Scientific Disclosure & Terms of Interpretation

A Sleep Grade score is an assessment of the likelihood that a room and/or property supports good sleep — not a guarantee that any guest will sleep well. We measure the conditions that sleep science associates with better or worse rest; we cannot measure the guest.

A high score means a property has put the right conditions in place and has, in our assessment, improved the odds of a good night. A low score means those odds are working against the guest. Sleep itself depends on many personal factors — stress, health, routine, the unfamiliarity of a new room — that no property and no rating can control.

In short: we score the probability of good sleep, not the promise of it.

Sleep Grade evaluates properties across our methodology of 14 core dimensions of the sleep environment — including bedding, noise, light, temperature, air quality, and safety — though our assessment is not limited to these and our framework may weigh additional factors as the research and our methodology develop.

Our thresholds are grounded in published, peer-reviewed sleep science, applied consistently regardless of a property's type, size, class, or price point. The same scientific criteria — fairly applied to each property's context — are used whether we assess a budget guesthouse or a luxury resort. We hold no bias toward property type; a modest property that gets the fundamentals right can score above an expensive one that does not.

We produce scores in two ways:

• Certification (Bronze, Silver, Gold) involves a property engaging directly with us, at the verification levels described below.
• Baseline scores are generated from publicly available web data — such as published guest reviews and property information — for properties that have not engaged with us. These are indicative assessments derived from public sources, carry no badge, and are not certifications. A property can engage with us at any time to obtain a verified, certified score.

The tiers differ in how thoroughly the likelihood has been verified, and the distinction is material:

Where we describe Sleep Grade as "verified," we mean verification as defined by the applicable tier.

• Bronze is based on a property's own self-assessment and/or public information. It is self-declared and not independently verified by Sleep Grade — a starting benchmark, not confirmed fact. Available for the entire property.
• Silver requires supporting evidence, reviewed by Sleep Grade, and reflects an independently checked assessment. Available for the entire property. Highest certification a property can get.
• Gold adds continuous environmental monitoring, so conditions are verified on an ongoing basis rather than at a single moment. Available for individual rooms.

Except where continuous monitoring applies (Gold), a score reflects a property's condition at the time of assessment. Conditions change; a score is a snapshot, not a permanent warranty.

Our framework also reflects the current state of sleep research, which continues to evolve, and we revise our methodology as the evidence does.

Our dimensions and thresholds are informed by published, publicly available research, including among others:

These works are cited because they are published and publicly available. Their authors and institutions are not affiliated with Sleep Grade and do not endorse Sleep Grade, its methodology, or any certified property. Our interpretation and application of this research is our own; any errors of application are ours, not the original authors'.

• Tamaki, M., et al. (2016), "Night Watch in One Brain Hemisphere during Sleep," Current Biology — the first-night effect.
• Robbins, R., et al. (2021), "Examining key hotel attributes for guest sleep and overall satisfaction," Tourism and Hospitality Research.
• Caddick, Z.A., et al. (2018), "A review of the environmental parameters necessary for an optimal sleep environment," Building and Environment.
• Chang, et al. (2025), "Sounds of Serenity," International Journal of Tourism Research.
• Mao, Z., et al. (2018); Chen, H.S., et al. (2018) — hotel-room sleep factors and business-traveler sleep.
• Field studies on bedroom CO₂, PM2.5, temperature, and noise in Sleep Health (National Sleep Foundation, 2023) and Building and Environment (2024).
• Anderson, C. (Cornell Center for Hospitality Research) — reputation and hotel performance.

Any revenue, pricing, occupancy, RevPAR, or premium figures shown anywhere on this site are illustrative and drawn from third-party industry research about the hospitality sector generally — describing observed relationships between sleep, reputation, and revenue in published studies. They are not a prediction, promise, or guarantee of results for any specific property. Outcomes vary by property, market, segment, and many other factors. Nothing here is financial advice.

Sleep Grade scores are determined by our assessment methodology alone. Commercial relationships — including certification fees paid by properties, and our data, vendor, and corporate partnerships — do not influence a property's score. We maintain this separation deliberately, because the independence of the score is the basis of its value.

Sleep Grade scores are statements of opinion and assessment based on our methodology, on information supplied by the property, and on publicly available information believed reliable at the time of assessment. They express, in our reasonable judgment, the likelihood that a property supports good sleep against our criteria. They are offered in good faith, to inform travelers and help properties improve.

A score is not a statement that a property is unsafe, unlawful, or "bad." Because scores rest partly on self-reported and third-party information, they may not capture every fact, and a property's actual conditions may differ from its score.

Any property that believes its assessment contains a factual error may request a review through our correction process via our contact form. We consider substantiated corrections in good faith and update assessments where warranted. This pathway is part of how we keep the standard fair and accurate.

Baseline assessments may incorporate publicly available information, including published guest reviews and property information. Third-party platform, brand, and property names and trademarks referenced anywhere on this site belong to their respective owners, are used for identification and commentary only, and their mention does not imply affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement.

Sleep Grade's assessments, articles, and educational content are provided for general informational purposes about the sleep environment. They are not medical advice and not a substitute for guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. If you have a sleep disorder or health concern, consult a certified clinician.

Consistent with Section 1, a Sleep Grade score reflects the likelihood that a property's and/or room's environment supports good sleep. It does not guarantee that any individual will sleep well. Sleep Grade is not responsible for an individual's sleep experience, which is shaped by personal, medical, and situational factors beyond the physical space.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Sleep Grade and its personnel are not liable for any decision made in reliance on a score, badge, article, or figure published here, whether by a traveler, a property, or a third party. Scores and content are provided "as is," without warranties of any kind, express or implied.