Feeling Tired? Try TikTok's "Sleep Maxxing" Hack

If you take your sleep very seriously and want to get as much rest as humanly possible, then there’s a chance the “sleep maxxing” trend has graced your FYP on TikTok. While anything that ends with “maxxing” — a term used to describe the obsessive optimization of a routine — is usually reserved for the bros of the internet, it’s something anyone can try, even in a tongue-in-cheek type of way.

Sleep maxxing could be defined as the art of taking every sleep hack that’s available on the internet and combining them into one mega-routine. On the app, sleep maxxers are sharing every step they follow throughout the day and into the evening in order to achieve the most Zzzs. And honestly? It’s kind of inspiring.

Maxxers will strategically stop drinking water two hours before bed so they don’t have to get up to pee. They’ll make sure their bedroom is pitch-black so there isn’t even a sliver of light to disturb them. They’ll take magnesium supplements, aka the internet’s favorite snooze-inducing mineral, to ensure they sleep through the night. But it doesn’t stop there.

To sleep maxx is to go above and beyond, which seems to be the internet’s approach to everything right now. (See also: the intense morning shed trend that involves layering skin and hair care, being high maintenance to be low maintenance, and even wellness stacking, which means doing multiple good-for-you habits simultaneously.) If one health hack is good, 10 must be extra good, right?

What To Know About Sleep Maxxing

Sleep maxxing looks like a lot of work, and that’s because it is. On TikTok, one creator follows 12 lengthy steps that start in the morning, need to be attended to throughout the day, and only conclude once he goes to bed — presumably to sleep like a log for nine hours straight.

The hacks include getting 30 minutes of sunlight daily to reset his circadian rhythm, sitting in a sauna for 15 minutes to relax, turning on a white noise machine to block out sound before bed, and sleeping under a weighted blanket to de-stress.

People usually pick one or two of these sleep tricks and leave it at that, but for maxxers, more is always more. As if that wasn’t enough, this creator also eats two kiwis before bed, since research has revealed the fruit improves sleep and aids in muscle recovery following a workout.

The list of ways to maximize sleep goes on, of course. You can also drink tart cherry juice, aka the viral drink that aids with slumber, or stick to a strict bedtime to train your brain to feel tired at the same time every night.

While you’re at it, you might as well tape your mouth to prevent snoring, lower the temperature in your bedroom to ensure a solid snooze, and meditate as a way to wind down. If it seems a little unhinged, good. That’s how you know you’re maxxing.

Can You Max Out On Sleep Maxxing?

According to Jill Zwarensteyn, a certified sleep science coach, it is possible to go overboard here. “If your bedtime routine ends up becoming a significant stressor and you’re worried about either having enough time to complete everything, or are worried if your sleep will be impacted if you miss a step in your routine, it may be too much,” she tells Bustle.

It could also be argued that it’s possible to overthink your routine and its effectiveness. Like, maybe it’s OK to get up to pee? Maybe it’s not the biggest deal to sleep seven-and-a-half hours instead of an optimal eight?

That said, some people love a lengthy regimen and a science-backed hack, and they see no problem jumping in with both feet. “If something truly resonates, it can be a valuable addition to your nightly habits,” she says.

What you choose to do before bed very much boils down to personal preference. If you’re someone who struggles to fall asleep, then you might want to ditch that late-afternoon coffee. If you wake up frequently throughout the night, then you might need to buy some blackout curtains. If you end up doing both? So be it.

Studies referenced:

Doherty, R. (2023.) The Impact of Kiwifruit Consumption on the Sleep and Recovery of Elite Athletes. Nutrients. doi: 10.3390/nu15102274.

Source:

Jill Zwarensteyn, certified sleep science coach