Sleep tourism is on the rise

Have you heard about sleep tourism? It’s the latest trend in tourism and travel right now. It sounds strange but it really is a genuine concept. Millbrook Contract Beds investigates this unusual craze.

Right now, all around the world there are hotels, spas and accommodations that are designed to act as sleepaways for sleep-deprived clientele. Insomnia and sleep deprivation problems afflict many people around the world and many of these “sleep experience accommodations” cater specifically to those who have difficulty drifting off to the land of nod.

Some of the getaways have added extras such as private consultations with sleep experts, aromatherapy treatments and massage therapies. It’s pretty innovative thinking. In addition to these optional extras many of these sleep tourist hotspots offer sleep-deprived clientele pillow menus.

Specialist hotels provide light and sound systems designed to help guests fall asleep and stay asleep plus zero gravity chairs or massage beds to snooze in. Count in the development of snore absorption rooms that literally do absorb the sound of snoring and you’ve got yourself a new emerging part of the tourism industry!

Catering to the sleep needs and the sleep problems of travellers seems to be on the rise, and we here at Millbrook Contract Beds think this can only be a good thing.

With the development of many new technologies and innovative ideas related to the world of sleep it appears that the ability to achieve a better, deeper, more satisfying sleep is open to everyone, or at least soon will be. At the moment, sleep tourism caters to people who can afford to spend on mega-impressive hotels with advanced facilities and amenities. Enough time needs to pass in order to bring these new sleep assistance technologies down to a more amicable price and to a more open market so that we all may experience sleep tourism.

In the meantime, there really is no reason why people and businesses cannot adopt the ideas of sleep tourism for their own purposes and benefits. Creating relaxing environments where sleep can be optimised really is what we’re all about at Millbrook once you get to the very heart of it.

As an individual you can create your own DIY sleep holiday that requires zero packing and zero expense. Unplug from the technologies already in your life such as phones, computers, internet, television, tablets etc. These devices have gone from being lounge-bound items (or for use outside the home) and somehow we have brought them into our bedrooms where the only real purpose of a bedroom should be to sleep! Unplug yourself from this world for an evening. Take the time to turn your bedroom into a more relaxing, open and de-cluttered space. We have written many blogs on how to achieve this before.

For hoteliers, you too can offer a slice of the sleep tourism experience by offering more from your contract beds and contract bed choices and sleep paraphernalia available. You don’t have to be a hotel of the future in order to offer your guests maximum comfort.

Sleep tourism is only growing bigger and more popular. This is the beginning of a new form of tourism altogether and while it is very specific and, arguably, strange, it seems like it is going to be a facet of the hospitality industry that’s here to stay.

Millbrook – an experienced contract bed supplier

The importance of dealing with, and buying from, an experienced contract bed supplier is paramount in today’s climate. It is all too easy to try and buy from budget sources that provide cheap construction for cheap prices. These types of contract beds and contract bed suppliers do not cater to the crucial factors needed for a good night’s sleep – comfort and quality.

Millbrook Contract Beds has over 60 years experience in the manufacture of high quality pocket spring beds. We continue to be a leading and innovative brand supplying major retail chains, hoteliers, contract clients, Governmental Departments and Health Authorities with a market leading range of beds and sleep systems. We have been a premium choice amongst a range of industries for decades. What we have learnt over this period is the importance of a perfect sleep so that guests, clients, or employees will return time and time again. Our contract beds define the comfort level of hotels; nurture the ailments of patients under care; encourage the best sleep and ultimate revitalisation of employees; and create a highly contented sleep state for the sleeper.

Over the years, and through careful analysis of client requirements, our contract bed collections and ranges have evolved. The comprehensive knowledge of today’s markets that Millbrook possesses contributes to our ability to stay ahead of our competitors. Millbrook Contract Beds product range is fully supported by professional expertise in all areas from order-tracking to quality assurance to delivery schedules. Every aspect tailor made for clients.

We provide advice for clients on the suitability of each and every bed to ensure that the right contract bed is selected from the right collection. Due to the contract beds being handmade rather than mass-produced, we accommodate to individual necessities, ideas and requests. Through our ability to deal with these special requirements, we can create and supply the most appropriate and perfectly tailored contract beds to any client’s particular need or potential necessity.

Millbrook Contract Beds supplies free, impartial advice, free site surveys and the very finest in customer service.

These are all the qualities that characterise a reliable and superior supplier.

