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Wearing red light glasses, eating two kiwi fruit, taking supplements, inserting a nostril dilator, and making sure the room was completely dark before heading to the bed?
Forget about the simple bedtime routine of brushing your teeth, washing your face and wearing your pyjamas. Currently, people looking for the perfect sleep routine are adding steps that include supplements, specific foods, specific apps, other devices, and layered beauty routines.
For some, these practices are part of a regimen called “SleepMaxxing,” a collection of activities, products, or “hacking” that are used simultaneously to optimize the quality and quantity of sleep. said Anita Shelgikar, director of sleep medicine fellowship and clinical professor at Ann Arbor, clinical professor of neurology at the University of Michigan.
The origin of SleepMaxxing is not due to a single source, but it is popular among Tiktok users who are trying to improve their sleep. The video tagged “#sleepmaxxing” has accumulated hundreds of thousands of views.
“In the past, sleep was thought to be unimportant,” said Dr. Jag Sanderum, a medical professor at Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. People will say, “Oh, I have very little sleep and I need to function and do a lot of things, so I’ll get away with it.” ”
“I think there’s a tendency to understand that sleep is really important in reality, sleep is important and that it’s actually good to focus on sleep,” Sunderram added.
However, some of the tips and tricks involved in Sleepmaxxing can be suspicious at best and harmful at worst. This is what experts say you should be wary and what actually works.
Many of the practices contained in Sleepmaxxing focus on basic habits that experts have long advertised as the Holy Grail for sleep health. These proven tactics include sleeping in a cool, dark, quiet room. Limit screen time and exposure to bright light before bed. Do not drink alcohol or caffeine in the next few hours before going to bed. And they have regular bedtime and wake times, experts said.
Cold temperatures – 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6-19.4 degrees Celsius) encourage the natural cooldown your body does to prepare you for sleep, experts said.
Blue light from screens and other sources can maintain brain awakening and interfere with the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone. And alcohol can cause restless sleep all night long.
Having regular bedtime can help make it easier for your body to fall asleep whenever your eyes are closed, experts said.
Many SleepMaxxers can help you monitor various factors that support or harm your rest, and many SleepMaxxers turn to sleep tracking apps, experts said. However, users should be careful not to constantly check the app and not to get carried away with the feedback negatively affecting your perspective on your future sleep before it happens, said Dr. Rafael Perayo, clinical professor in Stanford University’s Department of Sleep Medicine.
Sunderram also doubts whether some apps are accurate enough to reflect what is really happening during your sleep.
Some people are also fans of weighted blankets, and there is some evidence to support their use to improve sleep and feel more restful while waking up, experts said.
According to Perayo, the weighted blankets are a relief for those who like to feel cocooned while they are asleep. That pressure can even lead the body to secrete a little extra oxytocin. Feeling relaxed can reduce the stress hormone cortisol and block sleep.
While red light exposure is another staple of some sleep disorder routines, only a few studies have found a link between improved sleep and serum melatonin levels. Others have discovered that red light is still awake during sleep, and compared to blue light, light that suppresses melatonin is more likely to be confused with improved sleep, experts told CNN in a previous story.
Intake of supplements is also common in sleep disorders, especially using melatonin and magnesium. However, for most people it is not necessary and can conceal sleep disorders that require specialist assessment to alleviate the problems of taking these supplements consistently and falling asleep, experts said.
Additionally, “Using magnesium supplements can worsen some medical conditions,” Shelgikar said.
Another thing Sleepmaxxers is consuming is one or two kiwis before bed. “Kiwi has antioxidants and serotonin precursors, and some studies have suggested that they may support sleep,” Shergikal said.
Some Sleepmaxxers turned to mouth taping towards mouth taping, stopping mouth breathing. This is related to snoring, thirst, dry mouth, bad breath, periodontal disease and inobstruction, and the inability to align the upper and lower teeth.
However, experts have criticized the tiktok trends as dangerous, especially for people with obstructive sleep apnea, which is a complete or partial disruption of the airway. Mouth taping can also cause damage to the soft tissue.
Sleepmaxxers also use several nostril dilators, which could be useful for those who are suffering from chronic nose congestion and snoring, Sunderram said.
But “If you feel that nasal breathing is affecting your sleep, they should talk to a medical professional,” Shergikal said in an email.
Some of the SleepMaxxing fanfare has something to do with it being more of a good look than a good night’s sleep. Some tictalkers apply a multi-layered beauty routine to their face and hair before going to bed, and when they wake up, they take a photograph of the “morning shed” of all their products.
“Different people will discover that different widedown approaches are beneficial,” Shelgikar said in an email. “The key is to have a consistent routine and a consistent sleep awake schedule, as these approaches help you get a comfortable sleep.”
“Sleepmaxxing can backfire if you turn what needs to be a repair process into a high-pressure chore,” says Shelgikar. “For some individuals, overnight sleep optimization and over-attention to sleep patterns can lead to increased stress over time and worsen sleep.”
Some people may even develop Ortsonnia, an unhealthy obsession with achieving full sleep.
If you are consistently practicing proper sleep health habits but still struggling to get the right amount or quality of sleep, talk to a sleep expert who can help treat your problem, the expert said.
