What is sleepmaxxing?

If you regularly scroll through social media, chances are you’ve heard of “sleepmaxxing”. It’s a new wellness trend that’s said to be excellent at enhancing sleep quality (and quantity).

Among other benefits, it’s meant to boost your health and even longevity.

But – as with all social media health trends – we need to proceed with caution.

What does sleepmaxxing entail?

Basically, it’s an everything-including-the-kitchen-sink type of “health hack”. Sleepmaxxing is about creating an extensive and involved bedtime routine. People who sleepmaxx will typically use blackout curtains, weighted blankets, nasal strips, sleep trackers, dietary supplements and other sleep aids, all for the purpose of getting the best sleep ever.

So, it’s like taking every sleep trick you know, from rainforest sounds or white noise to heavy, light-blocking curtains, and incorporating these into your nighttime wind-down schedule to sleep better.

Does it work?

First – the importance of sleep cannot be overstated. Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night to maintain good health and wellbeing. When our sleep suffers, so does our health.

Sleepmaxxing is about ramping up the basics of good sleep hygiene to what can quickly become obsessive and overly complicated levels. It is possible to get so caught up in creating the perfect sleep routine, that you conversely end up with more stress and anxiety.

Other things to consider with social media trends are unsafe or unproven claims. For example, a so-called social media health expert may suggest mouth taping to help with snoring, but this can be harmful for those with sleep apnoea or certain breathing disorders. It’s important to keep this in mind when taking advice from social media trends; many viral tricks and hacks are untested and can interfere with your natural sleep rhythms.

Also to remember: your age, health condition, genetics, and the medication you may be taking for a chronic health problem, can all affect how your body reacts to sleepmaxxing techniques. What works for one person may not work for another.

Better sleep hygiene matters

What you should focus on is establishing a winning sleep routine that will work for the long term. Be consistent. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which improves sleep quality. On the flipside, erratic sleep schedules are linked to poor metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes and may affect your cognition.

Sleep hygiene basics are effective. Simple strategies like keeping your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet, limiting caffeine and nicotine late in the day, reducing screen time before bed, establishing a relaxing wind-down routine, and exercising regularly (but not too close to bedtime) can all improve sleep.

Good to know

Some people have great success with sleepmaxxing and find that the practice improves their memory, mood, and overall wellbeing. It’s certainly worth a try, but your health would be better served in the long run by focusing on creating consistent sleep routines.

Also, don’t forget that good nutrition and regular exercise are vital cogs in the good sleep machine.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only. Always check with your doctor or medical practitioner about any health concerns, before embarking on any fitness or nutrition programme, or using any medication.