Admit it: You’re one of those people who dozes off on the massage table. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. It’s the ultimate sign that your body is releasing stress. But what used to be a pleasant side effect of pampering has now become the goal.

Sleep treatments, which debuted at a handful of preeminent spas in Arizona and New York over the past few years, have arrived in Colorado’s high country. A handful of mountain-town spas now invite visitors to catch some zzz’s through sleep-inducing body therapies and dedicated nap rooms. “People are more interested in sleep than ever before,” says Nancy H. Rothstein, a sleep wellness consultant and educator who hosts the Sleep Radio Show (blogtalkradio.com). “Seventy-six percent of Americans want to improve their sleep quality and quantity.”

5280 May 2013
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It’s not a leap for spas—already in the business of helping clients tune out and unwind—to start focusing on improving slumber. Sleep is the original R and R: It supports tissue repair, stimulates creativity, boosts athletic performance, reduces anxiety, and can even curb weight gain. But satisfying sleep isn’t always easy to get—which is why people are starting to pay for the privilege. The Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, for example, recently launched a Rothstein-designed Sound Sleep initiative, which includes a Sound Sleep TV channel in guest rooms, new sleep-friendly menu items at the restaurant (think: banana oatmeal cookies with warm almond milk), and, not surprisingly, a sleep-focused massage at the property’s Allegría Spa (see “Try It” below).

Colorado’s high elevations can interfere with nighttime rest, even for people who normally doze easily—which is to say, a little professional help to get your snooze on is particularly welcome in these parts. So if it’s more than pretty toes you’re seeking from a spa visit, consider an appointment with the sandman.
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TRY IT

The Spa
Four Seasons Resort Vail
A silent Slumber Room filled with semiprivate nap nooks welcomes guests post-treatment, when deep relaxation might cause a craving for a few moments of shut-eye.
1 Vail Road, Vail, 970-477-8600, fourseasons.com/vail/spa

Allegría Spa
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek
The Slumber Massage ($210) is an 80-minute treatment of lavender-rose aromatherapy, hot stones and compresses, and rhythmic massage set to “neuroacoustic” music. The culmination is a 20-minute nap helped along by a foot and scalp rub.
100 E. Thomas Place, Beaver Creek, 970-748-7500, allegriaspa.com

Remède Spa
St. Regis Aspen Resort
Remède’s Stillness Ritual ($240) starts with a calming lavender-
scented bath, followed by a 45-minute Swedish massage. Then, clients
enjoy 30 minutes of solo time to meditate…or doze.
315 E. Dean St., Aspen, 970-920-3300, stregisaspen.com