Sleep Trends For 2024 And Beyond

As we reach the latter quarter of the year, we like to look forward and speculate about what the sleep trends for 2024 might be. The trends in 2023 were all about sleep retreats, sleep coaches, sleep tech, and braincations. And whilst some of these trends will continue into 2024, there are some new ones we’ve been keeping an eye on that we’re very excited about.

So, come with us as we explore 6 sleep trends for 2024 and beyond:

1. VR Sleep Rooms

Top of our list in the sleep trends for 2024 are Virtual Reality (VR) sleep rooms. Yes, you heard us right, virtual rooms that you virtually sleep in to help you sleep better in real life. But how does it work?

VR sleep rooms are designed to create an atmosphere of calm and because we all find our calm in different ways, there are lots of different VR sleep room environments to choose from. From tropical beaches and cosy campsites, right through to the more traditional sleep environment of a hotel room, virtual sleep rooms offer the chance for users to switch off from the stresses of their daily lives. The growing popularity of VR sleep rooms is mostly with people who suffer from insomnia and loneliness (you can choose to virtual sleep alone or with others in the same room – but don’t worry this isn’t a sex thing!) and while it is still very much in the early days of scientific research, many users claim to sleep better because of them.

VR sleep rooms also come with the option of relaxing music, nature sounds, or complete silence and likewise lighting options vary from coloured LED lights, disco balls, or darkness. There is also the option to invest in full body tracking technology that enables users to feel as though they are being hugged or swaddled, but this comes at a cost.

For many, VR sleep rooms offer people a feeling of being in control and gives them a safe environment to fall asleep in. And as the technology continues to improve, we think we’ll be seeing a lot more virtual sleeping going on in 2024.

2. Egyptian Sleep Method

Whether you’re a menopausal woman suffering from hormonal night sweats, you struggle to get to sleep in the heat of the summer, or you’re someone who struggles to control their internal temperature gauge at night time, we’ve got just the sleep trend for you. Being too hot at night can make for a very uncomfortable night’s sleep and will often be the cause of other sleep issues, such as not being able to fall asleep and broken sleep.

One of the hottest, or should we say coolest, sleep trends for 2024 is the Egyptian sleep method. As the name would suggest, the Egyptian sleep method was first devised by the Ancient Egyptians, who let’s face it, know a thing or two about hot sleeping conditions. This method involves soaking a bed sheet in cold water, wringing out as much of the water as you can, and then fitting the damp sheet onto your mattress. The idea being that the coolness from the damp sheet will help regulate your body temperature throughout the night. You could also apply this method to dampen a sheet or a towel that you place over you in bed, or you could even wear slightly damp night clothes to bed.

The jury’s out on whether it would be more comfortable sleeping in a cold damp bed than it would a hot sweat soaked bed, but either way the Egyptian sleep method is set to be big news in 2024.

3. Sleep Crystals

With many of us turning to alternative ways to look after our emotional and mental wellbeing, the use of crystals has become a growing trend over the past few years. It is believed that crystals can be used to help relieve all manner of different afflictions and emotional concerns, including sleep issues.

In the past, it was thought that diet and exercise were the top contributors to good health. These days however, health and fitness professionals are paying more attention to the impact that sleep, or rather lack of sleep, has on our health. And this is one of the reasons why we think that crystals are going to be a big sleep trend for 2024.

But you can’t just go grabbing any old crystal willy-nilly and shoving it under your pillow expecting to get a decent night’s sleep, because it doesn’t work like that. There are different crystals for different purposes. Here are the ones you should focus on to help promote good sleep:

• Moonstone – This crystal is commonly used to help people with insomnia or who have trouble getting off to sleep as it is said to promote a sense of calm and tranquility.
• Rose Quartz – Rose quartz is a good all round crystal and can help with many different things. In terms of sleep, rose quartz is said to bring wellbeing and tranquility as well as helping to ward off nightmares. It is connected to the heart chakra and so encourages love and emotional support, which can be comforting to  people who suffer anxious thoughts at bedtime.
• Amethyst – Use amethyst if you are keen to clear your mind of racing thoughts. It is a protective and calming crystal that can help you feel rested and restored after a good night’s sleep. Amethyst is also said to promote lucid dreaming and astral projection, so sleep with this crystal if taking control of your dreams is something that interests you.
• Labradorite – Also known as rainbow moonstone, this iridescent crystal is connected to the third eye chakra and is said to calm anxious thoughts by bringing clarity and reasoning to help ease anxious minds.
• Howlite – Another crystal that is used to calm overactive minds, howlite is also useful for dispelling anger and violent emotions. This also helps to reduce the risk of nightmares and night terrors,  which in turn leads to better sleep.

