iIf there’s one thing about me that I know they can agree on, it’s that I love myself. to sleep. I haven’t always been a great sleeper, and for many years I struggled with insomnia and a chronic lack of deep sleep. Over the past six years, sleep has become an obsession of mine and I’ve used a raft of strategies, tools and technologies to improve my relationship with it.
Earlier this year, I stumbled upon an entire sub-genre of TikTok content dedicated to practices that I had been carefully researching and respecting, so I was very excited. Sleepmaxxing is the latest viral wellness trend, but I don’t know, I’ve been doing it for almost a decade.
However, there were a few things about this trend that bothered me, so I took a closer look at my habits and tried to improve my sleep. decided to consult some experts about
What is Sleep Maxing?
According to Dr. Harry Jarrett, head of science and research HeightsA health and wellness brand, sleepmaxxing “is a sleep optimization practice that focuses on the quality and quantity of one’s sleep, in order to improve overall mental and physical well-being.
“This trend involves the use of various gadgets, techniques and supplements in an attempt to induce deeper and longer sleep. In general, many people compromise their chances of getting a good night’s sleep, hoping to achieve certain physical and mental benefits. Combining many of these techniques to improve.”
A few years ago, my chronic fatigue was interfering with my life. My memory was terrible, I found myself getting out of work and having anxiety over the smallest things. I also realized that I was sick all the time and couldn’t figure out why. Through research, I identified that my lack of sleep was the problem. My sleeping hours were limited, I spent most of my time in light sleep and I was awake all the time, which meant my body couldn’t recover and I felt like I had a permanent hangover. .
The results of my personal sleepmaxing journey have been overwhelmingly positive. I no longer suffer from insomnia, I fall asleep quickly and I sleep through the night. But I often worry about the quality of my sleep and how much I’m getting. I panic if I’m not able to follow my bedtime rituals and I’ll check my biometric stats. Our ring And oh The band as soon as I wake up. My partner and I will often spend time comparing our sleep scores – romantic, I know.
Like many people who sleep max, I use wearables and smart devices to track how much deep, light, and REM sleep I get each night. SupplementsTo make sure my body is full of nutrients that will help me rest better. But that’s not all. Over the past several years I have invested in new bed linen and pajamas made from natural fabrics for healthy skin and hair. Silk pillows And new duvets Don’t come cheap, I might add.
I also bought eye masks, earplugs to wrap myself in. Sunrise alarm clocks And SAD lamp And subscribed Apps which plays soothing bedtime stories, binaural sounds and solfeggio frequencies. I have a smart mattress topper in my bedroom that controls my temperature and an air purifier that removes the toxins I throw into my body. Magnesium Moisturizer before going to bed.
After reading James Nestor’s book BreathI started. Taping the mouth And eventually I learned to breathe exclusively through my nose while I slept. And recently, I’ve started using high-tech devices, including a PEMF mat—sending a pulsed electromagnetic field through the body that not only helps heal by reducing inflammation, but also the brain. can also send signals that improve circadian rhythms. Rhythm and keeps you awake at night. I’m also wearing an ECG band, which helps me track my brain waves while I snooze so that when I wake up, I can adjust my habits to improve my sleep latency. Then, of course, there are more woo-woo practices — mindfulness and meditation, yoga nidra, Pillow fog And in the dream journal short, I have done it all.
Read more: The best sleep aids of 2024, tried and tested by wellness editors
But as I’ve seen a number of sleep-maxing videos on TikTok, I’ve started to wonder if I and all these people are doing too much. Sleep is natural after all and although daily stressors, anxiety, hormones and many other factors can interfere with sleep, if you’re tired enough, you’ll get there eventually.
“Sleep is a passive process that can take care of itself,” explains sleep physiologists. Stephanie Romeszewski. “You’re better off enjoying your day, being social, and taking care of the things you have control over – that will lead to better sleep, not worse. People who plan their days to perfect sleep. try to control, such as canceling important social time with friends or skipping the gym and passively to relax With less outdoor time, worse sleep will occur.”
I like to think I follow Romeszuki’s advice. I won’t give up a night out with friends in favor of a few more hours in bed, but I’m likely to worry about my sleep score in the morning. Some experts suggest that sleep tracking can lead to an unhealthy obsession with getting a perfect night’s rest – it’s medically called orthosomnia and it’s something we may be able to adapt to. There are, especially after watching too many sleep-maxing videos online.
