Sleepmaxxing Is A Viral Trend, But Not All Its Hot Tips Actually Work
Skip the supplements; stick to a routine.
If you’ve searched anything about sleep on social media — or even if you haven’t — you may have come across the term sleepmaxxing. It’s a growing trend referring to different hacks and tips to maximize the quality of your sleep. Watch a few videos and you’ll notice it’s mostly being discussed by influencers (not sleep doctors), and they seem to recommend a lot of things you have to buy: mouth tape, weighted blankets, red light therapy devices, supplements, and more. So, which sleepmaxxing hacks work and which ones don’t? We asked a sleep specialist to find out.
Some of what you see recommended in sleepmaxxing videos, like sleeping in a cool dark room and avoiding screens before bed, are based in actual sleep science. Many are not. And if you’re someone who genuinely needs help improving their sleep so you can feel well-rested, knowing the difference really matters, says Dr. Ariel Neikrug, clinical psychologist and sleep medicine specialist from UC Irvine School of Medicine. One good rule of thumb: It’s lifestyle changes that’ll make the biggest difference, not the products you can buy.
“Despite the popularity of sleep products, behavioral modifications remain the most effective and accessible way to improve sleep,” says Neikrug.
Social media likes to make us feel like we have to optimize everything about our lives. Here’s how to tell if your sleep even needs improving, according to Neikrug:
- You wake up feeling unrefreshed.
- You experience excessive daytime sleepiness.
- You regularly struggle to fall or stay asleep at night.
Sleepmaxxing Hacks That Work
The three most important steps you can take to improve your sleep, according to Neikrug, are these:
- Prioritizing sleep so you can get the hours of rest you need.
- Maintaining a set wake time each day.
- Getting at least 30 minutes of bright light exposure in the morning. “Exposure to natural sunlight or a 10,000-lux bright light device within 30 minutes of waking strengthens circadian alignment, enhances alertness, and promotes better sleep at night,” he explains.
If you’ve got these three things on lock, what else can you try? Neikrug says regular exercise has been proven to improve sleep quality. Same goes for sleeping in a cool, dark room, reducing noise, and using blackout curtains to minimize light.
You could also try following the 10-3-2-1 rule, which is a handy way of remembering when to stop drinking caffeine for the day, put away screens, and cut off alcohol and big meals. “Limiting caffeine in the late afternoon and evening prevents disruptions to sleep onset. Following a consistent meal schedule and avoiding large meals close to bedtime can help regulate metabolism and prevent nighttime discomfort. Reducing alcohol consumption before bed is also essential, as alcohol, despite its sedative properties, leads to fragmented and poor quality sleep,” Neikrug says.
A soothing wind-down routine is also a big help in signaling to your body that it’s time for sleep. “A 60-minute wind-down period is a practical guideline, allowing time for relaxation and disengagement from daily stressors. Activities such as taking a warm shower or bath, engaging in personal hygiene, stretching, reading, or listening to calming music can facilitate the transition to sleep,” Neikrug says. “The key is to gradually reduce stimulation, including limiting exposure to work, social media, or other mentally engaging activities.”
How effective your wind-down routine is depends less on how long it lasts, and more about how relaxing it is and how consistently you do it, he says. So, pick an amount of time and activities you’ll be able to, and want, to repeat every evening.
Sleepmaxxing Hacks That Don’t Work
Most things you have to buy a product to do — think weighted blankets and sunset simulators — don’t have as much scientific proof backing up their effectiveness, Neikrug says. Even well-known sleep supplements like melatonin and magnesium are short on evidence they work for most people. Some sleepmaxxing hacks might even be dangerous.
“Mouth taping, for example, is often promoted as a way to improve nasal breathing, which could be beneficial for some individuals, but it also carries risks, particularly for those with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea or nasal congestion. Similarly, weighted blankets may provide a sense of comfort and relaxation, but their impact on sleep quality remains largely subjective and has not been well established in clinical trials.”
While he concedes that supplements, weighted blankets, or mouth tape might work wonders for some people, they’re not a replacement for making the evidence-based lifestyle changes to support good sleep.
“The effectiveness of sleep products such as supplements, mouth tape, or weighted blankets should be considered in context. Most people can improve their sleep without relying on supplements. Similarly, weighted blankets and mouth taping may provide subjective comfort but have not been proven to address core sleep issues in most cases. Ultimately, behavioral consistency, not external products, is the foundation of long-term sleep health,” says Neikrug.
There are some things that might be disturbing your sleep, like restless legs or snoring with breathing pauses, that even the most soothing nighttime routine can’t fix. “In cases of chronic insomnia, sleep apnea, or restless legs syndrome, behavioral changes alone may not be sufficient. Medical or therapeutic intervention can provide substantial benefits for long-term sleep health,” Neikrug says.
So, don’t feel like you have to buy everything your favorite influencer recommends in order to sleep well. Try some behavioral changes, and don’t hesitate to reach out to a sleep specialist in your area if your sleep quality still sucks. You deserve to catch all the Zs you need.