Whilst there is no scientific evidence to back the use of crystals for improved sleep, they have been used since ancient times and some people absolutely swear by them. There is certainly no harm in giving it a try. Place crystals under your pillow or on your nightstand to help create a tranquil sleep space that will hopefully bring about restful slumber. Watch this space, as this sleep trend is going to be massive in 2024.

4. Lettuce Water

A sleep trend that just won’t go away is lettuce water. It first emerged as a TikTok trend back in 2021 and rapidly went viral. Claims were that drinking lettuce water (basically water that has had a lettuce soaking in it) would help you sleep. And it seems this bizarre sounding trend is still doing the rounds.

So, is there any science behind it?

Well, there is a small amount of logic. Lettuce contains lactucarium, a milky white substance which has sedative properties. Lactucarium is found in the base of certain types of lettuce. You’ve probably seen it before when you’ve cut one up, but likely never paid it much attention. The theory is that by cutting up and soaking lettuce in water, you can extract the lactucarium thereby creating a sleep elixir home brew.

Sounds good in principle, but the reality is that to get the levels of lactucarium that would be required to have any kind of  effect on your sleep, would probably involve consuming a crazy amount of lettuces. And let’s face it, the more lettuce water you consume before bed, the more likely you are to need to visit the bathroom halfway through the night. The fact is, it won’t do you any harm, so heck give it a try. And even if it only works on purely a placebo level, we say if it works then go with it!

5. CBD Gummies

CBD products continue to trend and this is going to be no different in 2024, which will see more of us using them as a sleep aid.

CBD is used primarily to help with anxiety and to reduce stress, which are both factors that can affect our ability to sleep. CBD gummies in particular are proving increasingly popular as a means to calm and clear our minds before getting into bed. One thing we must make clear, is that whilst CBD comes from the cannabis plant, it does not contain any of the ‘high’ nor the lethargy that accompanies THC products. What it does do is help us to relax, by increasing levels of serotonin, thus helping to regulate our mood levels and placing us in a much better mindset to switch off and sleep.

One thing to take into account when using CBD gummies as a sleep aid is that it can take between 30 minutes to an hour for your body to digest the gummy and to release the CBD into your system. Ideally, you should aim to take a gummy a couple of hours before bed so that you can start to feel the relaxing effects prior to when you’d actually like to fall asleep.

6. Sleep Pods

Workplace wellness has been a huge topic over the past few years, with more and more companies realising the benefits of keeping their workforce fit and healthy both physically and mentally. The big multinationals like Google, Huff Post, and NASA all offer their employees somewhere to power nap and we predict that this trend will filter down to lots more companies in 2024.

But what is a sleep pod?

Sleep pods are small enclosed areas that are designed to enable people to nap uninterrupted in areas that may be busy or loud. The pods are soundproof, but will often come with the option of having relaxing music or white noise piped into them to aid the sleep process. Many also have an inbuilt timer so that you can limit yourself to a set amount of nap time.

Power naps have been proven to increase productivity by up to 2 per cent, which is why so many companies are keen to get on board. But there’s a problem, these sleep pods aren’t exactly cheap. So, whilst we think sleep pods will be on the increase during 2024, it simply isn’t a viable option for many smaller businesses. But that’s OK, I’m sure your boss would be just as happy you having a nap on the office sofa!

Final  thoughts

So, there you go, 6 sleep trends for 2024 and beyond. We’d be interested to hear whether you’ll be trying any out for yourselves. Drop us a comment below and let us know what you think.