The highest level of comfort and quality of sleep from our contract beds is our utmost priority. The benefits of a Millbrook Bed are clear, they leave the guest feeling healthy, fresh and bursting with energy to take on the new day.

A dependable contract bed supplier will recognise the significance of contract beds to your business. Avoid the pitfalls of buying them cheap from unsound, untested and unreliable sources. Millbrook Contract Beds is here to give you the chance to make an informed choice for your business and have peace of mind that your guests will be getting a peaceful night’s sleep. For further information, advice or details, contact Millbrook here.

Why buy a mass produced contract bed when you can get high quality handmade?

Here at Millbrook Contract Beds we take our bed making very seriously.  While we understand that during tougher times for the hospitality industry it is important to save the pounds, we do not feel that compromising on quality is the answer.

So in this blog today, we thought we would write a few words about what we feel is most important when it comes to the craftsmanship found in a handmade contract bed, when compared to something that is mass produced.

When it comes to the hospitality industry, customers are always right!  Well, okay we all have times when we feel they aren’t but let’s be honest here, we usually know that while sometimes it’s easy to feel that a customer is perhaps being a little ‘difficult’ there are others that want to give enough good feedback so that changes can be made for the better.

In short, if you want to save money on a contract bed, you’ll never do it by going for the cheapest option.  It’s often very difficult to have a long-term plan when budgets are at an all time low, but if you buy a cheaper contract bed, there’s a good chance that it won’t be around in a couple of years, let alone the typical seven.

Traditional ideas about quality and craftsmanship may seem outdated, but perhaps when it comes to contract beds, it’s the one thing that still requires it.  A mass produced bed will not go the distance, with no skilled human being checking all the stitching and detail for you.

With this in mind, we know that guests want good sleep – and while we also know that good sleep forms part of a healthy lifestyle, it also makes guests a lot happier.

Our pocket spring is probably the core of our very best quality sprung beds, whereby each spring is placed in to its own individual pocket and sewn in a way that means it is kept separate from the other springs.  This basically means no roll-together.

A mass produced bed will not be quite so accurate, and you will find on occasion that you do unfortunately get roll-together and thus a good chance that someone’s night’s sleep will be affected by it.

Hand-side stitching in our complete range features traditional hand-side stitching which basically secures the outer springs to the border at the top and bottom, preventing any kind of roll out.  This is the element of our production that is the most labour intensive as it involves a lot of skill from our own craftsmen.  Only senior upholsters using traditional long needles and twine to make borders and edges stronger.  If you imagine a hundred guests a year sleeping in the bed, you can see why that hand stitching is so important from a durability perspective.

If you are looking at something that is mass produced, then there is no highly skilled upholsterer and a machine instead, which will not offer half the care and attention that a professional can.

It may also surprise you perhaps to see that even our economy range offers the same superior quality to buyers, so even where money needs to be saved you can end up with the best of both worlds at Millbrook Contract Beds..

Yes we’re passionate about our beds, because we feel that hand craftsmanship and superior techniques in the manufacturing of our beds is what makes us a good choice when it comes to buying them.

If you need new contract beds, don’t miss our 10% discount now on offer across the entire Millbrook range.  If you buy direct from the manufacturer you save anyway, but with the additional 10% you could really get a bargain!

It’ll last forever wont it? Contract Beds and their life span

We all like to think that in buying quality when it comes to contract beds that we can get more use out of them.  While this is relatively true it’s very easy for us to forget that the amount of use will have an affect on its lifespan and can lead to a neglected bed which in turn can mean neglected clients!

For example, after a busy summer season in the hotel industry, many hoteliers are now thinking about the autumn and all the work they need to do to ensure that they’re ready for their Christmas season.

They will get the painter out, have that squeaky floorboard fixed and simply can’t forget about that dodgy handle –but the beds within the rooms are the one thing that seem to be forgotten about.

So, in this blog today we’ve come up with a pre-autumn season checklist for all hoteliers with contract beds to enable them to see just how much more wear and tear their contract beds might have!

1. Have you had any complaints about the beds?  This may seem obvious but it’s surprising how we can blame broken air conditioning, a small room, a window that won’t quite open properly and noise from the room next door, but the bed is the one thing that is never mentioned or forgotten about!  If you’ve had a complaint then why not do an overall check?

2. Have you checked your contract beds personally?  That’s to say, what do the mattresses look like?  Are they in good shape or have they seen better days?

