Is sleepmaxxing the key to a good night’s sleep? Decoding TikTok’s latest trend and pitfalls

However, before you turn your bedroom into a lab or pile on ten different products before bed, experts are raising eyebrows about some of the sleep hacks floating around online. They question whether these trendy techniques really improve sleep — or if they could be doing more harm than good.

What is sleepmaxxing?

Sleepmaxxing refers to the practice of optimising sleep as much as possible, by focusing on both the quality and quality. It involves various techniques, routines, and gadgets aimed at achieving more restful, deeper, and prolonged sleep. You might modify your lifestyle, follow strict sleep schedules, incorporate calming pre-sleep rituals like meditation or herbal teas, or use sleep-enhancing apps.

So, why is this trend gaining momentum? Grace Fabrizia Graziani, Specialist Family Medicine, Aster Royal Clinic, Arabian Ranches, notes that sleepmaxxing has surged in popularity on TikTok as part of a broader wellness movement. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are becoming increasingly aware of the significance of self-care and mental health, which explains the constant stream of sleep tips shared by influencers and content creators. “This trend has brought much-needed attention to the role of sleep in overall health and well-being. Unlike previous generations, who often viewed sleep as a waste of time, today’s focus reflects a shift towards self-care, balance, and long-term health,” she explains. The Covid-19 pandemic also played a crucial role in prompting individuals to reassess their health priorities, placing greater emphasis on quality sleep as a vital component of overall well-being.

Claudia Joseph, a sleep specialist based in Dubai, describes sleepmaxxing as an overarching trend made up of several micro-movements. “People are increasingly adopting strict sleep hygiene routines that may include dimming lights, limiting screen time, and avoiding caffeine to enhance sleep quality. Others advocate for weighted blankets to promote restful sleep, while many use smart devices like sleep trackers, noise machines, or light therapy lamps to optimise their sleep environment.”

The benefits of sleepmaxxing

Essentially, anything that aims to optimise your sleep and promote better rest is usually beneficial for your well-being. As the specialists explain, we need that 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. It helps in regulating our moods and emotions, as well as furnishing our cognitive functions. You have better physical health, and it reduces the risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity. Moreover, your productivity and energy levels are much improved during the day.

Prioritising sleep through sleepmaxxing can have a significant positive impact on daily routines and work-life balance. Like a balanced diet and regular physical activity, quality sleep is a cornerstone of holistic health. By focusing on sleep, people can experience improvements in attention, memory, mood, and stress levels in the short term, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases in the long term...

- Grace Fabrizia Graziani, Specialist Family Medicine, Aster Royal Clinic, Arabian Ranches

Graziani explains, “Prioritising sleep through sleepmaxxing can have a significant positive impact on daily routines and work-life balance. Like a balanced diet and regular physical activity, quality sleep is a cornerstone of holistic health. By focusing on sleep, people can experience improvements in attention, memory, mood, and stress levels in the short term, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases in the long term. For example, sleep deprivation is a cardiovascular risk factor. By valuing rest, sleepmaxxing encourages a healthier, more balanced lifestyle that supports both personal well-being and professional productivity.”

The downsides to sleepmaxxing

Sleepmaxxing is beneficial, but there are significant risks if it is taken to extremes and misunderstood. Much of the information circulating on platforms like TikTok is unverified, with non-experts sharing practices that could harm rather than help.

Graziani explains, “Popular techniques like mouth taping, nostril expanders, and high-dose melatonin supplements can actually be hazardous for health. For instance, mouth taping can be dangerous for people with undiagnosed sleep apnea, and excessive melatonin use can lead to side effects, such as headaches and daytime drowsiness.” She also adds that the commercial nature of sleepmaxxing also risks creating a reliance on products that may not be necessary or safe, potentially overshadowing the importance of holistic approaches to sleep health.

