Is the TikTok wellness trend effective? – Carswellfamilyfoundation

TThe Latest Wellness Trend on TikTok: “sleepmaxing“, a purported guide to creating the “perfect” night’s sleep. In thousands of videos with hashtags like #sleepmaxxing and #sleepbetter, people show how they prioritize sleep using elaborate bedtime rituals, breathing exercises and a treasure trove of sleep accessories. The creators also vouch for various tricks ranging from cocktails for a sleepy girl To sleep assessment based on data from multiple sleeping devices. Some also use their credit card to purchase the “right” mattress topper and pillow for back sleepers. (The latter, according to creator Amir Shamireportedly helps sculpt your jawline overnight.) Essentially, “sleepmaxxing” is a general term for maximizing your sleep potential, with details found throughout.

So which bedtime tips should you follow and which should you leave alone? Below, a sleep expert and mental health expert break down all the hype around maximizing sleep:

What is sleepmaxing—and who is making all this noise?

Sleepmaxxing is popular among women, many of whom want to share how they mastered the art of sleep. TikTok creator Mayte Myers for example, popularized the “morning barn” concept, in which she dramatically removes her satin sleep cap, overnight face mask, mouth tape, and jaw mask to demonstrate her commitment to a good night’s sleep. But men also play an important role in this digital conversation. One college-age creator who walks on the arm @shinyyy2.0explained how to “sleep like a D1 athlete” with blue light glasses, nose strips, mouth tape, and 100% organic cotton sheets. His goal? “Optimal recovery and performance.”

The current sleep craze reflects increased attention to the importance of sleep for health and is due in part to widely available sleep tracking technologies. This fad joins the ranks of other beauty and health habits taken to the max, including:healing“, “tan,” And “beautymaxing“

However, like many TikTok sensations, most of the advice comes not from actual medical professionals, but from influencers (or rather “sleep experts”), some of whom film their bedtime routines from their dorm rooms.

Is it good to prolong sleep?

There are valuable elements to maximizing sleep, such as proven lifestyle tips. For example, maintaining a regular sleep and eating schedule has been shown to have positive effects on your metabolism, immune system, and overall health. Fariha Abbasi-FeinbergMD, Ph.D., is a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and medical director of sleep medicine at Millennium Physician Group in Fort Myers, Florida.

A consistent sleep schedule can help you maintain a regular wake-up time and get better quality sleep, which has mental health benefits. “Sleep maximizing strategies, such as minimizing phone use and engaging in a relaxing meditation practice before bed, can help support a balanced mood, a realistic outlook, and strong emotional regulation skills,” says Lauren FarinaLCSW, licensed psychotherapist and performance coach based in Chicago.

There are also all sorts of breathing tips out there, but the bottom line is that deep, mindful breathing can reduce stress and help you sleep. A popular method you can try: “box breathing” a calming technique used by elite US Navy SEALs. “Just three minutes of breathwork in the evening before bed can help the body achieve the state of relaxation needed for quality sleep,” says Farina.

Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg encourages patients to analyze data from their smartwatches or fitness trackers to improve sleep duration and quality. However, while the trackers mostly track movement, oxygen levels and breathing patterns, they don’t tell the whole sleep story and can’t be trusted to be 100 percent accurate, Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg says.

Like any health trend, maximizing sleep can go too far in the wrong direction. This may well lead to “orthosomnia” unhealthy obsession with perfect sleep; Being overly focused on the eight-hour chart can lead to anxious or compulsive behavior, such as constantly tracking your sleep and punishing yourself for failure. This may be especially true for people who may be overly invested in their sleep tracker. “This can act as a stressor on the nervous system and therefore have unpleasant consequences for our efforts to maintain healthy sleep,” Farina adds.

Which trends deserve a pause before jumping in?

TikTok may inspire you to pay more attention to your sleep hygiene, but take some popular advice with a grain of salt. For example:

Magnesium supplements or shakes: Eat mixed studies on the effectiveness of magnesium. Be sure to consult your doctor first to determine the correct dose and magnesium type for you.
Mouth Tape: Tape your mouth “There are no significant proven benefits for snoring or improving breathing if you’re prone to nasal congestion (let alone doing anything to improve jaw shape),” says Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg. Dentists and medical experts note that it is not for everyone and the benefits vary.
Going shopping: We’re sorry to disappoint, but there is no “perfect” pillow for a good night’s rest. Many patients come into Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg’s office asking for the perfect pillow, mattress or sheets. There is no evidence that a magic mattress or pillowcase can help you age in reverse or sleep like a baby. Instead, Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg recommends creating a sleep routine using whatever cozy items are most comfortable for you.

If you follow the recommendations of sleep experts, you can sleep to your heart’s content. Bottom line: Strategies for maximizing sleep should be guidelines rather than hard and fast rules. Everyone’s body and sleep habits are different. So turn on a sleep tracker and see what happens, but instead of obsessively counting your hours of sleep, it’s important to assess how rested you feel on average, advises Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg. This is a real test for a sleepmaxer.