3. Is the base of the bed secure?  Is there a screw loose?  Is there visible wear on the actual bed frame or divan base itself?  Again, this often gets forgotten as most of our efforts are spent on changing linen each and every day during busy periods – not really allowing us enough time to check things properly.

4. Is the headboard nice and secure?  If you’re looking for better star ratings in the future, you may want to know that a loose headboard is one of the things you can get marked down on in the hotel industry.  So, it’s important with your contract beds to ensure that the headboard is secure.

5. Is the contract bed mattress looking worn?  Are the springs sounding squeaky?  Is there a dip in the mattress from constant use?

These are just a few things worth looking for when it comes to your contract beds this season.  It’s worth not forgetting it because you’ll find clients who have a good night’s sleep are far happier than those who have experienced a contract bed that has seen better days.

If you want advice on new contract beds for the Autumn, then Millbrook Contract Beds can give you free, impartial advice – whatever your budget may be. Contact Us for more information or follow us on Twitter and Facebook for regular tips and updates.

A contract bed guide for hoteliers: Meeting demand

The New Year  is often the time that most of us think ahead. We make plans and usually, in the hotel industry anyway, it’s a good time of year to look at refurbishment and the changes we want to make.

Usually when you are looking at a refurbishment for your hotel, it’s the aesthetics which are prioritised. The paintwork is in fact the first thing we tend to look at but how often is it that we take a look under the covers to see the state of our contract beds?

Therefore, in today’s blog we address how to identify worn out, old contract beds and what you should take note of to ensure optimum comfort for your guests in 2013.

So, where to begin? How exactly do you identify the symptoms of a worn out hotel contract bed? You have to make a checklist. If you have a lot of rooms and a lot of beds, you need to delegate the checklists to your staff. Ask the following questions;

1. Are there ‘dips’ in the bed?
2. Are there springs visible on the mattress?
3. Are the edges of the mattress frayed?
4. Do people regularly complain of back or neck ache when they sleep in the bed?
5. Are there missing tufts in the mattress?

If the answers to any or many of these questions come back “yes,” buying new hotel contract beds for the rooms that failed the check is imperative for your future guests.

As a hotelier or as a hotel manager this may seem like an expense that you could do without. The current economic situation in the UK is enough reason to put it off. Millbrook Contract Beds understand this. However, through this non-maintenance the standards of the hotel and the contract beds will only spiral into decline, as will the guest experience. Any hotelier knows that a stay at a hotel is entirely about the guest experience. Providing a great night’s sleep to your guests generates generous word of mouth and will eventually lead to repeat custom. Negative comments spread quite quickly and you could risk seeing a drop in new or repeat bookings. As the old adage goes, it can take a lifetime to build up a good reputation but only take minutes to destroy it.

Keep in mind that new contract beds will last you a good eight to ten year period. You will get maximum benefits from replacing the worn contract beds ASAP. Millbrook offers a service where your old hotel contract beds get picked-up and removed and the new replacements brought in. This will give you a minimum of hassle when it comes to the disposal of old and the delivery of new.

Of course, you may need advice on what types of beds to get. There are many blogs and articles on this site that can help you with almost any aspect of contract bed buying. We recommend you take a look at our previous blogs on Improving your fill rates and Contract beds for use in the UK hotel sector for more specific advice.

Alternatively, you can contact Millbrook Contract Beds directly. We are happy to give you holistic advice for free so you can help to maintain the best quality and standard of service in your business as possible.

Rising costs and their effects on hotel contract beds

For those in the hospitality and healthcare industry, whether that’s as a large hotel owner, the healthcare management profession or indeed anywhere that has use for some kind of commercial bed it is probably not the best news to hear that the cost of cotton has been steadily rising since the beginning of this year and is now at an all time high.

In fact, to the end of November of last year, cotton itself rose by over 70% and this not surprisingly has had an effect on the cost of cotton sheets which go on contract beds, which now on average cost over 35% more than they did a year ago.

While this may seem trivial, when it comes to contract bed /commercial bed owners, this does put extra pressure on the budget, especially if you have a 100 bedroom hotel and need to replace the linen regularly or are a large, independent healthcare provider with a high demand on laundry services.

The reason it will put the pressure on is because your commercial laundry provider will potentially need to increase their prices to you  in order to sustain the same level of quality and service and for some, to even stay in business.

With industries that require a fairly substantial supply of cotton based essentials, it’s easy to see how this may affect a multitude of areas within your daily business running – and in particular the hotel industry  – which relies on positive feedback from clients to increase or sustain occupancy rates.

