Wellness for the well-rested

Between 30 and 40 percent of the population suffer from acute or chronic sleep disorders. Well-founded (med) spa offers promise a remedy, ensuring a restful "winter sleep" not only on vacation.

Have you ever heard of the "first night effect"? It explains why we usually sleep badly in strange hotel beds on the first night and often feel exhausted the next morning despite the best mattresses and pillow menus that go on for pages. The reason lies in the brain - and in our past as hunter-gatherers. Our Stone Age ancestors often had to change their sleeping place in search of food. In order to be prepared for a night-time sabre-toothed tiger attack or other adversity, the left hemisphere of their brains always remained in the "watch position" on unfamiliar terrain during the first night. Only the right side was allowed to slumber gently. A habit that we have not broken to this day. To ensure a good night's sleep, more and more spa and wellness hotels are offering special sleep programs. We present three addresses for "lying down".

Sleep like marmots in the Hohe Tauern National Park

High above Kals am Großglockner, at the 4*S Gradonna Mountain Resort Anamaria Ijac and Brigitte Berger, Austria's first certified Schlaf-gut© sommeliers, take care of this and many other sleep-robbing phenomena. The two experts know how their guests can find peace and quiet - with tips on sleep rituals, nutrition, meditation and individual coaching. Particularly popular: the "sleep well boxes" with little helpers such as a sleep mask, earplugs, hot water bottle, bedtime reading and a personal Spotify playlist. Just as effective as they are ingeniously simple: sticky dots in the room that can be used to cover the glowing stand-by displays of the TV, telephone etc. before going to bed. In the hotel's award-winning restaurant, the focus is also on guests' sleep - and on the menu: every evening, specially labeled dishes with sleep-promoting or sleep-supporting ingredients are offered. Because, as Heinrich Heine once said:
"Sleep is the most delicious invention". Or, to put it in the words of hotel co-owner Martha Schultz: "More and more people are suffering from sleep problems. We have studied the subject intensively and integrated the knowledge of leading sleep researchers into our concept." This makes a stay at the Gradonna an experience for body, mind - and sweet dreams.

www.gradonna.at

"Four wins" on the way to a good and healthy sleep

Four modules, ten days, a holistic sleep therapy: this is the concept of the BLEIB BERG F.X. Mayr Retreat ## located in a high valley in Carinthia. Mayr Retreat . The "cure for insomnia" is based on the interplay of medical knowledge transfer, guided relaxation techniques, psychological sleep coaching and the "restoration of the connection between sleep and bed using behavioral therapy".
Sounds abstract, but it works wonders - and is also extremely beneficial. For example, the "sleep rooms" at BLEIB BERG are all equipped with inspiring reading material and relaxing lavender foam/shower baths. In addition, a special soft light sensor system ensures that you can find your way around at night without any glaring light. The hotel's own mobile sleep laboratory is included. Set up in your own hotel room or suite, it measures important parameters for one night, which can be important for the subsequent diagnosis and treatment by sleep physician Dr. Bruno Pramsohler. We promise: It's not just this night that will pass in your sleep ...

www.bleib-berg.com

Deep relaxation high up in the Tyrolean mountains

Dr. Peter Gartner is another person who deals extensively with the topic of sleep. "Almost all functions of our body and our consciousness improve during sleep. Anyone who sleeps poorly risks long-term illnesses ranging from cardiovascular diseases to memory disorders and depression," says the head physician from the multi-award-winning Park Igls Medical Spa Resort , which is situated in a panoramic location overlooking Innsbruck. Together with a team of doctors, therapists and F. X. Mayr specialists, he has developed a "Sleep-Fit" package that can be booked for 7, 14 or 21 days. It includes comprehensive blood analyses, holistic health checks, chest compresses and abdominal treatments, aroma and breathing therapies, various massages, craniosacral treatments, modern Mayr cuisine, sleep coaching and extensive initial and final examinations. If you still can't relax after all this care, we recommend hypnoacupuncture, which is also offered at Park Igls. It combines the effects of both forms of therapy and helps to establish new, healthy sleep patterns through gentle suggestion.

www.park-igls.at