Swiss stone pine: Does the miracle sleeping aid really work and how sustainable is it?

Finally, a really deep and relaxing full night’s sleep. When was the last time? The nightly relaxation phase is very important for our body, health, and well-being. Swiss stone pine can actually help with this. We took a closer look at the beneficial properties of Swiss stone pine and the studies on sleep health. Furthermore, we discuss the topic of sustainability and tell you the best (sustainable) addresses where you can spend the night in a room made of pine wood and breathe in fresh mountain air.

Swiss stone pine – The wonder pine of the Alps

The stone pine is a coniferous tree of the Alps up to 25 meters high. It can be found at an altitude of up to 2,850 meters above sea level. Thus, the Swiss stone pine often forms the tree line, meaning no other trees grow in higher regions. Swiss stone pines can live up to 1,000 years and can withstand temperatures as low as -40°C.

Thanks to sustainable forestry practices in the Alpine region, the Swiss stone pine is not in danger of extinction. On the contrary, the number of Swiss stone pine forests in Austria is actually increasing. The soft and light wood is very popular for making furniture. What makes it special, however, is its pleasant woody scent. The essential oils in Swiss stone pine remain in the wood for decades – even after 80 to 100 years, Swiss stone pine parlors in Tyrolean farmhouses still smell of the wood.

Swiss stone pine often forms the tree line.

Does Swiss stone pine really improve sleep? In-between folk medicine and science

Swiss stone pine has a long tradition in folk medicine. Its resin has been used to make oils, ointments, and tinctures that are said to have soothing and disinfecting properties. The “active ingredient” is most likely the essential oil, which contains pinenes and phellandrene. During the flu season, the oil is said to improve breathing.

Sleep study: Swiss stone pine vs. pressboard

Scientifically, there have only been attempts to prove the health benefits. For example, a small study with 30 participants was conducted in 2003. The study examined the effect on the sleep quality of healthy adults. Over a period of four weeks, the participants in the blind study slept in rooms containing decorative wood and rooms containing pine wood. The result showed a “significant difference” (both in the ECG evaluation and in the personal interview).

• In the pine rooms, participants had a calmer heart rate and a longer deep sleep phase.
• Participants slept best in beds made of Swiss stone pine, followed by their bed at home and finally the bedroom made of decorative wood.

However due to the small scale of the study, the results should be taken with caution.

Is Swiss pine wood sustainable?

Generally, wood is a renewable and natural material that (without plastic varnishes and adhesives) completely decomposes and thus returns to the cycle. However, not all wood is sustainable. In order to obtain tropical wood, rain forests are cut down – with disastrous consequences for the climate and biodiversity. European wood is also criticized because it often comes from Romania, where Greenpeace and other environmental organizations say one of Europe’s last virgin forests is being illegally logged.

So what about the Swiss stone pine? Swiss stone pines grow in the European Alps at altitudes ranging from 1,500 to 2,850 meters above sea level. There are Swiss stone pine forests in:

• Austria
• Italy (only in South Tyrol )
• Swiss (Here the Swiss stone pine is referred to as Arve.)
• Germany (Berchtesgadener Alps)
• France (French Central Alps)

PEFC and FSC label for sustainable Wood

In almost all of these countries, the state- owend forest is fully certified with the European PEFC label for sustainable forest management. Private forests also carry the PEFC label in the vast majority of cases, and in some cases the FSC label as well.

The German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) has criticized the PEFC label for not being meaningful enough. The control procedures are too weak, and, the seal allows for the use of pesticides. Instead, NABU and Greenpeace recommend the FSC label as the only credible seal of approval for sustainable forest management.

When you buy wood in a store or at a home improvement center, look for the FSC label. This guarantees that the wood was not illegally harvested from virgin forests, but comes from a well-managed forest that is committed to conservation and reforestation.

The Swiss stone pine is not generally considered an endangered tree because it reproduces without reforestation. This is thanks to the pine jay. The bird stores the pine nuts for the winter, allowing new seedlings to grow each year.

Stone pine parlous in the Alpine region can be considered particularly sustainable because:

• The stone pine is not an endangered species.
• There is hardly any CO2 produced during the transportation.
• The pine room (Arvenstube) is a regional cultural asset. The wood is usually not treated with synthetic varnishes in order to preserve its positive characteristics (the scent).
• Swiss stone pine furniture made of solid wood is extremely durable.
• Unlike wood fiber materials, the use of adhesives is not an issue. (In particleboard, etc., the wood chips are held together by adhesives and solvents, which can release “volatile organic compounds” such as formaldehyde that are harmful to health and the environment).

