As the world turns, so do our values. Even the definition of a “vacation” has shifted. Who would have imagined that “taking time off” would one day mean sleeping, sleeping, and more sleeping, rather than traveling, collecting new experiences, or recharging our creativity the way we used to?
A recent survey by Amerisleep.com found that 37% of 1,200 working American millennials and young adults now spend their vacation days simply sleeping at home or catching up on rest. The main culprit: accumulated exhaustion, which has driven a surge in burnout over the past three to four years. Gen X leads the pack in sleep-heavy vacations (34%), followed by Gen Z (33%) and baby boomers (20%). With a sluggish economy and rising living costs, staying home has become a practical choice. Considering the U.S. already has one of the lowest rates of vacation usage in the world, one can only imagine what the situation looks like in countries with even more demanding work cultures.
A 2023 Booking.com survey shows the trend is global: 53% of respondents prefer relaxation-focused packages, which involve lounging around in a resort, over activity-packed itineraries. In some countries, travelers openly admit their goal for taking leave is simply to “rack up sleep points.” This aligns with the steady rise of burnout worldwide, particularly among the younger generation. The result: the rise of staycation and, to be more precise, sleepcation.
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