Businesspeople across Saudi Arabia can claw back 482* hours of lost sleep, thanks to a new service from Crowne Plaza – the switch off at 7 call. Selected hotels across Europe, Middle East and Africa have introduced the service in response to new research revealing that 48 per cent of Saudi professionals struggle to switch off their technology and wind down before they go to sleep.
With one in three people in the Kingdom saying they use work-related technology immediately before bed, and over a third not feeling relaxed before bed as a result, the new switch off at 7 call is designed to help guests at Crowne Plaza hotels get a better night’s sleep. Guests requesting the service will receive a call to their room reminding them to turn off their technology at 7pm, the time that 62 per cent of people in Saudi Arabia identified as the best time to stop working.
The research, commissioned by Crowne Plaza across Europe and the Middle East, reveals that people in the Kingdom are some of the worst culprits at not switching off. Over half (59 per cent) take gadgets such as laptops, PDAs and mobiles to bed, in comparison to a more disciplined 45 per cent in the UAE who ensure they have time without using technology before going to bed. This might explain why 72 per cent of people in the UAE claim to be completely relaxed before bed versus just 65 per cent across Saudi Arabia.
For almost half of those surveyed across the Kingdom, the reason for using technology outside of working hours is because they feel under pressure to check emails or respond to work related calls once they have left the office. Yet, over a third (36 per cent) are often woken by incoming calls and texts in the middle of the night with one in five people responding whatever the hour.
Sleep expert and neurologist Dr Tania Tayah explains: “While technology is sometimes hard to live without, it can become our worst enemy when it comes to sleep. Keeping gadgets switched on around you throughout the night will not only be a physical disturbance but a constant reminder of work that needs to be done. Checking emails just before bed halts the production of sleep enhancing melatonin and has the same effect as drinking a double espresso. So it’s important to allow a good couple of hours to switch off from anything that can over-stimulate the mind before going to sleep.”
Tom Rowntree, spokesperson for Crowne Plaza said: “A lot of our guests are business travellers who often check their mobile phones or emails right up until their head hits the pillow. This can lead to sleepless nights with them tossing and turning because they’re thinking about work. We understand that a great night’s sleep is vital in helping our guests be at their best the next day and our switch off at 7 call is one way we can encourage them to down tools and unwind before they climb into bed. We’ve just introduced our new SleepAdvantage programme which has been created to give our guests the best night’s sleep possible when staying at our hotels.”
The SleepAdvantage programme will be introduced at 92 Crowne Plaza hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa including the Crowne Plaza Jeddah and Crowne Plaza Al Khobar by the end of 2010. It will offer guests luxurious bedding, dedicated quiet zones, a guaranteed wake-up call or your money back, and ThisWorks aromatherapy sleep kits that have been created exclusively for Crowne Plaza hotels. Crowne Plaza is the only hotel group to offer guests a guaranteed wake-up call or a full refund on their stay.