Additionally, many claims lack sufficient evidence. For instance, magnesium is an important ingredient in the viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail and a popular supplement. A 2023 review titled The Role of Magnesium in Sleep Health, available on the National Library of Medicine suggested there could be a link between sleep quality and magnesium intake and supplementation. However, you need to exercise caution when taking it, as it can interact with certain medications. In fact, an excessive dose of magnesium can upset the GI tract.

In addition, another growing concern is the hyperfocus on perfect sleep — what experts now call orthosomnia.

The hyperfocus on sleep: Orthosomnia

What if you're constantly worried about not getting enough sleep? This anxiety can manifest as orthosomnia—a condition where people obsess over their sleep data, ironically making their sleep worse.

Dubai-based Payal Chaturvedi, a homemmaker recalls how she chased after the ‘perfect’ sleep, and it left her more exhausted than before. “I wasn’t sleeping well, so I bought sleep trackers and tried every hack. But soon, I found myself constantly anxious, checking if I got enough REM sleep,” she shares. Eventually, she let go of the devices and focused on simple relaxation techniques like meditation before bed.

As Chaturvedi’s story reflects, the pursuit of ‘perfect’ sleep, can pave the way to a condition called orthosomnia. The term was coined by US researchers in a 2017 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, which showed that, ironically, worrying about over your nightly sleep data can worsen insomnia, or add a new host of problems to your lifestyle. The researchers assessed how some people spent excessive time in bed trying to perfect their score, while others experienced anxiety about not achieving a good enough sleep performance.

“This obsessive tracking of sleep data, constant worrying about sleep quality and a fixation of sleepmaxxing practices can backfire. The pursuit of perfect sleep becomes a source of stress and anxiety,” adds Graziani. The preoccupation with getting an ideal rest can disturb your sleep, particularly in individuals with insomnia. The fear of not achieving enough sleep can create a negative feedback loop, worsening sleep quality. It usually develops when a person becomes overly focused on the data provided by sleep trackers, often ignoring how they feel upon waking.

“For instance, someone might wake up feeling well-rested but become concerned after seeing that their sleep app gave them a low score due to fewer minutes spent in REM sleep. The anxiety of not meeting these perceived sleep standards can lead to behaviours that worsen sleep quality—like spending extra time in bed trying to force sleep or frequently checking sleep data,” adds Joseph.

In some cases, people may begin trying multiple ‘hacks’ to improve their sleep score, such as adjusting their sleep environment, diet, or using supplements like melatonin. While sleep hygiene improvements are generally positive, the intense focus on monitoring and improving sleep can make sleep feel like a performance rather than a natural process, adds Joseph.

The pressure of sleep-tracking devices

Moreover, Joseph adds that when it comes to sleep devices, they can be less accurate for those with sleep apnea and insomnia.

Technology plays a central role in the sleepmaxxing trend, with wearables and sleep-tracking devices gaining popularity, she says. “While these products can offer valuable insights into sleep patterns, they often come with a commercial push that encourages people to invest in expensive gadgets instead of focusing on simple and effective sleep hygiene practices,” adds Graziani. “It's important to remember that most of these devices are not diagnostic tools and should never replace professional medical advice. They can serve as useful aids in understanding sleep habits but should always be viewed as a supplement to, not a substitute for, guidance from healthcare professionals.”

So, if you are really determined to get a good night sleep in, you need to first understand what’s stopping you, explains Diya Mallik, a Dubai-based sleep specialist and family physician. “Ask yourself the questions, why are you sleep deprived? Why can’t you fall asleep in the first place? Do you get sleep during the day, but still feel tired? When you finally understand, you seek help.”

As Joseph adds, there’s no such thing as a perfect sleep. You don’t have a magical recipe to a good night’s rest and the frantic tracking of data, just generates stress. You need to understand how you feel. “If you want to observe your patterns, track for a week, rather than panicking over individual nights. You need to see if you are well-rested for at least four nights a week.”

Ultimately, sleep is a natural, instinctive process that doesn't always need to be measured or optimised. By letting go of the need for perfection and focusing on relaxation and consistency, we can achieve better, more restful sleep.