So, here at Millbrook Contract Beds, we thought it would be an idea to consider the impact of cotton price increases – so where possible, if you do need to replace materials, you’ll at least be able to save some money elsewhere and if you’re a smaller bed and breakfast owner, we’ve also come up with a few tips on looking after your linen – as it is most likely that you do a considerable amount of laundry yourself.

So, if you’re a larger business our best advice is to liaise closely with your laundry service provider as you may be able to agree things like fixed rates over a longer-term, which will help sustain their business but it will also sustain your quality of service.

After all, no one likes worn down towels or linen – we all want a bit of luxury so it’s in your interest to work with your laundry to help them stay in business!  This advice has been mirrored throughout the commercial bed sector, so it’s worth taking note!

If you’re a smaller bed and breakfast or healthcare management professional, then you can follow our short guide below and hopefully get a longer life from your towels, which will save you money over the course of the year and beyond.

So what can you do?

If you do need to replace your cotton towels / sheets, it’s far better to go for quality – so choosing things like Egyptian Cotton will keep your linen looking fresher for longer.

It may sound obvious, but it’s worth checking those labels BEFORE washing.  We know you’re busy, but assuming that cotton can be consistently washed on 60 degrees with no detrimental effect is probably not wise and therefore you may want to try and create a laundry regime that ensures your linen is rotated regularly.

One really good tip as well, is to use only half the detergent that the manufacturer recommends.  This may not seem sensible but very often residue is left if you use a lot of detergent which will reduce the lifespan of the cotton.

Also, avoid drying your towels fully in a tumble dryer.  This does wear down the cotton over time and will result in holes!

Finally, if you can (and we know this isn’t always possible) try and hang them for a natural drying session in the sunshine.  This is by far the best way to preserve your cotton for a lot longer.

Rebranding the hotel sector – Advice from Millbrook Contract Beds

It’s called Hotel Rebranding and it is a program like hotel refreshment that is implemented by many hotels – sometimes on a rolling schedule every 7 years or alternatively whenever it comes due.

London in a snapshot

So what is hotel rebranding?

Rebranding is different to refreshment as it is a bigger job and involves a lot of work including reassessing marketing strategies, aesthetics, design and its sector positioning. Room rates are usually increased during a hotel rebrand, and you are more likely to see bigger chains go through this process. It is a much more corporate approach to refurbishment and it is on a massive scale.

The process can involve creating new guest rooms out of redundant or unused space, replacing facilities such as bathrooms and communal areas, changing layouts, introducing new guest facilities and services, updating technologies and new entertainment capabilities.

Basically, this rebrand starts from the contract beds on up!

In a hotel rebrand it is possible to see so much change occur that the brand itself is reborn leaving no corner of the property untouched, from bedrooms to public areas to restaurants and event spaces.

However, due to the nature of upheaval and the cost of time and money, huge rebrands are not as common as hotel refreshments. As we are looking at the arrival of 2012 sooner rather than later, many hotels don’t have time to rebrand themselves like this.

What are Green Refurbishments all about?

Green refurbishments are in keeping with green policies that many hotels are adopting around the world. 30 per cent of hoteliers are looking to install more energy efficient green technology using renewable power for their properties. Sustainability has emerged in the last decade as a dominant trend in hospitality and hotel refurbishments. Guests are getting into a mindset where luxury ratings are simply not enough. A hotel’s green credentials go a long way to sealing the deal.

Many design principles being used or flirted with in the UK hotel sector include recycling water conservation, energy efficiency and maintenance/longevity.

Hotels Go Green

How can Millbrook Contract Beds help?

We provide a service to our customers that helps provide quality contract beds and contract bedroom furniture of the highest ilk to their operations. Our design philosophy is uncompromising in terms of how the beds are made, so you know you are getting the best of the best.

Many hotels and businesses come to us for our advice and our quality of product. In the build up to the big boom or bad bust year of 2012, Millbrook Contract Beds wants to be at the centre of the demand and in the thick of the action. If you are planning a hotel refurbishment, whether it is a refreshment of guest rooms and contract beds, or a major rebranding overhaul on everything, we know we can help. Contact Us for some impartial advice or you can always follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Special Discount

If you order upto the 31st of October, you can take advantage of the current 10% discount available for online purchases!  Just quote mcb10%oct12 at checkout to take advantage of it and save even more money!

