A rhythmanalysis of touristic sleep in nature

• Acknowledging rhythms to capture the specificity of nature holidays.
• Instead of reducing their influence the novelty of seasons should be seen.
• Examination of disengagement from the everyday rush and timetables.
• The slow tempo of nature should be contrasted to hectic every-day life.
• ‘Being’ highlighted in analysis of nature holiday practices.

This ethnographic research sets out to investigate the specific features of nature holidays from the perspective of rhythms by focusing on the various ways of practising sleep in nature. Concentration on sleep-related practices enables the discussion of nature-based tourism from a more balanced perspective than that allowed by the analysis of the holiday activities tourists engage in while awake. The rhythmanalytical examination of the sleep practices in Finnish Lapland enriches the debate on seasonality as it enables us to draw attention to the specific features of different seasons in relation to sleep. It also advances the existing research on the body, practice and performativity by emphasizing the way being and stillness are performed within the practice of sleep.