Overview
Sleepmaxxing is a rising trend on social media platforms, particularly on TikTok, where users aim to maximize their sleep quality and duration as part of a wellness routine.[1]
The practice involves various strategies to improve sleep, often inspired by influencers who claim the health benefits of prioritizing and enhancing sleep.
TikTok users share videos that showcase their sleep routines, bed setups, relaxation techniques, and sometimes even devices or products designed to improve sleep.[1]
While it may sound harmless or even beneficial, the sleepmaxxing trend has raised concerns among healthcare professionals for promoting an exaggerated focus on sleep that could lead to unhealthy behaviors or sleep disorders.
Why Is Sleepmaxxing Gaining in Popularity?
The hashtag #sleepmaxxing has garnered millions of views on TikTok, primarily driven by the platform’s young user base, who are increasingly interested in self-care and wellness routines.[2]
Many influencers advocate for lifestyle changes to improve sleep quality, such as reducing screen time before bed, using sound machines, or even employing sleep-tracking devices.[2]
Sleepmaxxing’s popularity can be attributed to the increasing awareness of sleep’s importance for mental health, immunity, and overall well-being.
In an era where burnout and mental health challenges are prevalent, especially among younger generations, sleepmaxxing appears as an appealing remedy.
TikTok’s short video format also allows visually engaging sleep routines that resonate with viewers.
Many users document their evening rituals, including meditation, dim lighting, and cozy bedroom setups, making sleepmaxxing both aesthetic and aspirational.
However, while TikTok has helped elevate the importance of sleep, this trend may inadvertently foster unrealistic expectations about sleep, potentially leading to stress and sleep disturbances.
How Sleepmaxxing Works
In theory, sleepmaxxing involves optimizing one’s sleep environment and habits to attain “perfect” sleep. Users adopt various routines to achieve this, including:
- Establishing a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Sleepmaxxers emphasize going to bed and waking up at the same time daily.
- Curating a Sleep-Inducing Environment: This includes blackout curtains, white noise machines, air purifiers, and aromatherapy.
- Diet and Supplementation: Some users follow specific dietary regimens or take supplements such as melatonin, magnesium, or CBD to promote better sleep.
- Monitoring Sleep Metrics: Influencers often use sleep-tracking apps and devices, analyzing metrics like sleep stages, REM cycles, and heart rate to assess their sleep quality and make necessary adjustments.[3]
While these practices can enhance sleep quality for some individuals, sleepmaxxing emphasizes achieving “perfect” sleep, which may not be attainable or necessary for everyone.
Why Sleepmaxxing May Not Be Recommended
While sleepmaxxing promotes a positive attitude toward sleep, the approach can become problematic for several reasons:
- Sleep Anxiety: A hyper-focus on perfecting sleep can create anxiety around sleep, leading to a paradoxical effect known as sleep performance anxiety. Constantly worrying about achieving high-quality sleep can make it difficult to relax, fall or stay asleep, especially for those struggling with sleep issues. Over time, this anxiety can contribute to insomnia and other sleep disorders.[5]
- Unrealistic Expectations: Sleepmaxxing often sets a high bar for “ideal” sleep that may not be realistic. Influencers present flawless sleep routines that are difficult to maintain, potentially leading followers to feel inadequate or frustrated when they cannot replicate similar results. Sleep is naturally variable, and expecting perfect sleep every night is unrealistic and counterproductive.[7]
- Dependency on Sleep Aids and Technology: Another concern is the trend’s encouragement of gadgets and supplements, such as sleep-tracking devices and melatonin supplements. While these tools may provide short-term benefits, relying on them can lead to long-term dependency, where individuals cannot sleep without them.[5] Excessive use of melatonin or other sleep aids can also disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, potentially leading to tolerance and diminished effectiveness.
- Sleep Interference: Tracking sleep can interfere with natural sleep patterns. Sleepmaxxing encourages users to monitor their sleep stages, which is generally unnecessary and can be misleading.[7] Studies suggest that frequent monitoring of sleep patterns and REM stages does not necessarily correlate with feeling well-rested. Furthermore, focusing on every metric can lead to “orthosomnia,” where individuals are overly preoccupied with achieving perfect sleep metrics.[4]
- Neglect of Other Health Aspects: Sleepmaxxing’s narrow focus on sleep often overshadows other critical aspects of health, such as physical activity, social interactions, and balanced nutrition. A holistic approach to optimal wellness is essential, as too much emphasis on one area, such as sleep, can result in an imbalanced lifestyle.
