What a sleep retreat is, and what it is not
A sleep retreat is not a clinic. It treats nothing and diagnoses nothing. It is a short stay built so that the conditions for a good night are all in place at once: daylight in the morning, movement that tires the body kindly, an evening without a screen, silence, and real darkness.
Most general sleep advice comes down to those same few things. The difficulty at home is that life gets in the way of every one of them. A sleep retreat removes the obstacles for a few days.
Why the Sahara
Umnya Desert Camp sits in the dunes of Erg Chegaga, sixty kilometres of desert piste beyond the last paved road. There is no wifi and no network in the camp itself. A phone signal can be found a short walk away, about twenty minutes there and back, so phones are stored on arrival. The sky is rated Bortle 1, the darkest class on the scale. Each guest sleeps in a tent suite with a real bed and a private bathroom.
What a day looks like
The Sleep Programme runs five days. Days begin with a meditation at sunrise and gentle floor Pilates in the open air. The warm hours are for rest. In the late afternoon there is a walk with the nomads, a camel ride at sunset or sandboarding on the high dunes. Dinner is early, by the fire, followed by a herbal infusion and, on one night, a session with our astronomer and a telescope under the stars. One night is spent in the dunes. One morning has no alarm.
Who it suits
It suits people who sleep badly because their days are loud: founders, executives, parents, anyone whose evenings belong to a screen. It also suits couples and friends, who share a tent. It is not a treatment. If you live with a sleep disorder, speak to your doctor before you come.
Dates and booking
The first date is February 8 to 12, 2027, with fourteen places. The price is the same for every 2027 date, and it always appears on the programme page. Round-trip transportation from Marrakech is included, and you can also fly from Casablanca to Zagora, then drive about 3 hours by 4x4 to the camp. Other 2027 dates are sent on request.
See The Sleep Programme for the full day by day plan, what is included and how to reserve. If you want to know what four quiet nights do to a tired sleep cycle, read what happens to your sleep after four nights in the Sahara.
