THE BIG SLEEP
A rest is as good as a change, says Hazel Davis
I don’t know about you but when I’m on holiday my main priority is squeezing in as much activity as I possibly can – waking up at the crack of dawn, getting lost for a few hours, staying out until all hours, and eating and drinking late into the night. That’s relaxing, right?
But poor old sleep is more important than most of us seem to realise. We spend a third of our lives sleeping (approximately 262,8000 hours – compared with just 65,700 eating) so why don’t we pay it more heed? A study by the Iberian Association of Sleep Pathology shows that the optimum amount of sleep per night is seven hours and 45 minutes. The same study recommends maintaining regular sleeping hours, doing regular physical exercise (but not just before bed), avoiding caffeine for at least six hours (I know!) before bedtime and taking a midday nap for no longer than 20 minutes.
We go through five phases of sleep. Phase one is the transition between being awake and falling asleep, phase two is the most lengthy and features sudden bursts of brain activity, phases thre and four are the deepest sleep times, and are when the body repairs any muscle damage which has occurred the previous day. The fifth phase is when rapid eye movement (or REM) takes place. Brain activity is similar to when we are awake and it seems that this is when we dream. These phases work in a cycle which is repeated four or five times a night and we have to go through all of them to wake up feeling rested.
Sleep like a baby in boutique style
Boutique hotel Hospes Amérigo in Alicante has enlisted a leading expert to help its guests get all the shut-eye they require. Dr Eduard Estivill is director of the sleep clinic at the Dexeus University Institute in Barcelona and has written numerous books on the subject. His motto is: “If you want to sleep well at night, you must prepare during the day,” and he has worked on a new “Way To Sleep” programme for the Amérigo, which provides its guests with advice on how to put this principle into practice.
You are given a booklet on arrival which contains muscle exercises to do when you wake up and the special “Senzone” breakfast is designed to be rich in vitamins and glucose and other carbohydrates. A typical example is freshly squeezed orange juice, toast with cheese or jam, dairy products, such as yoghurt, and a milky coffee or herbal tea. It’s recommended that you take an after-breakfast walk down to the esplanade where you are advised to “hold your face up to the breeze”.
The Agricultural History Review, Volume III 1955 Part II: The Content and Sources of English Agrarian History after 1500; The Curving Plough-Strip and its Historical Implications; Crop Nutrition in Tudor and Early Stuart England by Joan Thirsk, S R Eyre, G E Fussell, and J D Gould
This aerobic activity raises the 
levels of phenylethylamine, an amino acid which helps us achieve a positive state of mind. You’re also prescribed 15 minutes of bright sunlight (now that’s the sort of doctor’s orders we like) which will help keep you awake during the day and make sure you feel extra drowsy when bedtime comes.
If all of that’s exhausted you, Dr Estivill suggests a short siesta around eight hours after waking. After this a two-hour walk gives you the exercise you need, then it’s back to the hotel for a massage of the encephalic trunk – the stemlike portion of the brain which connects with the spinal chord. It’s a lot less frightening than it sounds!
A light dinner two hours before bed, including food rich in carbs, vegetables and dairy products helps the mind and body to repair themselves while you’re asleep. Reading for 30 minutes then completely emptying your mind completes the process and readies you for a good night’s kip.
Sleep like a log in Leeds
If you don’t want your entire holiday to revolve around the pursuit of zees, The Devonshire Arms Hotel in Skipton, named England’s Small Hotel Of The Year 2008, offers a bit of home-from-home comfort with a “Good Night’s Sleep Policy” which is a little easier to digest.
Hot water bottles in every room, a range of different bedding options, and Molton Brown Yuan Zhi sleep mist spray mean that after a tiring day, you have everything you need to snuggle up. The hotel will even deliver a bed-time hot chocolate or Horlicks to your room.
The hotel’s general manager, Brian Van Oosten says: “Our sleep philosophy is integral to the guest experience. I want our guests to have a fantastic stay and that includes a good night’s sleep. Deep pillows, squishy cushions, rooms at just the right temperature, the opportunity to have a hot chocolate – it’s all about attention to detail. I continually check the beds and bedding for comfort and have been closely involved with the choice of mattresses for our newly refurbished bedrooms.”
Sleep like a rock at the Regency
The four-star Regency-style Grange Hotel in York city centre has also launched its own “Sleep Project”. Manager Adrienne Dyson says: “Whether you prefer your pillows puffed up or slimmed down, a hot toddy or a hot chocolate, a hot water bottle or a crisp cool sheet, a delightful duvet or a comfort blanket, the Sleep Project means that staff are primed ready to help you settle into a restful night’s sleep.”
The Grange Hotel has also enlisted outside for the Sleep Project. The luxurious Five Senses Spa located nearby offers Thai treatments that Dyson says “could defeat even the most severe cases of insomnia”.
Get your mitts on some slumber gear
But what if you’re on a budget or need to squeeze 40 winks in between Ibizan club nights or European city-hopping? Why not plump for some of the nifty portable snooze-enhancing items on the market?
Chillow has just launched the latest in its unique range of personal sleep pads – the Mini Chillow (£19.95, chillow. co.uk). A foam core uses tap water to create a cooling pad when you’re having fun in the sun or the air-conditioning’s on the fritz. Champneys’ range of sleep products includes the Perfect Sleep Pillow Mist (£6 for 50ml, champneys. com). Badger Sleep Balm (£3.99, badgerbalm.com) clears your thoughts to help promote deep sleep.
And if you want a nap on the plane, pack a Jetsleeper (£20, jetsleeper.com) which comes in its own pocket-sized bag and weighs less than a mobile phone. Strapping to a seat or seat-belt, the soft pillow moulds itself to your head and fits into any position.
READING LIZZZZZT
TIRING BOOKS
Want to get some rest on your hols but worried your bonkbuster might keep you awake at night? Try some of these snooze-inducers to get you in the mood.
Working with Concrete by Rick Arnold (pictured)
Fly Fishing for Bonefish by Dick Brown
Latex Technique and its Application to Chiropody by F.A. Drew
The Grandfather Clock Maintenance Manual by John Vernon
International Book of Beer Labels, Mats and Coasters by Keith Osborne and Brian Pipe
The Agricultural History Review, Volume III 1955 Part II: The Content and Sources of English Agrarian History after 1500; The Curving Plough-Strip and its Historical Implications; Crop Nutrition in Tudor and Early Stuart England by Joan Thirsk, S R Eyre, G E Fussell, and J D Gould
SUITE DREAMS
Hospes Amérigo, Alicante
00 34 965 146 570
www.HOSPES.COM
The Grange Hotel, York
01904 644744
www.GRANGEHOTEL.CO.UK
Devonshire Arms, Skipton
01756 718111
www.THEDEVONSHIREARMS.CO.UK
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