When Sleep Is A Luxury

In an increasingly sleep-deprived world, people are looking for ways to rest peacefully, sparking a race among service providers to offer novel sleep services

- SAKSHI BATRA

WHEN WAS THE last time you had eight hours of uninterrupted sleep for a month? How about a week? If your answer is met with a wistful smile or you cannot even remember, you are not alone. In our hyper-connected, around-the-clock world, sleep has transitioned from being a natural, nightly ritual to a rare luxury.

As the lines between work and personal time blur, and the pressure to stay engaged 24x7 is unrelenting, the gift of uninterrupted, restorative sleep has become a coveted privilege. “If you want success of any sort, first, you need to learn to rest,” says sleep expert Khurshed Batliwala, co-author of the book Sleep Your Way to Success. He adds that the world is becoming increasingly sleep-deficient and it is almost a pandemic in the making. “There is a huge economic cost linked to insufficient sleep,” he says.

Batliwala believes that the fear of missing out is leading people to compromise on sleep, which in turn is leading to myriad health issues, including obesity, weakened immunity, depression, anxiety, etc. In the midst of this crisis, a new trend is emerging, catering to those who are willing to invest in rest. People are now waking up to the idea of sleep tourism. Think of a holiday where the primary focus is sleep. Everything— from the place you stay at to the activities you do—is centred on providing you a good night’s rest. Move over staycation, the newest holidaying trend is a ‘napcation’.