Rejuvenate yourself with a special night of sleep at The Westin Tokyo

Having trouble falling asleep or getting up in the morning? You're not alone: according to a recent survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, more than 20 percent of adults in Japan have experienced insomnia or other sleep-related health issues. Solving such a dilemma can require more than just sleeping longer – research shows that quality of sleep is just as important as quantity. This is where The Westin Tokyo in Ebisu comes in: marking World Sleep Day (March 18), the hotel recently introduced a new one-night deal aimed at all of us exhausted worker bees in Tokyo. I tagged along with around 70 eager health enthusiasts for the inaugural 'restorative sleep' experience, hoping it would help revitalise me both mentally and physically after a long week at the office.

In tune with the Westin Hotels and Resorts group's aim of helping all guests leave its hotels in better shape than when they first checked in, this rejuvenating programme kicked off with a buffet dinner packed with so-called superfoods, intended to boost our energy levels for the evening. All powered up, we then moved on to a talk session with yoga instructor Waka Nozawa and sleep consultant Nao Tomono. Tomono stressed that when you get your shut-eye is less important than how long you actually rest – as long as you sleep for seven to eight hours, there's no harm in going to bed at 5am. What a relief for night owls.

Tomono's tips for the perfect night of sleep also included not looking at your phone right before going to bed (guilty as charged), investing in comfy linens, switching to ambient light at night, taking a hot bath in the evening, and dispersing some of your favourite fragrance in the bedroom. She was also adamant on the benefits of silk pyjamas – we'll leave that last one up to you to evaluate. After the informative talk, it was time to get physical with Ms Nozawa. Her lesson focused on poses designed to release stress and work up some light tiredness to help you fall asleep easier. I sure found them efficient, and felt all jolly and relaxed at the end.

After the yoga, the time had finally come for the evening's main event – sleeping, that is. I couldn't wait to dive into one of the Westin's original 'Heavenly Beds', first introduced in 1999 and still one of the hotel's most vaunted features. Found in every Westin room, these beds are designed especially for restorative sleep and feature top-of-the-line linens, including some of the comfiest pillows you'll ever lay your head on.

Although I couldn't hit my goal of sleeping for seven hours straight – blaming the extra-long evening bath for that one – I did feel rested enough to get up for a 6am stretch and yoga session. The rainy weather forced us to practice poses indoors this time, but the hotel moves these early-bird exercises to its lush garden whenever the sun is out. 

My rejuvenative round finished off with a breakfast on the 22th floor, complete with gorgeous vistas towards Tokyo Tower. With the bed pillow stuffed into my bag (present, not bounty), I headed back out into the city supremely refreshed and ready to make the most of the weekend. If you'd like to have the same life-giving experience, keep an eye out for announcements on the hotel's website – the Sleep Well plan is very popular and will be offered again in the near future.