The Dark Side of Sleep Maxing
The average age of TikTok users is 24 and most of the sleep-maxing videos I’ve seen are made by people in their early twenties. They were also using all the same products and techniques that I had used to solve my sleep problems, but of course, I couldn’t know to what extent these tools actually worked for the people on my screen. are helping Social media never tells us the whole story.
Dr. Jarrett explains that “Like any health trend on social media, much of the information provided to the audience is not scientifically tested and comes primarily from individuals who are health care professionals. Lack of expertise in maintenance can lead to people investing time and money in methods that don’t work and lead to frustration when sleep benefits are not achieved.
“Another trend is the use of ingredients that really should only be prescribed and used under the care of a licensed physician. For example, many influencers recommend using MelatoninIt is available without a prescription in many countries, but not in the UK.
I wondered if viewing this type of material years ago when I was in the depths of my sleep struggles would have benefited me, or if it had made my anxiety worse. Many videos seem to have a competitive edge, a battle over who is doing the most, who has the most. Sleep aids And who was the most caring sleeper.
One danger of comparing your sleep routine to someone else’s is increased anxiety, which ironically can keep you awake. There’s also the financial cost of the sleep aid and gadget to consider. These products, while helpful, are not necessarily necessary.
My partner and I often joke that my rituals are too complicated, but they have worked for me and I feel healthier as a result. A recent health checkup showed that my biological age is five years younger than my actual age and I honestly don’t think I would have been if I hadn’t tackled my sleep problems with all the tools and tricks at my disposal. Lack of sleep can age you, while getting enough rest is restorative.
Still, I often wonder if I’m too evangelical about tracking my sleep and using all the different sleep aids I use, and if twenty-somethings are just as strict about perfecting the art of rest. Must be obsession. Improvement is one thing, but perfection is nearly impossible, especially when it comes to something like sleep. All the TikTok videos I’ve seen are portraying one element. Rudeness which is often found in relation to well-being. The idea that if you’re not doing your best to improve every aspect of bodily function, you’re failing.
Read more: The best sunrise alarm clocks that will wake you up naturally.
“Sleep is very individualized, not everyone has the same sleep needs and what works for one person may not work for another,” explains Dr. Jarrett. “For example, research shows that women experience the urge to fall asleep earlier than men and sleep 11 minutes more a night than their male counterparts.”
Studies show that we all need different amounts of quality sleep at different stages of our lives. People going through puberty and MenopauseFor example, they need more hours of sleep due to lower sleep quality as a result of hormonal fluctuations. Changing hormones can cause night sweats, muscle aches, restless dreams and a host of other symptoms that can disrupt sleep and break the natural cycle of rest.
“Sleep naturally goes through variations of seasons, weeks and months,” Romeszewski explains. “It’s impossible to control it all, but we can stick to the most effective behavior and then let go of our need to have it be exactly the same every night — it’s impossible.”
There will always be external influences, such as your job, friendships and lifestyle, which can all contribute to how well you manage your sleep, so it’s important to remember that any two Days will not be the same. Your sleep scores will fluctuate and your needs will likely differ from the influencer you see in the latest sleep maxixing video online.
“If something works for an influencer but doesn’t work for you, try not to get frustrated and upset,” says Dr. Jarrett. “The most helpful aspect of the Sleepmaxxing trend is that it encourages people to think about their own sleep hygiene and ways to improve their sleep routines, which are vital to overall physical and mental health. My main advice would be to relax without any pressure on the results and trying new techniques will cause a bad night’s sleep.
Doing my research and using high-tech tools and wellness products has helped me sleep better and without knowing it, I’ve become one of the most dedicated sleep mixers out there. However, the rise of orthosomnia and the trending status of the TikTok-driven “perfect sleep” performance has made me think twice about the emotions I experience when my aura tracks me on my rest score. It calls for “attention”. I plan to stick with my sleep habits, after all, I’ve spent years trying to find the perfect balance, but I’m determined not to let perfectionism creep in and ruin anything None of us should waste time overthinking.
Read more: Why is everyone suddenly taking magnesium?