How do you fall asleep at night? If you’re an adult, chances are you lie there counting sheep, think about imaginary scenarios or trying TikTok sleep hacks in an effort to drift off. This is wildly different to how we used to fall asleep when we were children, but a recent study has just found that UK adults are going back to their childhood to get to sleep.
Research conducted by sleep company Emma found that adults in the UK have started indulging in nostalgic activities in an effort to fall asleep faster and have a more rested night’s sleep. In response to the study, Emma (the brand best known for its use of memory foam in its best mattresses) is trailing the world’s first pillow fort for adults that’s been developed by sleep scientists.
Emma recently conducted a study into sleeping habits and found that many adults have started to rely on sleep routines from their childhoods to relax. The research found that 31% of participants admitted to reminiscing and recalling memories from their childhood to fall asleep. Other results found that 22% of people sleep with a favourite stuffed toy, 16% have a glass of warm milk and a biscuit before bed, and 12% have a bedtime story read to them.
The study went on to find that one in 10 adults admitted to having pillow fights, while 12% of people enjoyed making pillow forts and sleep dens. Overall, 62% of the study participants remarked that nostalgia creates a positive impact on their wellbeing. With the amount of wellness wearables and sleep aids like the best sleep headphones on the market today, it seems that nostalgia and childhood comforts are what many people are turning to in order to get to sleep at night.
As stated by Emma’s sleep expert Theresa Schnorbach, “We’ve seen from our research that nostalgia typically involves positive emotions and feelings of warmth, happiness, and comfort associated with past experiences. These positive emotions can counteract negative thoughts or worries that might keep you awake at night, and help you get more and better sleep to awaken your best.”
With this in mind, Emma is testing a new sleeping experience which has been scientifically engineered by sleep scientists to improve sleep and transport adults back to their childhood. Emma has created the Pillow Fort Hotel for adults, providing a sense of luxury, relaxation and nostalgia that’s designed to help you sleep better.
Located in London’s Shoreditch, the Pillow Fort Hotel has a cosy pillow fort bed that’s made up of hundreds of pillows for wall-to-wall comfort. For more childhood nostalgia, the pillow fort is complete with sleep-inducing food and drinks like a warm glass of milk, lullabies, bedtime stories and cuddle toys, meant to send you off to a peaceful slumber.
I love the idea of the Pillow Fort Hotel and think it’s a fun experience to see how this sleep environment improves your rest. Some people might find it childish but considering how important sleep is to our health and wellbeing, it’s important to prioritise it. If sleeping in a pillow fort after having a bedtime story read to you helps you sleep better, then the Pillow Fort Hotel is worth a try!
If you want to try out an adult-sized pillow fort, Emma is currently running a competition where you can win a night in the Pillow Fort Hotel. And if you’re in need of a new mattress, make sure to check out the latest Emma sales and deals.