Improve your star rating with the finest contract beds

For hoteliers, the star rating is of vital importance when marketing the business to potential guests. The star rating is a general indicator and reflection of the quality of the hotel itself, although individual circumstances must be taken into account.

The mainstay of any star rated hotel is the contract beds that are available to suit guest expectation and requirements.

The Five Star seal of approval

The Economy class of one-star hotels is essentially a no-frills deal. The rooms are usually small, the decor is functional and they generally cater to the budget travellers.

The Value class of two-star hotels are again, basic accommodation, perhaps offering private bathrooms and television, but all in all, limited amenities.

The Quality class of three-star establishments begin to take on a greater emphasis on a satisfying guest experience with on-site dining, additional hotel services such as baggage assistance and the guestrooms are certainly more extensive in what they offer to the guest.

The Superior class of four-star hotels offer concierge services, conference rooms, valet parking etc. But their stronghold are their luxury rooms with the added benefits of stylish furnishings, an extensive variety of amenities and most importantly of all, fine quality, high standard beds and bedding.

Finally, the Exceptional class of five-star hotels are considered the finest hotels in the world. They offer the highest possible standard of service with the embellishments of interior design stylistics, grand architectural aesthetic, an abundance of gourmet cuisines for fine dining and a fast track, 24-hour room service. The recreational facilities can be anything from friendly tennis courts to sprawling golf courses while the luxurious spa centres exemplify relaxation. But the guestrooms are the real prizes at five-star hotels. They are comprised of premium bedding with everything from high-speed internet access to widescreen TV’s and DVD players.

The hotels that do not manage to attain a star rating are often referred to as half-star hotels, which classify the hotels that have differing levels of amenities, property type and property-class characteristics, and varying degrees in the quality of service.

However, the class system does not mean that hotels below par with four and five star luxury hotels cannot provide fine quality contract beds for their guests. After all, contract beds are the most crucial element of any hotel room.

Millbrook contract beds offer a wide range of contract beds that have a proven track record for supplying comfort, luxury and pleasing aesthetics to the hotel and leisure industry. These contract beds help to provide the right holistic experience for guests. This guarantees to provide personal recommendations, which is the strongest arm of advertising available.

The star rated system for hotels factors in, in a very big way, the quality and comfort of the contract beds in each room. Guests expect and demand that more than any other aspect of their hotel stays.

If you are a hotelier looking to increase your bookings, or if you are indeed looking to climb that hotel star ladder and improve your quality of service, amenities and overall excellence, start in the guestrooms with the contract beds.

Millbrook contracts beds’ International collection is tailored to hotel services specifically;

The President is top of the range. It has individually hand nested pocket springs and a choice of comfort levels. Mattresses come available in standard or firmer comfort while there is a choice of base, leg and fabric options. The materials consist of quality fire retardant woven damask upholstery and extravagant fillings which include pure cotton, durable polyester and luxury pashmina. It’s not called The President for nothing. It’s fit for one.

The President contract bed

As a hotelier, of course, budget must be a consideration. If you have thirty rooms to fill with thirty new beds, you need to make an investment. The only way to increase star rating is by upping your game and the standard of the hotel, and that costs money. When it comes to the contract beds, Millbrook deals so regularly with the hotel industry that the prices and deals are incredibly reasonable. There is no need to worry about accentuated or spiralling costs if you know who to come to.

The Hotel contract bed is a popular choice for many hotels, hence its name. It has open coil spring and a deep mattress. It is the classic firm option bed with fresh, practical hardwearing 100% cotton upholstery and a choice of leg and fabric options on the divan base. Mattresses are available in the custom style of standard comfort. It is practical, comfortable and affordable.

The Hotel contract bed

A star rating means status, it means standards, it means quality, it makes people want to stay with you. If you’re a half-star looking to become a one-star or a one-star looking to become a two-star and so on, you can achieve this only by starting by developing what is at the heart of your business, and that is the guest experience. All guests measure their hotel experiences by the quality of sleep they had and the quality of the contract bed they slept in.

Hotel interior design options Part 1 – the Millbrook Contract Beds way

What are the benefits of hotel interior design? That’s the question that comes up quite a bit amongst the hotelier community when assigning limitations or increases on their budgets towards the process. Many consider hotel interior design as a one way expense, yet this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Admittedly, for some hotels there isn’t much need for a change-up in interiors and contract bedroom furniture, perhaps because they have recently undertaken refurbishments or there is nothing that really needs to be replaced or replenished at the time. However, there are many hotels in the hospitality industry that do need to undertake some serious interior design solutions.

