Americans are catching their best ZZZs in hotel rooms, according to newly published research. Nearly 3 out of 4 (73%) of survey participants said they get a more restful night’s sleep in hotel rooms than they usually receive when sleeping at home.
The survey, fielded by OnePoll and commissioned by Hotels.com in February of 2022, was released in March of 2023 in conjunction with National Sleep Awareness Month. 2,000 U.S. adults participated in the survey – each of whom had slept at a hotel at least once in the past 5 years. Among the 53% of the female participants and 43% of the male ones, the reasons respondents said they sleep better in hotels varied, but came down to an improved environment over one’s home.
35% of the participants said they sleep better in hotel rooms because there are fewer noise interruption there, 35% said it was because they could wear themselves out before bed on hotel amenities such as the pool, bar, restaurant, or gym, and another 35% of the participants said they sleep better in hotel rooms because they’re able to escape worries and responsibilities back home.
“Pillow and mattress quality is also on the list of why hotel sleep is so good,” says Melanie Fish, Hotels.com’s in-house travel expert. Fish said that hotels in their network are encouraged by the findings but are always seeking new ways to help guests sleep even more soundly. Some such innovations include select hotels now providing mainstay white noise sound machines while others offer pillow menus for guests with pillow preferences.
One somewhat ironic finding of the survey showed that 80% of participants said they would readily give up 10 hours of sleep in exchange for one night’s rest in a 5-star hotel. “We know a good night’s rest is important, but this finding shows luxury can be worth losing sleep over,” says Fish.
Wendy Troxel, PhD, a sleep expert at the RAND Corporation and author of “Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep,” says that though she was not involved in the survey, the results that people sleep better away from home don’t surprise her. “If traveling for vacation, just the mere aspect of removing oneself from daily work and family responsibilities can reduce stress and facilitate better sleep,” she says.
What’s more, for people who suffer from chronic sleep problems at home, “a change of scenery” somewhere new and unassociated with frequent sleep problems, “can lead to healthier sleep,” she says.
Troxel advises that sleep can be improved anywhere by adhering to a consistent sleep schedule, by following a familiar wind-down routine before bed, and by controlling one’s sleep environment. “As human beings, we sleep best under cave-like conditions: dark, cool, and quiet.”
Whether we’re catching those ZZZs from the comfort of home or in the luxury of a hotel room, Troxel says, “sleep is absolutely vital for our mental and physical health, our relationships, and our productivity.”