THE ultimate sleeping experience has officially launched in the Sussex countryside, allowing guests to literally count sheep before drifting off.
Mesmerising drone images and video footage show a specially designed sleep dome which played home to two lucky guests for the night and was designed with the latest in sleep science - showing that counting sheep actually does aid falling asleep.
Participants were invited to nod off beneath the stars among the idyllic hillside views surrounded by a flock of sheep; the livestock each had a number painted on them so guests could quite literally count the sheep from inside the comfort of the dome.
Sleep company Emma set up the sleeping dome after research found adults living in the countryside get 219 hours more sleep a year than city dwellers.
The study of 1,000 Brits living in the country and 1,000 city residents found 12 per cent of the latter admitted they ‘always’ struggle to sleep.
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After a night in the dome, sleeper Jim Tanner, 51, from Sidcup, said: “I’d never actually seen sheep jumping over a fence before- it was great to have this image right in front of me as I fell asleep and now, I know how to use visualisation for better sleep it’s something I’ll be doing more of in the future.”
Partner Georgina Oliver, also 51, said: “We were delighted to win this unique experience.
“We both live busy lives and taking the time to leave the hustle of the city and rest in the countryside was needed.
“We had a revived night’s sleep and left the experience feeling ready to take on the week ahead.
The study found city dwellers wake up five times during the night due to traffic noise (21 per cent), lights reflecting into their room (16 per cent) and disturbance from neighbours (24 per cent).
On the flip side, when country residents are woken up, it takes them four minutes less to get back to sleep.
Theresa Schnorbach, sleep scientist for Emma, said: “For many people who live in the hustle and bustle of a city, and all the night-time noise that entails, there may be a knock-on effect to their sleep.
“Our results do seem to show a trend that living in a quieter area can really have a tangible impact on the amount of sleep you get, and the quality of that sleep.
“So, it’s no wonder that the trend of Green Sleep is booming, with people booking getaways to the countryside with sleep as a main benefit.”
The research also found people in rural areas tend to go to bed slightly later than those in cities - at 10:40pm on average, compared to 10:28pm in urban spaces.
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But they’ll also get up later to make up for it, rising at 7:14am, compared to people in cities who get up on average at 6:58am.
City residents are also slightly more likely than rural residents to report ‘always’ waking up tired (14 per cent vs 12 per cent).
As a result, 24 per cent of city dwellers also report higher levels of sleeping better when they’re on holiday.
This is almost 10 per cent more than those who are already in a quiet environment (15 per cent).
The study, carried out via OnePoll, also revealed 56 per cent of people in the countryside think the air in those areas has a positive impact on their sleep, while over a third of those in cities suspect the urban air and fumes have a negative impact.
But to try and get to sleep, 13 per cent consider a cup of tea a core part of their bedtime routine, while 21 per cent couldn’t drop off without a cuddle from their partner, and 12 per cent need a snuggle from their pet.
Theresa Schnorbach added: “No matter where you’re going to sleep, having a routine in place can help.
“If you always have a cup of tea at the same time before going to bed, then carrying that custom on when you’re on holiday or anywhere else, lets your body know the sleep routine isn’t changing.”