Ask any hotel that has gone through the redesign process and they can tell you – a refurbishment can repay dividends; especially when you do it the Millbrook Contract Beds way!

An introduction to the Millbrook Contract Beds Way

Our 60 years of experience supplying the hospitality industry with contract beds gives us plenty to base our advice on. Hotel interior design is a highly important element of maintaining a consistent level of customer satisfaction. In our opinion, the better the standards of aesthetic, quality, service options and variety, the happier your guests will be.

But how do you do it effectively?

If you have read any of our blogs on maintaining contract bedroom furniture, specifically contract beds, you will know how to check for signs of wear & tare. It is important to know what needs replacing and when!

You want to find a balance between operational functionality and aesthetics. Through getting these two areas right you can conjure an ambience reflective of your hotel brand and experience. It really makes a difference if you want to stand out from the competition. Every hotel, B&B, guesthouse and residence has its own unique flavour and signature. You must recognise what it is that makes your business different and optimise the strengths inherent within that. For instance, perhaps your hotel has a running theme of medieval features from four-poster contract beds in every room to candle chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. It might be merely a quirk of the hotel interior design or it could be its defining feature, but you want to make sure you have fully optimised these qualities to stand-out and represent your unique selling points.

Your best course of action is to take inventory throughout the hotel and explore just what needs to be refurbished:

• #Guest rooms
• #Corridors
• #Reception
• #Dining room
• #Bar
• #Gym
• #Spa
• #Other

Once you have taken not of what needs the work done (if not the whole hotel) you can start drawing up design plans.

In the next part of this blog we will go into greater detail of the hotel interior design process in order to help you navigate your way through what needs to be done.

Contact Us at Millbrook Contract Beds for information on your contract beds and for impartial advice on contract bedroom furniture. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay in step with our community.

What makes a good night’s sleep at Millbrook Contract Beds – Part 2

In a previous blog Millbrook Contract Beds walked you through the essential factors involved with getting the best out of a night’s sleep through contract bedroom furniture whether you are a private home, hotel, academic residence or healthcare facility.

Having covered those essential ingredients to giving people the best sleep possible with contract beds, it’s time to discuss the environment itself.

What do we mean by environment exactly?

Well, it’s simple stuff really and these tips can apply to all industries that deal with supplying rooms and beds to people.

1. Room temperature

This is really is important to creating a comfortable environment fit for sleep. A guest or resident needs to have a temperature that isn’t too hot or too cold. In summer there needs to be a competent air conditioning system in place that gives coolness to the rooms at night, while in winter, heating is a must-have option. In an ideal space the person staying in the room will have independent or remote access to the temperature so they can self-adjust it to their own comfort level.

2. Schedules

While you cannot enforce sleep schedules with guests or residents you can provide a guide for them to adhere too. No noise past a certain time is of course a given, simply because other residents can be disturbed by too much disturbance. Also a curfew for closing the front doors and hallway lights out usually gives guests an idea of just what time is the right time for bed. If people stick to a strict sleep schedule they will feel far more refreshed the next day.

3. Exercise

Everybody knows the importance of exercise for general health but what can make it such a great benefit is that it helps people to sleep more peacefully. Hotels can offer gym facilities for guests to use and work out in. People’s bodies use the sleep period to recover their muscles and joints that have been exercised. However, it is only recommended that gym facilities be open until a certain time (usually 8pm or 9pm). Exercise directly before sleep is too stimulating and will make it more difficult for guests to drift off.

4. Limit room services at night

It can be very tempting for guests or residents to call on your services for midnight meals and snacks but by enforcing a curfew on food and drink availability up to a certain time you contribute to guests having a better night’s sleep overall. Eating or snacking before bed (including drinks with caffeine) is the worst thing for sleep.

5. Provide reading materials

And we don’t just mean having a copy of the Bible in the drawers between the contract beds! We mean you should provide a reasonable selection of up-to-date newspapers, fiction books and magazines so that there is something to read before your guests/residents sleep. As most avid readers know, reading a book for bed is the best way to fall asleep as you grow more and more tired the further you read.

This is some of our best advice for providing the right seep environments for guests and residents in any industry that provides sleeping facilities. Millbrook Contract Beds has been in the business of sleep for over 60 years, so when we give you our top tips on the subject, you can be sure its up-to-date, honest and useful.

Contact Us for further information on contract beds and sleep related advice.