Equinox Hotels launches the Sleep Lab

Equinox Hotels has revealed its latest wellness offering with the launch of the Sleep Lab.

Debuting at at Equinox Hotel New York, the data-driven Sleep Lab experience transforms rest into a precision science.

Created to ‘redefine sleep tourism’, the Sleep Lab has been designed in collaboration with sleep scientist and author, Dr Matthew Walker, alongside White Mirror.

Every element of four Sleep Lab hotel rooms, from lighting and temperature to sound and scent, has been engineered to optimise deep, restorative sleep.

The Lab blends personalised sensory environments and cutting-edge sleep technology with curated am/pm rituals that support natural wakefulness in the morning and down-regulation in the evening.

A recipe for optimised sleep

The sleep-enhancing technologies in the four Sleep Lab rooms includes adaptive mattresses, personalised temperature controls and biometric sleep tracking to enable sleep-stage monitoring.

Other features include a contrast therapy shower offering steam and ice, and a travel sleep kit featuring earplugs, an eye mask and a magnesium sleep patch.

Sensory innovation studio White Mirror has developed the specialised am/pm in-room rituals to enhance sleep and waking experiences.

The rituals include audio and audio-visual guided breathwork and are designed to support guests’ circadian rhythms. They incorporate the calming effects of red and orange light, known for minimising disruption to melatonin production.

A new standard for sleep rituals

Forty minutes before sleep, the room gradually transitions to the optimal sleep environment.

Sixty minutes before wake-up time, the room utilises curated soundscapes grounded in music psychology, promoting a smooth and natural transition from rest to alertness.

Intelligent features automatically adjust the rooms’ temperature, lighting, sound and ambiance based on the guest’s selected sleep and wake-up times.

The immersive environments in the rooms alongside the unique content fosters relaxation, restful sleep and rejuvenation.

“By focusing on evidence-based strategies with Dr Matthew Walker, we are setting a new standard for sleep rituals,” said Tom Middleton, co-founder of White Mirror.

“The gentle wakescape is a unique audio ritual that gradually eases guests from sleep to alertness, avoiding the disruptive shock of traditional alarm sounds.

“The circadian colour meditation is a visually-guided breathwork experience to help guests prepare for sleep.

“It gently slows the heart rate and breath rate through passive rhythmic entrainment using a pulsing red glow on the screen.”

Dr Walker, who is a professor of neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, added: “Our mission is to empower guests with scientifically-backed insights into their sleep.

“This is not just about better sleep during a hotel stay; it’s about equipping guests to improve long-term health and performance.

“Our objective is to bring the rigour of sleep science into the hospitality space, offering an experience that’s luxurious but also scientifically validated.

“Sleep is the foundation of human performance. The Sleep Lab offers an unparalleled opportunity to enhance health, cognition and overall wellbeing.”

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