Listening to quantum harmonics is going to make you feel really relaxed,” says Kevina, my therapist. I’m not sure what she means, but I go with it. I’m lying face up on an illuminated treatment bed partially filled with water, cocooned under a curved ceiling in a darkened room that feels like a luxurious bunker. Kevina places a pair of padded noise-cancelling headphones over my ears and covers me with a weighted blanket.
“I’ll be back in 30 minutes,” she says in a hushed voice, and she dims tiny spotlights and leaves the room.
Seconds later, tinkly psychedelic sounds start playing as the bed begins to gently vibrate. The combination feels odd at first, and strangely blissful, and I don’t remember much after five minutes. When Kevina wakes me with a whisper, I feel as though I’ve been in a deep sleep for a good few hours, which, for someone who struggles to sleep, is nothing short of a miracle.
I’m at the five-star Equinox Hotel New York to experience a luxurious, intensive two-night sleep-focused stay in a room known as a “sleep lab”, and to test the sleep-inducing treatments on offer. Such as this dreamy session on the Sleep Wave Table, which I discover pairs perfectly with a 60-minute NutriSLEEP IV drip – a blend of relaxation-inducing nutrients like magnesium – that leaves me pleasantly drowsy.
As a light sleeper who has suffered from insomnia, I am always keen to find ways to sleep better. I’m also an NYC obsessive – I visit twice a year – so sleep issues, combined with excitement and jetlag, mean I usually spend my time in the city in an overtired and wired haze. On my second night at the hotel, however, I managed to sleep for seven hours solid, knocking jetlag into the nearby Hudson River just two days into my week-long stateside trip.
It’s a miracle, although at $1,700 (£1,260) per night, not including treatments, it’s an eye-wateringly expensive one.
Dubbed the city that never sleeps, noisy NYC is the least likely place to find rest. Each time I visit, I resign myself to the fact that I’ll likely spend my time feeling sleep-deprived. Yet several New York hotels are leaning into the popular sleep wellness travel trend, four of which I was here to try, each with a different level of luxury and intensity.
Sleep tourism emerged from the wider wellness travel movement of the late 2010s. It became a recognisable travel trend in the early 2020s as hotels began packaging sleep as a luxury experience, with brands such as Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas helping to pioneer high-end wellness hospitality through sleep-focused treatments, circadian lighting and facilities designed to promote recovery from stress and fatigue. Sleep wellness may not be unique to New York, but the city’s high energy certainly makes it a compelling testing ground.
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My cream-toned state-of-the-art “sleep lab” sanctuary is geared up for the perfect night’s sleep, with double-glazed floor-to-ceiling windows, blackout curtains, a temperature-controlled bed and adjustable room features, such as what time, temperature, sound and lighting you fall asleep and wake up to. Using a tablet and iPhone next to my bed, I set my preferences as soon as I arrive and settle in with a herbal tea from my “RoomBar”, a mini pharmacy of health-boosting potions including vitamins, electrolytes, energy shots, and magnesium patches, to name a few tinctures.
It’s early evening by the time I’m settled, so I begin powering down – as suggested in a book left by my bedside – with a yoga session accessed via my TV, followed by a glorious steam shower I infuse with lavender and frankincense oil. Spruced and relaxed, I curl up on my low-slung velour sofa and sip a bowl of bone broth – full of glycine that promotes relaxation, apparently – from the in-room Sleep Well dining menu as the sun sets over Hudson Yards and the river below.
My room and I prepare for sleep simultaneously; I slap on a magnesium patch and get into bed as the lights start to automatically dim and the drapes close. It’s a relaxing end to my first night, and although I wake up once in the early hours, I fall back to sleep easily. I feel glad about this, as I get to experience waking up to the gentle sound of chimes from my bedside tablet as the lights slowly brighten. After a Nespresso, I hit the hotel’s huge gym with epic views, return to my room for a steam shower, and, for breakfast, drink a brain-fuel smoothie laced with ashwagandha to lower cortisol levels and promote better sleep.
Two days of this routine feels a bit like boot camp at times, but it also proves the healthiest start to any NYC trip I’ve ever had. When I leave, I am energised and ready for my next stop: the four-star Benjamin Royal Sonesta in buzzy Midtown East, to sample its “rest and renew” programme, which caters for children as well as adults. After the high-tech Equinox, I am ready for a lower-key and less expensive option. The Benjamin Royal Sonesta’s main feature is an extensive 10-pillow menu tailored to different sleep styles – front, side or back. I order a “Cooling Cloud 10” and “Satin Beauty” purely for the inventive names, along with a noise machine, which helps drown out all the honking and sirens that wake me up a couple of times during my stay.
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Two days later, I still feel fresh when I check into a spacious “Sleep Suite by Bryte” at the Park Hyatt New York, facing Central Park. I am also very excited about the prospect of sleeping in an AI-powered Bryte bed – I love the sound of a mattress filled with sensors that adjust as you move to help you stay asleep. To operate it, I connect my phone to a Bryte portal via a QR code on my bedside table. From here, I can play around, altering the softness and firmness of the mattress (such a novelty!), check my sleep report (interesting) and set the bed to wake me up with a gentle vibration – strangely nice. It is the comfiest bed I’ve ever slept in, allowing me two blissful, uninterrupted nights’ rest, including one extra-long lie-in, thanks to a technical issue. It’s lucky I had nothing to get up for.
My trip ends with one night at the lavish Peninsula New York, a classic oasis away from the tourist crowds on Fifth Avenue. The exemplary service and welcome alone put me at ease, as does its flexible check-in and check-out times. I’m here to indulge in a two-hour Ayurveda-based Sleep Support Therapy treatment designed as a journey to alleviate insomnia, combat jet lag, and regulate sleep patterns. It’s not cheap at $635 (£471), but worth every dime if you can afford it. After a lovely foot soak, I lie down on a heated bed for the best spa treatment of my life: an indulgent full-body and facial massage that focuses on specific pressure points to rebalance energy levels.
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“Most people I work with rarely remember the end of the treatment,” says my lovely masseuse, Krista, as we begin Shirodhara, the final stage of the journey. With my sleep history, I’m convinced I won’t be one of them, but she’s right; I don’t either. As warm oil is dripped gently onto my forehead from a copper Shirodhara bottle, I can’t fight the sleepy feeling and am out like a light minutes later. When I wake up, my body feels as heavy as lead and glued to the table. It’s rare I feel so deeply relaxed, and I don’t want the feeling to end, so I close my eyes and try to hold on for longer, as the city that never sleeps pulsates 22 floors beneath.
Ellie Seymour flew to New York courtesy of Virgin Atlantic and was a guest of Equinox Hotel New York, Royal Sonesta Benjamin, Park Hyatt New York and Peninsula New York.
How to get there
Virgin Atlantic flies direct between London Heathrow and JFK with return fares from £538 per person, including complimentary food, drink, and in-flight entertainment. For further information, visit www.virginatlantic.com or call 0344 8747 747. Prices given are correct as of 29 April 2026 and are subject to change.
Where to stay
Equinox Hotel New York, where a Sleep Lab costs $1,700 (£1,260) per night and a 30-minute Sleep Wave Table session costs $60 (£45) and a NutriSleep IV costs $250 (£185).
Benjamin Royal Sonesta New York, where the new “Rest and renew” programme starts from $449 (£332) per night.
Park Hyatt New York, where a one-bedroom Sleep Suite by Bryte costs $1,500 (£1,112) per night.
Peninsula New York, where a superior room costs from $895 (£725) per night and Sleep Support Therapy treatment costs $635 (£470).
