RETREAT TO SLEEP

Check into these restful resorts around India to cut the technological clutter, reset your body clock, and snooze.

- Vasudha Rai

A few weeks ago, I went to Sitara Himalaya, a luxury estate close to Manali, with several well-being offerings, including early-morning yoga. Normally, I would've salivated at the prospect of practising with an experienced teacher. But I chose to rest. My book's promotions, a new podcast, and the launch of another book later this year have drained me completely. So I chose to forego yoga, my first love, and utilise the fresh mountain air for a more pressing requirement: sleep.

As per a 2019 survey conducted across 12 countries, over 62 per cent of the population is unable to sleep well. India is now the second-most sleep-deprived nation after Japan. "There are four main reasons for (sleep) deprivation-social changes, including lifestyle and work patterns; nervous changes due to stress and related conditions; nutritional issues; and post-Covid symptoms," says Dr Cijith Sreedhar, chief medical officer at Prakriti Shakti in Idukki, Kerala.

Dr Joel Kahn, a holistic cardiologist, once told me that most people expect sleep to come as soon as they close their eyes. But sleep, just like a holiday, needs to be planned. That might explain why sleep tourism is on the rise over the past few years. Whether it's traditional panchakarma to cure anidra (sleeplessness) at Kalari Rasayana in Kerala or the lavender sleep balm at Westin Resort & Spa, Himalayas, there are options across the country to help you reset and refresh.