Available from 30 October, the historic city centre hotel has partnered with sleep specialist Donna Fairley to create a recipe for the ideal winter’s night sleep as the UK prepares for clocks to change
Talk about suite dreams – travellers to Edinburgh can now catch up on their beauty sleep thanks tp InterContinental Edinburgh The George’s new A Moment of Tranquillity package. A pre-bookable luxury turndown service that shows wellness travel shows no sign of slowing down, the new experience is aimed at helping guests to unwind and get a great night’s sleep in time for the season changing.
The historic city centre hotel located in Edinburgh’s old town, has worked with an exclusive selection of local partners to develop the ultimate relaxation package, which will launch on 30th October to coincide with the clocks changing.
Partnering with behavioural sleep expert Donna Fairley, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist for Insomnia from Sleep Consultancy Ltd in Edinburgh, the hotel has gathered expert tips on counteracting issues that the changing seasons can bring to slumber, to create the new room add-on package.
InterContinental Edinburgh The George has also worked with Scottish perfume house Jorum Studio to develop a signature scent, which will be spritzed during a luxury turndown service. The new sleep-inducing room spray is named after the winter Celtic Goddess Cailleach, and encapsulates the soothing scents of chamomile, jasmine, ylang ylang, lavender and raspberry.
Meanwhile, to help guest clear their minds before sleep, yoga studio, Hot Yoga Edinburgh, has provided a bespoke aromatherapy yoga class and morning wake-up routine, available for guests to view in room. Instructor Allison Harrison will guide guests through a restorative series of gentle seated and standing positions to help clear the mind, relax the body and reduce stress levels.
Building on the advice from sleep expert, Donna, the hotel’s housekeeping team will pre-set the room temperature to 18 degrees for guest arrival, to help them unwind from the moment the step inside the hotel. Guests can also dd a gentle morning wake-up call.
What’s more, guests booking Moment of Tranquillity are being offered an exclusive 20% discount at Jorum Studio, to explore the perfumery during their stay, and find their ideal winter scent.
Michael Martin, General Manager at InterContinental Edinburgh The George, commented: “We know that whether you are travelling for work or play, sleeping well can help you to have a far more successful and enjoyable trip. Our specially curated Moment of Tranquillity package will help guests relax and enable them to have the dream stay in any of our splendid rooms.
“Everyone wants to get the most from exploring beautiful, historic city destinations like Edinburgh and our new offering will allow guests to wake up refreshed after a peaceful night sleep, ready for the day ahead.”
Behavioural sleep specialist, Donna Fairley, added: “Autumn is a wonderful time for long nights, curling up with cosy blankets and relaxing by the fire. Getting a good night’s sleep in winter should seem like no problem. However, for some people, winter can wreak havoc on sleep quality and quantity, particularly when we set our clocks back one hour for daylight saving time. If you’re busy and travelling, perhaps even more so.
“During the first few days after setting the clocks back, you will also notice that it’s bright outside in the mornings and becomes dark at an earlier time each evening. If you’re one of those people who finds that these colder, shorter months mean more tossing and turning at night it may be because fewer hours of daylight in the winter can have a big impact on your sleep-wake cycle.
“There is no single fix for everyone but there are great sleep hygiene tips available. These scientifically validated tips have been included in ‘A Moment of Tranquillity’ to help visitors get the best night’s sleep possible in the luxury surroundings of InterContinental Edinburgh The George.”
Donna’s top 10 tips and strategies for practicing good sleep hygiene:
1. Establish a consistent routine, try and keep a regular bed and wake time, including at the weekend, as this can help prepare you for time changes.
2. Get sunlight exposure as soon as you get up. Get outdoors in the morning, soon after the sun comes up. If that’s not possible, try to at least sit by a window during the first few hours of daylight.
3. Caffeine should be consumed in the morning as it can enhance performance. Caffeine consumed within six hours of bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycle. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. Alcohol has a sedative effect and will make you fall asleep quickly, but it has been linked to poor sleep quality and duration.
4. In the evening, dim lighting is important. The bedroom should be as dark as possible with black-out blinds and lined curtains. When you are ready to sleep, the room should be so dark you cannot see your hand.
5. The bedroom should not be too hot; the ideal temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius. A drop in room temperature should start around two hours before you go to sleep, coinciding with the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.
6. If you tend to be a worrier, factor constructive ‘worry time’ into the early evening but not too close to bedtime. Try to think about what went well that day. Have a to-do list for outstanding tasks for the following day, so that when you waken during the night, you can reassure yourself that everything is in hand. Let it go!
7. Relaxing scents and fragrances can help you unwind.
8. Have a hot bath or shower two hours before bed, using scented oils to help you unwind. This will not only help you to relax but will initially raise your body temperature which will then fall and thereby optimise the natural effects of melatonin.
9. Practice stretching before bed. Yoga has been proven to initiate and allow for a deeper, more relaxing sleep.
10. With its soothing and mildly sedative effect, chamomile tea prior to bedtime can help with sleep.
Start the adventure
Wallet: A Double Classic Room starts from £170.
How: To arrange Moment of Tranquillity on a visit to InterContinental Edinburgh The George, email edinburghthegeorge@ihg.com. For more information, visit:edinburgh.intercontinental.com