Expert Opinions on Sleepmaxxing
Medical professionals are cautious about the sleepmaxxing trend due to its potential to contribute to unhealthy sleep behaviors.
According to sleep experts, while establishing healthy sleep hygiene is beneficial, obsessing over sleep quality can backfire.
Dr. Michael Grandner, a sleep researcher, warns that focusing too intensely on sleep can make people more anxious, leading to disrupted sleep patterns.
Experts also emphasize that sleep is highly individual, with different people having varying requirements and sleep needs that change with age, lifestyle, and stress levels.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) advises against self-diagnosing or treating sleep issues without professional guidance. While some sleep aids and tracking tools can be helpful, they do not replace clinical advice when facing significant sleep disruptions.
Alternatives to Sleepmaxxing
A more balanced approach is recommended for individuals genuinely interested in improving sleep quality. Here are a few evidence-based practices that support better sleep without the risks associated with sleepmaxxing:[6]
- Prioritize Consistency Over Perfection: Going to bed and waking up at the same time daily can help regulate the body’s internal clock. Aim for a consistent schedule rather than an unrealistic ideal of perfect sleep every night.
- Practice Relaxation Techniques: Instead of obsessing over sleep metrics, incorporate relaxation methods such as mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, or light stretching before bed. These techniques have been shown to reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
- Limit Screen Time Before Bed: Reducing exposure to blue light from phones or computers at least an hour before sleep can enhance melatonin production, aiding natural sleep.
- Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment: Focus on the basics like room temperature, darkness, and comfort rather than expensive gadgets. A cool, dark, and quiet room is conducive to better sleep and can be maintained without costly equipment.
- Avoid Stimulants and Heavy Meals Before Bed: Caffeine and heavy meals before bedtime can disrupt sleep, so try to limit these in the hours leading up to sleep.
What’s the Takeaway?
Sleepmaxxing, though rooted in the positive goal of prioritizing sleep, may not be the most effective or healthy approach to achieving good rest.
Its focus on perfection can lead to anxiety, dependency on sleep aids, and even sleep disorders.
A more balanced approach that incorporates healthy sleep hygiene, relaxation practices, and realistic expectations about sleep is likely to be more sustainable and beneficial in the long term.
Instead of aiming for “perfect” sleep, strive for “good enough” sleep and pay attention to other aspects of health that contribute to overall well-being.
- Salemann, M. (2024, October 30). I’m a “sleep doctor” – here’s everything you need to master the sleepmaxxing trend. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2024/10/30/lifestyle/tiktok-is-obsessed-with-sleepmaxxing-heres-how-to-do-it/
- Heo, M. L., & Jang, Y. M. (2023). Implications for Health Management Through an Analysis of Changes in Life Patterns of Generation Z College Students Experiencing the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 16, 1661–1670. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S415120
- Chinoy, E. D., Cuellar, J. A., Huwa, K. E., Jameson, J. T., Watson, C. H., Bessman, S. C., Hirsch, D. A., Cooper, A. D., Drummond, S. P. A., & Markwald, R. R. (2021). Performance of seven consumer sleep-tracking devices compared with polysomnography. Sleep, 44(5), zsaa291. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaa291
- Jahrami, H., Trabelsi, K., Vitiello, M. V., & BaHammam, A. S. (2023). The Tale of Orthosomnia: I Am so Good at Sleeping that I Can Do It with My Eyes Closed and My Fitness Tracker on Me. Nature and science of sleep, 15, 13–15. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S402694
- Baron, K. G., Abbott, S., Jao, N., Manalo, N., & Mullen, R. (2017). Orthosomnia: Are Some Patients Taking the Quantified Self Too Far?. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 13(2), 351–354. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.6472
- Baranwal, N., Yu, P. K., & Siegel, N. S. (2023). Sleep physiology, pathophysiology, and sleep hygiene. Progress in cardiovascular diseases, 77, 59–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2023.02.005
- Massimiliano de Zambotti, Cathy Goldstein, Jesse Cook, Luca Menghini, Marco Altini, Philip Cheng, Rebecca Robillard, State of the science and recommendations for using wearable technology in sleep and circadian research, Sleep, Volume 47, Issue 4, April 2024, zsad325, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad325
