The first thing I heard was the birdsong, then the pitter-patter of a tiny squirrel. My half-asleep brain couldn’t register the morning soundtrack. I rubbed my eyes awake and watched the buttery sun fill my mosquito net—then it hit me. I was in paradise.
It was the first morning of my getaway to Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape perched above an Edenic rainforest and rice terrace in Bali’s less-trodden highlands, set roughly 12 miles north of Ubud. I’d arrived after dark and had yet to appreciate the property’s most novel feature: a no-walls, no-doors concept that takes “open air” to the extreme.
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I’d plotted my Buahan trip as a mental respite between two major writing projects. The thick jungle foliage, which provides a surprising amount of privacy for the property’s 16 well-spaced villas, provides around-the-clock nature therapy. I fell asleep to the sound of crickets, rose to the chorus of birds, and spent at least an hour a day watching the clouds and palms from my hand-forged copper tub.
What I hadn’t expected was to snooze so soundly, especially after countless months of poor sleep hygiene due to taxing deadlines and book-launch stressors. But it’s not all that surprising.
Research shows that sleeping in nature can reset your circadian rhythm, even for those who’ve adopted poor nighttime habits. Add to this the soaring popularity of sleep tourism, and it’s no wonder luxury hotels around the world are now helping travelers reap the benefits of al fresco slumbers.
Sleep tourism is among the year’s most buzzed-about travel trends, and it shows no signs of slowing. Experts predict the multibillion-dollar industry could grow 8% by 2028, and the widespread sleep epidemic is bolstering these estimates. In the U.S. alone, nearly 40 percent of adults report getting insufficient sleep, according to the CDC. This can lead to heart disease, obesity, and poor focus, among myriad other health problems.
Wellness travel leaders now offer a host of inventive fixes like pillow menus, nighttime meditations, personalized AI smart beds, and multi-day sleep retreats.
Yet, as I learned during four paradisiacal mornings in Bali, the simple act of slumbering in nature, rising and resting based on natural light, can do wonders for your sleep hygiene.
It’s largely due to the absence of unnatural light. Steady exposure to artificial illumination, like the kind many of us rely on in the workplace and at home, disrupts the body’s production of snooze-cueing melatonin. These bright lights can drastically delay sleep, making it tough to wake up and remain sharp. Slumbering by the sun’s natural cues can rejig a disrupted circadian rhythm, and it works quickly.
A small study published in Current Biology in 2017 found that even just one weekend of alfresco sleeping, sans fake light, can bring the body’s internal clock roughly 2.5 hours closer to a natural sleep-wake cycle. My favorite Bali alarm clock—that golden morning glow—plays an especially important role.
“Sunrise is one of the most powerful time cues,” says Allison Brager, a neuroscientist and sleep expert on the National Academy of Sports Medicine’s Scientific Council. “Even under conditions of extreme sleep loss, it has the ability to provide a jolt of alertness that no energy drink or caffeine source could ever provide.”
While it’s fun to chase the sunrise in jaw-dropping locations like Bali, Brager says you can experience this natural boost with even a few minutes of sun in your own backyard. “You can take your dog out, get a workout in, walk outside—whatever,” Brager says. “It only takes a few minutes to reset the signal.”
But alfresco overnights in remote locales like a jungle or forest do present another potential sleep aid: fresh air. “Air quality is a huge disrupter of sleep,” says Brager, who learned this firsthand during her military service.
That’s one reason Germans swear by the tradition of Lüften (translation: the air). The practice, which calls for opening a home’s windows several times per day to eradicate mold and foster ventilation, took TikTok by storm last year. While it has caused concern over energy efficiency in the winter, the Germans are onto something. Numerous studies illustrate a strong link between clean air and better sleep.
Yet research also shows that open-window sleeping is less effective in noisy or hot places; the optimal sleeping temperature lies between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That’s why Buahan, which enjoys Bali’s tropical heat, offers mini air coolers tucked inside each net-protected bed.
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From cool sheets to pristine jungle air, Buahan provided the sleep retreat I didn’t know I needed—and it’s one of a growing number of luxury hotels helping travelers snooze better in nature.
Take Amangiri. This remote and celebrity-adored escape, tucked among the red rocks of southern Utah, allures travelers with adventures like a sky-high via ferrata, desert hiking, and polka-dotted nightscapes. Outdoor beds with open-sky terraces in the Girjaala and Amangiri suites let guests fall asleep counting stars and rise to the sun-soaked Colorado Plateau.
In Australia’s isolated Red Center, a sprawling desert region in the Northern Territory with rust-tinged dunes and rugged peaks, luxury camp Longitude 131° pairs alfresco snoozing with some of the best stargazing in the world. The camp offers outdoor beds with cozy and upscale sleeping bags, known as swags, for a night spent beneath the Southern Cross and a morning watching nearby Uluru turn sherbet orange.
Outdoor sleeps aren’t new to the world of African safaris, but this year, Basecamp Samburu took the concept to an exciting new level. The property, located among the elephant and zebra herds in northern Kenya’s Kalama Conservancy, opened its new star beds in early 2025. The elevated abodes come with private jacuzzis, private outdoor dining options, expert-led stargazing tours, and an all-night lullaby courtesy of the African bush. No matter where you go, the best night’s sleep of your life awaits.