So which bedtime tips should you take, and which should be put to rest? Below, a sleep expert and mental health expert unpack all the hype surrounding sleepmaxxing:
What is sleepmaxxing—and who is creating all the buZZZ?
Sleepmaxxing is trending among women—many of whom are eager to share how they mastered the art of sleep. TikTok creator Mayte Myers, for example, popularized the “morning shed” concept, in which she dramatically removes her satin sleep bonnet, overnight face mask, mouth tape, and jaw mask to show her dedication to beauty sleep. But men are also a big part of this digital conversation. One college-age creator, who goes by the handle @shinyyy2.0, explained how to “sleep like a D1 athlete” with blue light glasses, nasal strips, mouth tape, and 100% organic cotton sheets. His goal? “Optimal recovery and performance.”
This current sleep craze reflects a greater emphasis on sleep’s importance to one’s health, and is partially due to all the widely available sleep-tracking technology. The fad joins the ranks of other cosmetic and health habits taken to the max, including “healmaxxing,” “sunmaxxing,” and “beautymaxxing.”
Like many TikTok sensations, however, much of the advice does not come from actual medical professionals but from influencers (or more like “sleepfluencers”), some of whom are filming their bedtime routine from their dorm rooms.
Is maximizing your sleep a good thing?
There are elements of sleepmaxxing that are valuable, such as tried-and-true lifestyle advice. For example, keeping a regular sleep and eating schedule has proven to have benefits for your metabolism, immune system, and overall health, says Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and medical director of Sleep Medicine at Millennium Physician Group in Fort Myers, Florida.
A steady wind-down routine can help you stick to a regular wake-up time and get more quality sleep, which has mental health benefits. “Sleepmaxxing strategies—like minimizing the use of your phone and curating a relaxing meditation practice before bed—can help to support a balanced mood, a realistic worldview, and strong emotional regulation skills,” says Lauren Farina, LCSW, licensed psychotherapist and performance coach based in Chicago.
In addition, there are all kinds of breathing tips out there, but the main gist is that deep, mindful breathing can take stress down a peg so you can drift off. A popular technique you may want to try is “box breathing,” a calming technique elite U.S. Navy SEALs use. “Just three minutes of breathwork in the evening before bed can help the body achieve a state of relaxation necessary for quality sleep,” says Farina.
Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg approves of patients analyzing data from their smartwatches or fitness trackers to work on improving their sleep duration and quality. However, while trackers mostly monitor movement, oxygen levels, and breathing patterns, they don’t tell the entire story regarding sleep—and cannot be trusted for 100 percent accuracy, Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg says.
Like any wellness trend, sleepmaxxing can go too far in the wrong direction. It could very well lead to “orthosomnia,” an unhealthy obsession with getting perfect sleep; being hyper-fixated on clocking eight hours can lead to anxious or compulsive behavior like constantly tracking your sleep and punishing yourself when you fall short. This can be especially true of people who are perhaps too invested in their sleep tracker. “That can act as a stressor on the nervous system and therefore backfire on our efforts to support healthy sleep,” Farina adds.
Which trends deserve a pause before diving in?
TikTok might inspire you to better prioritize sleep hygiene but take some popularized tips with a grain of salt. For example:
- Magnesium supplements or mocktails: There is mixed research on the effectiveness of magnesium. Be sure to first check in with your doctor to find the correct dose and type of magnesium for you.
- Mouth tape: Taping your mouth doesn’t have significant proven benefits for snoring or breathing better if you tend to get congested (let alone doing anything to improve your jawline), says Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg. Dentists and medical experts note that it’s not for everyone and benefits vary.
- Going on a shopping spree: Sorry to disappoint, but there may not be “the perfect” pillow for superior rest. Many patients ask Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg for the ideal pillow, mattress, or sheets, but there’s no data suggesting one magical pillowcase can help you age in reverse or sleep like a baby. Instead, Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg advises curating a sleep routine with all the cozy items that are most comfortable for you.
As long as you follow expert-recommended sleep advice, you can sleepmaxx to your heart’s content. Bottom line: Sleepmaxxing strategies should be more like guidelines, not rigid rules. Everyone’s body and sleep habits are different. So turn on your sleep tracker and see what happens, but rather than obsessively scoring hours of sleep, the key is to evaluate how rested you feel on average, advises Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg. That’s the true test of a sleepmaxxer.
