It is common knowledge that the blue light emitted from the screens of our phones, computers and televisions can have a disruptive effect on our sleeping patterns. So a hotel in London has come up with the perfect antidote.
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane has partnered with its neighbour, Hatchards, the oldest bookseller in the UK capital, and Dr David Lewis, a sleep expert and chartered psychologist, to create the ZZZ-list. This exclusive library contains a specially curated selection of books that will help guests get the best possible night’s sleep during their stay at the hotel.
The criteria
A total of 30 fiction and non-fiction titles have been included, in accordance with a specific set of guidelines established by Lewis. These include books that use short sentences - lengthier sentences produce long slow (alpha) waves in the brain found in a relaxed state, rather than short faster waves (beta waves). Concluding chapters that satisfy the brain’s desire for completeness were another desirable attribute when it came to putting together the ZZZ list.
An incomplete chapter creates the "Zeigarnik Effect", a nagging feeling at the back of your mind that something has been left undone, which makes sleep less likely. Books that avoid a large amount of detail and follow a simple narrative structure also help the reader drift off, Lewis maintains. The more complicated the story structure, the greater the cognitive effort needed to make sense of it.
The books sit within a dedicated library in the hotels’ Club Lounge and have been categorised into age brackets: Generation Z, Millennial and Generation X. They can be accessed by bibliophiles staying in suites and club rooms, as well as members, and guests can either read in the comfort of their room or in the lounge, where they can also access breakfast, beverages and canapes throughout the day.
“A leading theory suggests that sleep may provide the brain with an opportunity to rebalance itself. Falling asleep in a bed that isn’t your own can be difficult and the ever growing use of smartphones and tablet computers during evening hours can cause sleep disturbances – meaning those staying in a hotel can sometimes find it harder to get to sleep,” says Lewis.
The books on the list
The library even contains books that were chosen specifically to appeal to a Middle Eastern audience. These include Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak, Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz, Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany and What I talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami.
In case you are looking for some inspiration for your own library, here is a full list of the books on the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane’s ZZZ-list:
Generation Z
Tangerine by Christine Mangan
Penguin Book of English Short Stories by Christopher Dolley
Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak
The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gower
Still Me by Jojo Moyes
Don't Point That Thing at Me by Kyrii Bonfiglioi
Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
Circe by Madeline Miller
Story of Mr Sommer by Patrick Suskind
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Millenials
Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Expurey
Last Orders by Graham Switft
Collected Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M.Dellafield
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
This is What Happened by Mick Herron
The Young Hornblower Omnibus by C.S. Forester
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach
Generation X
The Complete Hercule Poirot Short Stories by Agatha Christie
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany's
The Lemon Table by Julian Barnes
One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes
Violins of St Jacques by Patrick Leigh Fermor
Century Girls by Tessa Dunlop