Hotels and cottages with rooms made of Swiss pine wood

If you would like to experience what it feels like to sleep in a Swiss stone pine room, you can do so at the following hotels:

Biohotel Grafenast: The hotel overlooks the Tyrolean Inn Valley at 1,330 meters above sea level and is a wonderful place to enjoy nature. An entire floor is built of the special alpine pine wood.

Hotel Weihrerhof: In South Tyrol, on the Ritten, Hotel Weihrerhof is located directly at the Wolfsgruben swimming lake at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level. There are rooms made entirely of arven wood, where you can even sleep on pillows with stone pine. Pine is also used in the SeaSpa, where a pine-ball wellness treatment is offered.

Klosterhof ? Alpine Hideaway & Spa: This health-oriented hotel in Bavaria uses local woods such as larch, apple and Swiss pine throughout the interior. In the traditional style building you can book the “Zirben Junior Suite” or the “Zirben Suite” and spend the night in the soothing scent of pine – all with a view of the surrounding mountains.

Hotel Kloster?br?u: The family-run hotel in Seefeld, Austria, has just opened 24 new nature rooms (as you see in the picture). Most of the wood used comes from the hotel’s own forest. Swiss pine was used for the TV wall, wall elements, bathroom, and bed vaults. In addition, Swiss stone pine bowls can be found in the hotel rooms.

Wood benefits in the spa area

In addition to using pine in the bedroom, some of our partners are using pine to enhance the wellness experience.

At the Allg?u Hotel Das Rübezahl, the Boutique Spa features pine infrared loungers and a “pine spa”. The latter is equipped with a “body sound swinging bed” and music therapy. In addition, the hotel’s premium suites (“AlmRausch” and “RosenReich”) have private saunas made of Swiss pine. The whole experience is crowned by a panoramic view of the Alps and the royal castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.

In Switzerland, the stone pine parlor is called the “Arvenstube”. You’ll find one at the Bella Vista Biohotel in Zermatt. “The Arvenstube is located in the Alpine Spa, and there are four waterbeds in it, which leads to total relaxation,” the team reports. “Swiss stone pine lowers the resting pulse rate! The scent is soothing and invites you to linger”. For many guests, the pine room is an absolute highlight.

Beads and cubes for the indoor climate

Other of our partners use Swiss stone pine accessories. In the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allg?u you will find Swiss stone pine cubes and a Swiss stone pine heart with the “Lust auf Leben” logo in all hotel rooms. These are not just decorative elements. “The scent creates a pleasant warmth in the room,” the owners report. Many guests love them and buy them in the shop to take home. There is also a carafe of Grander water with a pine ball in the room.

Hotel Okelmann’s in Lower Saxony also uses Grander water carafes with a pine wood ball. The water, revitalized according to Johann Grander, flows through the pipes throughout the hotel, allowing you to refill your carafe over and over again. These carafes are available as souvenirs in the Okelmann’s Concept Store.

Wood for indoor climate improvement

In addition to the aforementioned hotels with Swiss stone pine, there are other partners with interesting wood concepts. At Naturresort Gerbehof on the German side of Lake Constance, all furniture is made from spruce felled in the hotel’s own forest and handcrafted on the hotel’s farm. “Our furniture is not varnished, only coated with sustainable organic wax. This allows the wood to breathe,” they tell us. It does mean that the cupboards and beds have to be waxed and adjusted more often, but that’s nature.

In the vegan hotel LA VIMEA in South Tyrol, 100 percent untreated regional larch wood was used for most of the rooms and spaces. The special feature: The wood was felled during the waning phase of the moon. “This makes it more resilient and energetic,” they say.

Taking advantage of the health benefits of Swiss stone pine while on vacation

The Alpine region is one of the few unspoiled areas left on our planet. In Tyrol, South Tyrol and Allg?u you will find large nature reserves and alpine national parks where you can enjoy nature. The quality of the air, water and forests is excellent, and fortunately there are many opportunities for sustainable tourism, of which our Green Pearls? partners are a prime example.

Scientifically, the effectiveness has not been sufficiently proven, but the personal experiences of our partners and their guests are consistent with the preliminary results that Swiss stone pine wood increases our sense of well-being.

Have you ever stayed in a Swiss stone pine room? Share your experience in the comments! We look forward to hear if you agree with our findings.