Hotels are cashing in on boom in multi-billion dollar sleep tourism industry

Weary travelers seeking the perfect night sleep can now choose to lay their heads on a smart pillow, indulge in red light therapy or access host of wellness treatments all designed to optimize bed time.

With more than 100 million Americans reporting they do not get enough sleep, the rise in sleep tourism is perhaps unsurprising.

More and more people are taking sleep-centered vacations and with the sector expected to expand by $400 billion in the next four years, hotels are understandably keen to accommodate.

Travel writer Ronny Maye is among those to take advantage of the latest developments in sleep tourism.

She told NBC's Today Show that she was skeptical about her sleep stay at a hotel in Arizona, but it saw her get 'some of the best sleep' she's ever had.

'Being in so many different places at a time, I just wanted to figure out a way to prioritize rest no matter where I was,' Maye explained.

Among those leading the way on the trend is Hotel Figueroa in downtown LA.

The Hyatt hotel offers guests the chance to book into its $450-a-night Rest and Recovery suites, which promise to reduce stress by 14 percent in just 10 days.

'Outfitted with some of the most cutting-edge sleep, fitness and wellness brands, the specialty suite is designed to optimize your rest from improved air quality and enhanced lighting to personalized pillows and customizable mattress settings,' the hotel website states.

Guests can lay their heads on their own customized pillows and an intelligent Eight Sleep mattress that ensures your ideal sleep temperature.

The room's ambience is also perfectly controlled air purifiers and high end ear plugs.

High-tech gadgets such as Gamma Light Therapy’s Revive red-light lamp and an AI storytelling clock help guests drift off, while a gentle sunrise alarm clock helps bring them back from slumber in tranquility.

A recent Hilton Hotels survey found that rest and relaxation is now the number one reason travelers are looking to get away.

With that in mind, several hotels have begun working with sleep experts to help craft the optimum environment for rest.

Among them is The Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, which has been working with the so-called Sleep Doctor, Dr. Michael Breus.

Breus has created a series of on-demand sleep sessions designed to be paired with the hotel's specially balanced menu and yoga and wellness classes, which are all geared towards helping guests nod off.

A suite is available for $1,200 for one guest, although guests must stay at least two nights.

While in the city that never sleeps, the Aman New York offers every guest a 30-minute wellness consultation.

This includes the uses of a diagnostic tool, the Brain Gauge Pro, to identify issues and offer custom solutions around sleep.

The hotel is designed as a relaxing oasis amid the hustle and bustle, offering other sleep-inducing treatments such as sound healing, yoga and even massages with amethyst powder which is renowned for its soothing abilities.

However, with rooms starting from $2,100 per night - the price might have you waking up in cold sweats.

But it is not just hotels cashing in on the surge in sleep tourism.

Sleep-influencer Alex Shannon told DailyMail.com how he has been paid $56,000 to sleep in some of the world's most luxurious hotels.

Shannon, 35, who was born in London but is now based in Los Angeles, launched his Instagram account @followthenap over a year-and-a-half ago - and has since been inundated with messages from hotels, luggage companies, airlines, and pyjama brands eager to work with him.

While the influencer, who still works as an Editorial Director, isn't yet a millionaire - he certainly lives that lifestyle and has stayed in the likes of the Four Seasons in San Francisco and Armani in Dubai.

He declared Utah's $2,800-a-night Amangiri hotel the most relaxing place he has ever stayed.

The stunning hotel is situated on 600 acres in the Colorado Plateau and 'feels like another planet' according to Shannon.

The hotel says it is renowned for 'peace and privacy' and has previously offered residents a sleep retreat.

By BETHAN SEXTON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM