut health or lifestyle diseases like diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). But "one in every three guests come in saying sleep is an issue, says Kapur. "Most often, the reason they cite is stress or emotional fatigue."
The wellness retreat offers several treatments and services to address insomnia in a holistic manner that also takes gut and mental health in account. In-house doctors recommend diet, meditation, as well as therapies such as acupuncture and shirodhara (ayurvedic treatment in which a gentle stream of warm, medicated oil is poured onto the forehead), all of which improve sleep. Guests are asked to refrain from using their phones except when they are in their rooms in order to regulate stress, says Kapur.
Hotels, too, now offer a range of services to cater to sleep tourists, right from a sleep-boosting dinner menu at ITC hotels, to massages and a trademarked, special mattress called The Heavenly Bed at Westin properties.
"Sleep tourism has evolved from a niche wellness trend to a global movement, recognising rest as the ultimate luxury," says Harish Gopalakrishnan, General Manager at Westin Goa, "At The Westin Goa, we are redefining travel with our signature Heavenly Bed experience, curated sleep-enhancing amenities, and serene environments designed for deep, uninterrupted rest."
It's not just five-stars either. Even mid-range hotels such as Vile Parle's T24 Retro hotel offer services such as a pillow menu, from which guests can choose soft or medium firmness, or U-shaped pillows for pregnant or side-sleepers.
"Sleeping at home just doesn't compare," says Angachekar, "I work from home, so sometimes there is no separation between my work and living space. I might finish work late and go to bed, but then will notice a pile of laundry waiting to be washed. I also have cats at home, who wake me up early in the morning for their meal. I just don't get the kind of undisturbed sleep that I do in a hotel. I work hard, so once in a while I like to treat myself to a sleep vacation."
1/5
Proportion of Indians who consider sleep as one of their main holiday activities
85%
Of Indian travellers are mindful of how much sleep they get on vacation
59%
Of Indians get less than six hours of sleep
Source: LocalCircles 2025 study
It's not just a five-star trend. Even mid-range hotels such as Vile Parle's T24 Retro boutique hotel offer services such as a pillow menu, from which guests can choose soft or medium firmness, or U-shaped pillows for pregnant or side-sleepers.
Dream tourism is not an entirely new concept. The Scots have had a term for it since the 1800s: hurkle durkle, which means to "lie in bed or lounge about when one should be up and about".
