Extreme sleeping: From treetops to glaciers, bedding down can be an adventure
If you have trouble falling asleep, maybe you should try bedding down somewhere unusual, says Phoebe Smith, a self-described “extreme sleeper” and the Sleep Storyteller-in-Residence for Calm.com, a sleep and meditation app. It helps if the setting seems dangerous, she says, because it keeps your mind off mundane worries. “I sleep very well, and I think it’s because I’m focused on keeping myself safe and alive and warm.” She shares some favorite spots with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.
Hanging from a cliff, Estes Park, Colorado
If you’re not scared of heights, bedding down on a sheer rock face might make for a restful night’s sleep. Hikers work their way up the side of a cliff, and then rappel down to a platform when it’s time to call it a night. “You have to sleep wearing a harness, but you get to used to it,” Smith says. kmaconline.com/directory/cliff-camping-colorado
More:Coolest campsite ever: Hanging off a cliff
In a cattle barn, Switzerland
In the Alps, guests can make their bed amid hay bales before they drift off to sleep to the sound of mooing dairy cows. “Surprisingly, I got a really good night’s sleep there,” Smith says. And in the morning, you can make your coffee with the freshest milk imaginable. myfarm.ch/en/sleep-on-straw
Inside a glacier, Svalbard, Norway
Smith had to head north of the Arctic Circle and climb about 50 feet down into a glacier to reach one of the one quietest places she had ever slept. “It’s just a hole in the snow and you start coming down and it’s all dark at first, and you look around and you’re surrounded by all this ice sparkling as if you’re in a palace.” wildlife.no/activities/winter-activities/day-trips/icy-dreams-overnight-in-the-ice-cave/
On the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
You will literally sleep with the fishes on an overnight outing at Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The adventure starts with a day of snorkeling or diving, but when the tour boat returns to shore, you’re left on a pontoon at sea. “It’s an amazing thing to see your boat heading back,” Smith says. But that’s when the fun really starts. “You see the most incredible sunset. The stars come out which can be insanely good.” sunlover.com.au/great-barrier-reef-cruises/sunlover-by-starlight
Dangling from a tree, Bavaria, Germany
At this German adventure park, going to bed requires climbing 30 feet up a tree and crawling into a combination pup tent and hammock. “You move very gently side to side, it’s almost like the tree is rocking you to sleep,” Smith says. But it does take some planning. “You have to go to the toilet before you get in, because it’s a hell of a job to get in and out of this thing.” waldseilgarten-hoellschlucht.de
Near the top of the world, Everest Base Camp, Nepal
Even if you aren’t trying to climb the world’s tallest mountain, you can still get pretty close. The base camp where mountaineers acclimate before attempting to climb Mount Everest is a popular trekking spot for visitors. Smith recommends sleeping on the nearby Khumbu Glacier. “As you lie down in your tent, you can hear the glacier beneath you creaking. It’s moving very, very, very slowly. I had strange dreams.” welcomenepal.com
On an active volcano, Nicaragua
You might get a little hot sleeping on the Telica volcano in Central America. This guided trip brings hikers past boiling mud pools, up the mountain slope to an open crater. When it’s time for bed, the rumbling doesn’t stop. “You really feel the power of this natural phenomena, the power of the Earth,” Smith says. ni.sonati.org/telica-2-days/
Under a boulder, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
Thousands of years ago in the Scottish Highlands, a huge falling rock landed on top of several smaller stones, leaving space underneath where it’s possible for several people to camp. The so-called Shelter Stone even has a guestbook. “You can literally say you slept between a rock and hard place,” Smith says. visitcairngorms.com
In the desert, Wadi Rum, Jordan
The wilderness once wandered by Lawrence of Arabia makes a memorable place to spend the night. After climbing crags and exploring dunes, there’s time to sip mint tea in the evening and trade stories around a campfire with a Bedouin guide. “You can sleep in a tent, but why on earth would you? You have all these rocky ledges all around you where you can take your bed,” Smith says. wadirumbedouincamp.com
At the bottom of the world, Antarctica
You’ll have to board an expedition ship to reach the icy shores of Antarctica, where the crew will set up a tent on the continent. “There’s so much life around you,” Smith says. “There are penguins everywhere. You open your tent door and hear a splash and it might be a whale breaching or a leopard seal coming ashore.” Several cruise companies offer the experience. apps.iaato.org/iaato/member/list.xhtml
