How Do You Sleep?

Rory MacPherson, co-founder of leading sleep-aid brand Z Lab, shares his tips for a better night’s rest

Once an interior design professional who paid little attention to rest, Rory MacPherson was prompted by an epilepsy diagnosis to begin a new professional journey, to identify what aids genuinely restorative sleep. He found that considerations for meaningfully improving sleep need to go beyond our bedtime environment, to the way we spend each day. As a ‘sleep studio’, today Z Lab designs sleep masks, earplugs, scents and blue-light-filtering glasses, made with carefully sourced, quality materials that are sustainable where possible. This considered, holistic approach to the many elements that contribute to quality rest and wellbeing has made Z Lab a natural partner for Raffles, resulting in a bespoke sleep mask thoughtfully designed with Raffles guests in mind.

How did you sleep last night?

Honestly? Not particularly well! I was in China for nine nights and flew back to my home in Cape Town. I tried not to sleep in the daytime, and I managed to stay awake until about 8.30pm… but I woke up at about 3.30am. So I didn't sleep brilliantly, but it was an unusual night. Sleep is important to me from a health perspective, so I take that into account when I plan routes and try to make the night flight as long as possible.

What does a good night's sleep mean to you?

When I was younger, sleep meant nothing to me – I was a designer and I’d sleep in the car, sleep in the office. About 12 years ago I developed epilepsy and started having seizures, and sleep deprivation was one of the triggers. That’s how I got into sleep aids, and it led to me changing my profession. I am on medication and have been seizure-free for six years, but when I am tired it still makes me anxious. If I have slept well, I feel like I can do anything – I am good at work and with my family, and full of beans. So good sleep is everything. I’ve set up my life, as best I can, to sleep well.

What keeps you up at night?

Animals can be noisy here in South Africa; we hear baboons at night. My wife keeps chickens and we had a rooster, but he was crowing at all times of the day and night, so we rehomed him. Then our next-door neighbour bought herself a rooster! So I use our Z Lab earplugs at night.

Good sleep is everything. I’ve set up my life, as best I can, to sleep well

Any tips on getting a good night’s sleep?

Break it down into what you can control: a consistent bedtime, exposure to natural light and limiting screens before bed, reducing your caffeine intake. The things you can’t control are factors like outside noise, or needing to wake to care for young children.

How does light improve, or disrupt, sleep?

Light control is vital. I think we [societally] made a big mistake by putting LEDs everywhere. Changing home lighting can make a massive difference. I put in full-spectrum lighting and low blue light [at my home]. A blackout environment is helpful, which is also why we developed the Z Lab sleep mask. The fact it doesn't touch the eyes makes it super comfortable. Creating complete blackness is important for melatonin release. If you do wake up in the night, the blackness [from a mask or blackout blind] helps to signal to your body that it's still ‘sleeping time’. I would struggle without mine. In the daytime, I recommend building in chances to experience natural light, such as stepping outside in the early morning and early evening. If you can, step away from a desk to briefly experience natural light at short intervals throughout the day.

What are the benefits of the Raffles x Z Lab sleep mask?

It’s an example of our key design features in a sleep mask, which took a long time to get right. The material is primarily Lyocell, which is a beautiful, sustainable material made from plant fibre. It's super-soft and hypoallergenic. We also blend that with cotton for breathability, as cotton is cooling and temperature-regulating. The shape is what’s really important, with a nose-piece that is adjustable, as that’s where light could seep in otherwise. The mask creates a blackout effect of total darkness for any face. The shape, materiality and weight all just feel so reassuring. Like a face hug!

The biggest misconception about sleep?

There's a distinction between sedation and natural sleep that we don’t always notice.

The truth is that not all sleep is equal. Getting eight hours’ sleep after you take a sleeping tablet is different to having fallen asleep naturally and woken up naturally, feeling rested.

Once an interior design professional who paid little attention to rest, Rory MacPherson was prompted by an epilepsy diagnosis to begin a new professional journey, to identify what aids genuinely restorative sleep.

Discover the Raffles x Z Lab sleep mask

Once an interior design professional who paid little attention to rest, Rory MacPherson was prompted by an epilepsy diagnosis to begin a new professional journey, to identify what aids genuinely restorative sleep.