Sleep ABCs

Here are a few ABCs of Sleep to help foster your best sleep.  On your quest to get your best sleep, have patience with yourself and give yourself kudos on your road to progress. At Hyatt, we are here to support you on this journey at our hotels and hopefully, you take our offerings home with you.

• Keep your sleep environment cool, dark, quiet, and uncluttered. At Hyatt hotels in Australia and New Zealand, we are dedicated to make your room a sleep sanctuary and to provide you with a high-quality bed and linens to support your sleep.

• It’s not all about sleep quantity!  Quantity, quality and consistency of sleep and wake times are all important factors for being well rested.

• Get regular exercise but remember that exercise too close to bedtime can be stimulating to your system just when it needs to transition towards sleep.

• Eat healthy, nutritious foods but recognise that eating too close to bedtime could negatively impact your sleep.

• Stay hydrated throughout the day but be aware that drinking a lot of fluid before bed could nudge your bladder and disturb your sleep.

• Process stress during the day so that you don’t carry your worries and woes into bed, challenging falling and staying asleep.

• Power naps of 30 minutes or less are great but not in the evening hours which can make it difficult to go to sleep.

Preparing for Sleep

We prepare for travel, for meetings, for exercise and more but do you prepare for sleep? Having a sleep routine sets the stage to ease into bedtime. Here are a few suggestions for a sleep routine:

• Avoid alcohol before bed. While you may feel like it helps you fall asleep, it could interfere with the quality of your sleep. As for caffeine, you may want to avoid it in the hours before going to sleep, even more so if you have trouble falling asleep or restless nights. These substances can cause your sleep cycles to be disturbed. 

• Have a light, sleep-friendly snack if you are hungry.  Check out our Room Service menu.

• Tune out from all technology an hour before bedtime. Or wear the Dreamers glasses before sleep as instructed to block artificial light. If you must be on your devices, be conscious that what you are engaged in on your screens is relaxing and not stimulating or stressful so you can transition to sleep peacefully.

• Make sure the clock is not visible so you can free yourself from time for sleep. If your phone is your alarm, set it an hour before bed so you aren’t tempted to engage on your phone before going to bed.

• Follow our simple steps for the Sleep at Hyatt Ritual to relax your body and mind.

• Relish in the delights of our Sleep at Hyatt Ritual Pack with select offerings to enhance your sleep routine and your sleep.

• Close the curtains or blinds so your room is dark. Or wear an eye mask if needed.

• Take a warm shower or bath to relax your body and mind.

• Do a few gentle stretches to prepare your body for sleep’s stillness.

• Read something relaxing, preferably in printed form. Or use a journal to take your thoughts out of your head and onto paper.

Falling and Staying Asleep 

Surrendering to slumber can be struggle. When you lay your head on your pillow, your brain may be busy with cascading thoughts, keeping you from falling asleep. Quieting your mind to get out of your head and into dreamland may require a strategy such as these.

• Focus on body awareness and breathe into parts of your body to get out of your head. Thank your body parts - for example, from your feet to your heart to your eyes - for all they do for you during your waking hours. Honor their rest.

• Practice gratitude. Think about what you are grateful for, be it your comfort in your bed, someone in your life, or even your heartbeat. Gratitude puts your brain in a more relaxed state, setting the stage for sleep.

These strategies can be used if you awaken during the night and have trouble falling back asleep. One thing for sure, do not look at the clock! You will activate your brain, making it all the more difficult and stressful to return to sleeping.

Awakening to a New Day 

Think of it this way, a good night’s sleep begins when you wake up. With a wake-up routine, you set the tone for the day ahead and how you will arrive at bedtime for a good night’s sleep. Here are some suggestions to transition from sleep to your day.

• Don’t hit the snooze button. You are wasting good sleep!

• Stretch and get out of bed comfortably. You have been still for hours.

• Meditate or practice a mindfulness technique, even for a few moments. This is a good alternative to going right to your screens.

• Set 3 goals or intentions for the day.

• Open the curtains or blinds and get exposure to daylight.

• Start moving!

• When at a Hyatt hotel, we’ll make your bed for you so when you return for sleep, your bed is inviting and peaceful. If at home, making your bed is a great way to separate sleep time and daytime.