Sweet Dreams

Wake up! With National Sleep Month approaching (May), Hilton Hotels may have just what weary travelers need to catch a few more zzz's.

Last October, Hilton, in cooperation with the National Sleep Foundation and sleep product manufacturers, debuted Sleep-Tight rooms. The rooms contain sleep-inducing gadgets such as a bedside sound machine that generates soothing sounds and a "glow lamp" that wakes guests with increasingly brighter light sans the blaring alarm. Bedtime books, brochures on jet lag and a modified mini-bar with cheese, crackers and milk (which contain tryptophan, an amino acid that can cause drowsiness) all work to aid business travelers in their quest to fall fast asleep. The rooms also boast added insulation and a sleep kit complete with face mask and earplugs; some rooms even have sound-proofed windows. Perhaps the best feature, however, is a comfy, adjustable mattress that feels like you're sleeping on a cloud.

The rooms, which cost the same as comparable standard rooms, are available in New York City; Chicago; Oahu, Hawaii; Washington, DC; and Beverly Hills, California. Hilton plans to expand the program to five more locations by year-end and will begin testing Sleep-Tight rooms in hotels in Asia and Europe in the coming months.

This article was originally published in the April 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Sweet Dreams.