Does sleepmaxxing actually work? What experts say about TikTok wellness trend

Experts weigh in on the Tiktok wellness trend 'sleepmaxxing.' (Pixabay/Pexels)

A new TikTok wellness trend dubbed ‘sleepmaxxing’ has taken the internet by storm, listing methods to optimize sleep quality and quantity.

Decoding the practices that can help optimize sleep quality as people prepare for the clock change this year, these tips and tricks are believed to help people get more restorative sleep.

What is ‘sleepmaxxing’?

Tiktok trends are touting various ways that can help with better sleep, including practices like taping your mouth shut while sleeping, using white noise machines, taking magnesium and melatonin supplements, using weighted blankets, making your room dark and cool before sleeping and eliminating caffeine from your diet.

Experts are raising concerns about these trends, saying although they are not likely to be harmful, they are not all backed by science either.

Sleepmaxxing is part of a broader trend of optimizing fitness and health, similar to wearing fitness bands, Dr. David Greenberg, a General Practitioner from Toronto told CTV News on Friday.

What do experts have to say about the trend?

Dr. Wendy Hall, a nursing professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia, who specializes in sleep hygiene, warns against using a supplement like melatonin, especially in Canada.

“Melatonin isn’t a regulated substance. It’s considered to be a food supplement,” Hall told CTV News Friday.

“When you buy a bottle of capsules, you might be thinking you’re getting five milligrams, which is considered to be the safe range for adults, but you could be getting anywhere from zero to 389 milligrams in a capsule.”

Practices like mouth-taping that are becoming common among social media influencers could have the opposite effect and cause breathing problems, sleep apnea, skin irritation or aspiration of vomit or reflux, Hall added.

Meanwhile, Greenberg emphasizes that simpler methods like maintaining a consistent sleep schedule are effective for most people.

“There are much simpler and more straightforward ways to just optimize their sleep to a degree that would be enough to optimize their health,” he said.

“The problem with a lot of these things is that they’re not sustainable.”

Citing a recent Leger survey that found more than 50 per cent of Canadians struggle with sleep, Greenberg highlights the importance of prioritizing sleep, staying fit and creating a sleep-conducive environment.

What works?

Hall and Greenberg both say practices like having a routine, getting 30 minutes of sunlight, exercising and avoiding screens before bedtime help improve sleep quality.

They say the focus should be on making healthy and nutritious choices throughout the day to be able to maximize the impact of these practices on sleep quality.

“It’s important to pay attention to your sleep and to try and get in the range of the sleep that’s recommended for adults, which is seven to eight hours,” Hall said.

“But watching your sleep tracking devices and worrying about every little thing on them is not beneficial for good quality sleep.”

Greenberg contends that bedrooms should be reclaimed as a sleep-only space to help the brain associate it with resting by keeping electronics like televisions and phones away from it.

How does daylight saving time affect sleep?

According to a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health publication, the change in clocks means disruptions in sleep patterns.

“Moving the clocks forward in the spring results in going to sleep and waking up before our internal clocks are ready for us to,” the release states.

This misalignment lasts for the duration of the daylight-saving time and can reduce the amount of sleep, leading to adverse health effects.

“When you’re talking about the clock changing, you’re looking at six weeks worth of time change in one night,” Greenberg says.

Hall recommends sticking to normal routines and trying to adjust to earlier bedtimes so that the effects of the disruption caused by losing an hour are dulled.

What is sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene is a term used to describe practices prescribed by sleep experts that has plenty of research backing its value to optimize quality of sleep, according to Harvard Medical School.

Decreasing caffeine and alcohol, increasing physical activity, setting a routine for sleep timings, reducing evening light exposure, and limiting daytime naps are some of the components included in sleep hygiene.

How important is getting sufficient sleep?

According to the Canadian Sleep Society, insufficient sleep duration is recognized as a public health issue in the country.

Health problems like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression, cognitive disorders, and accidents and injuries are all listed as potential fallouts of not having sufficient sleep.