Which Viral Sleep Hacks Work and Which Don’t?

• Sleepmaxxing is a social media trend that’s growing in popularity.
• The trend encompasses a range of advice, products, and practices aimed at improving sleep quality.
• Health experts say some aspects of the trend may help improve sleep, but they warn that many popular sleepmaxxing videos also promote actions or products that can raise health risks.

A new wellness trend that aims to maximize the amount and quality of sleep you get each night is going viral on social media platforms like TikTok. It’s called sleepmaxxing, and videos associated with the trend are racking up hundreds of thousands of views.

While some aspects of sleepmaxxing can provide healthy benefits, others have experts raising concerns. Ineffective supplements, mouth taping, and nostril expanders are among the advice and products featured in some of the most popular videos, which can raise health risks.

“Commercializing sleep as a product is concerning,” says Carleara Weiss, PhD, a sleep science advisor at Aeroflow Sleep. “We should be careful not to shift the focus from wellness to purchasing more and more products to achieve the ideal sleep quality.”

To help separate misinformation and myths from healthy hacks that work, Healthline spoke with several experts to identify sleepmaxxing trends that may (and some that probably won’t) help you catch more Zs.

Sleep may be trendy, but its importance isn’t a fad.

Experts say that recommendations — like the CDC’s that most adults require at least seven hours of sleep nightly — were drowned out for years by societal expectations of what “working hard” looked like. But that’s shifting in a post-2020 world and as a new generation enters the workforce.

“People are increasingly recognizing how essential sleep is for overall health and well-being,” says Raj Dasgupta, MD, who is board certified in sleep medicine and the chief medical Advisor for Sleepopolis. “By prioritizing sleep, more people are making choices that allow them better rest. This change is especially important today in our fast-paced lives, where self-care and balance are important for staying healthy.”

“Several factors are driving the trend, including social media,” says Noah Kass, LCSW.
The pandemic made many of us rethink our health priorities. Gen Z is focused on balancing work, fun, and self-care, placing emphasis on long-term health rather than a ‘do whatever it takes to get ahead’ mentality.”

Kass says that prioritizing rest benefits your physical and mental health, whether you call it sleepmaxxing or not. Indeed, the CDC says getting enough shut-eye helps a person:

• Have fewer sick days
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Lower stress and boost mood
• Lower the risk of health issues, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes
• Improve attention and memory (Helping you perform daily activities – including work ones — better)

“If you’re not sleeping, everything falls apart,” says Dylan Petkus, MD, the founder of Optimal Circadian Health. “It’s like driving a sports car around constantly without ever stopping to change the tires or fill up the gas tank.”

TikTok thinks so, but Weiss notes that the commodification of sleep is one drawback of the trend to prioritize this healthy habit.

“I am concerned when people reach for over-the-counter medications and supplements or engage in viral yet unsafe practices,” Weiss says.

These include the following:

A key ingredient in the viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail and a popular supplement, there could be some truth to the idea that magnesium could improve sleep, Dasgupta says.

A 2023 review of observational studies suggested there could be a link between sleep quality and magnesium intake/supplementation.

However, it can interact with certain medications. Dasgupta says not everyone needs it, and taking too much can cause GI upset.

Some research, like a 2020 study, suggests mouth breathing can increase snoring.

Mouth-taping promises to eliminate that, but Kass and Weiss say there’s not enough evidence to support that. Further, they caution that it can be dangerous for people with sleep apnea, of which snoring is a symptom.

Kass says melatonin might help temporarily with sleep issues, such as those caused by jet lag.

However, timing and dose are important. Additionally, Weiss says many over-the-counter melatonin supplements are higher than the adult range considered safe (0.3 to 5 mg).

While some machines, like high-tech alarm clocks with white noise, can have three-figure price tags, they don’t have to break the bank.

“A fan or an app on your phone may work just the same,” Weiss says.

Weiss says that there is not enough evidence to support their use in aiding sleep or eliminating snoring at this time.

Wearables once reserved for logging steps and workouts now offer sleep tracking. Other devices are exclusively for sleep tracking.

Weiss says research on their effectiveness is emerging, and updates evolve to improve the products.

“We should be careful when interpreting that part,” Weiss says. “In addition, most commercially available sleep trackers are not diagnostic tools, meaning they will not lead to a sleep disorder diagnosis.”

However, you can use the data from the tracker as part of a conversation with your doctor to help find ways to rule out or diagnose sleep issues.

You can max out on sleepmaxxing, experts say.

“Trying too hard to get the perfect sleep…can cause you anxiety about not always getting the perfect results,” Dasgupta says.

Dasgupta says signs that your quest for more, better sleep may be an issue include:

• Obsessively tracking sleep
• Feeling anxious about not sleeping enough
• Constantly worrying about your sleep quality if it isn’t perfect

Perhaps the biggest sign, ironically, is that your sleep quest is making you lose sleep.

“The thing about sleep is, the harder you try to sleep or focus on it, the more anxious you become,” Petkus says. “That anxiety hurts your ability to sleep.”

Getting at least seven hours of sleep per night has long been a public health recommendation for most adults.

Research, experts, and public health organizations say that getting enough sleep can improve the ability to think and memory, as well as reduce the risk of chronic diseases and mood disorders.

Prioritizing sleep is positive, but some of the methods being pushed on social media as part of the sleepmaxxing trend are causing health experts to raise concerns. Speak to a healthcare professional before trying one.

Tried-and-true ways to get more sleep include consistent bed and wake times, keeping the room cool and dark, and lowering caffeine, alcohol, and screen use before bed.