Struggling to snooze? You're not alone. In fact, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), approximately 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from some sort of chronic or ongoing sleep disorder. Similarly, the National Sleep Foundation reports that up to 30 percent of Americans struggle with insomnia. With this in mind, it's no wonder why sleep tourism has grown increasingly popular, with more and more hotels around the globe continuing to offer sleep-centric packages and amenities to help their guests get some rest.
As someone who has struggled to fall—and stay—asleep for quite some time, I was especially intrigued to experience a sleep retreat. When the opportunity arose to jet to France's Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa to try their signature Royal Sleep Experience, I jumped at it. At first, it sounded too good to be true, especially considering how jetlagged I'd be following the eight-hour flight from New York.
I was pleasantly surprised by the experience, which included luxury suite accommodations with double blackout curtains and a deep-soaking tub to truly unwind before bedtime. A few hours before bed, I enjoyed a delicious, seasonally driven dinner at the on-site restaurant, featuring lean proteins and tryptophan-rich ingredients so as not to upset the stomach and help boost sleep. I washed everything down with the aptly named Sleeping Beauty mocktail.
Upon returning to my suite post-dinner, I was delighted to find that my curtains were drawn, an AIME© Sleep & Glow Kit (which included melatonin-based drops to mix in water and a calming sleep mist), and a satin sleep mask was left on my pillow. I took my sleep drops, sipped on a homemade herbal tea blend, turned on the provided sound machine and was lulled off to sleep. Fast-forward to the morning, I felt truly well-rested—for maybe the first time in years.
Fortunately, you don't necessarily need to hop on a plane to France to experience a good night's sleep. That's because several hotels across America are jumping on the sleep tourism bandwagon stateside with options ranging from intense multi-night retreats to unique suites complete with savvy tech and sleep-centric amenities and treatments. Ahead, we've rounded up the best hotel sleep experiences across the U.S.