According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults do not get enough sleep every day. Nowadays, people are taking extra measures to ensure a good night’s sleep. TikTok has been coming up with several sleep trends, such as sleepy girl mocktail.
As CNET reports, Sleepmaxxing is one trend that has gained popularity recently. It aims to maximize your sleep quality and quantity, ensuring you are energized for the day. However, you must keep in mind that these trends are often not backed by enough research and can sometimes also hinder your sleep.
What is Sleepmaxxing?
Sleepmaxxing is a recent wellness trend on TikTok, which focuses on optimizing the amount and quality of sleep that you get each night by using a variety of techniques or products. It often includes a wide range of methods including taking supplements, using sleep gadgets, staying in bed for extended periods of time and even taping your mouth while you sleep.
This current trend focuses on the importance of sleep for one’s health. Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood and overall health. How you feel when you’re awake largely depends on your sleep health. Over half of the Gen Z and half of the millennial population have tried at least one of the social media sleep trends. However, research on such trends is still inconclusive.
Like many other TikTok trends, sleepmaxxing is also a term coined by influencers and not medical professionals. Some of them also film and livestream their sleep to show how these methods benefit their overall sleep quality.
Popular Sleepmaxxing Trends
Some of the common sleepmaxxing trends that have spread on TikTok are:
ASMR sleep routines
The autonomous sensory meridian response is a sensory trigger that may involve physical sensations, sound, images or a combination of all. ASMR can trigger feelings of relaxation and pleasure, thereby improving sleep quality. It can also improve mood and reduce anxiety, preventing stressful thoughts during bedtime.
Sleep tracking apps and devices
Sleep trackers can provide information on your sleep quality and quantity as well as identify if you have any sleep problems. Many of them also include built-in coaching that helps to improve your sleep habits and track progress to understand how different approaches work for you. One of the best sleep trackers of 2024 is the Oura ring, which you can wear on your finger. It measures your heart rate, temperature, and movement. It then uses these measures to identify your stages of sleep. It comprises an integrated Oura app with an easy-to-read chart of your sleep stages each night.
Drinking sleepy girl mocktail
This non-alcoholic drink comprises tart cherry juice, magnesium powder and a prebiotic soda. Magnesium may help you relax by regulating your nervous system and chart cherry juice can help your body produce more melatonin, also known as the sleepy hormone. Together, these two ingredients are the perfect blend to help your body prepare for sleep.
Mouth taping
This is where you place a medical-grade tape over your mouth to prevent breathing through it while sleeping. Influencers claim it can help ease snoring and prevent dry mouth. No scientific studies have confirmed this and all evidence is purely anecdotal. Some medical experts also have spoken out on social media against it as it can be detrimental to some people, for example, those with sleep apnea.
Bed rotting
This is when you stay in bed for a prolonged duration. The idea here is to give your body enough time to recover. However, sleeping too much can also be a sign of something more serious, like depression. It’s totally normal to sleep in a day or two after not getting sufficient sleep, but if you find yourself struggling to get up from bed, it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider.
Live streaming your sleep
Some people find it fascinating to watch others sleep. However, this trend is pure entertainment. There are no health benefits to live streaming your sleep or watching others sleep online.
Using weighted blankets
Weighted blankets may help some people sleep better, but there is also limited research around this. Some studies have linked weighted blankets to decreased insomnia severity in adults.
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