Sleepmaxxing: from red light to mouth taping and nasal dilators, do any of the viral trends work? | Antiviral
The TikTok generation has repackaged a perennial preoccupation and given it their own spinOf all the health and wellness content online, sleep is one topic we can’t get enough of: when to do it, how much is optimal, what surface best makes for somnolent bliss, whether it’s better done alone. Our obsession with getting enough shut-eye stems, I suspect, from the fact that so many of us feel tired all the time.Akin to their cursed revival of low-rise jeans, the TikTok generation have repackaged a perennial preoccupation and given it their own spin: sleepmaxxing. Co-opting its name from another online phenomenon (looksmaxxing), the term refers to any number of hacks that purport to improve sleep.Beginning the day with exposure to sunlight, to align the body’s internal clockKeeping consistent bed- and wake times, even on weekendsLimiting afternoon naps to no more than 30 minutesReducing caffeine intake later in the afternoonAvoiding heavy meals right before bedReducing screen exposure before bedtimeDeveloping a calming pre-bedtime routine, such as reading, meditation, or deep breathing.Donna Lu is Guardian Australia’s science writerAntiviral is a fortnightly column that interrogates the evidence behind the health headlines and factchecks popular wellness claims Continue reading...
The TikTok generation has repackaged a perennial preoccupation and given it their own spin
Of all the health and wellness content online, sleep is one topic we can’t get enough of: when to do it, how much is optimal, what surface best makes for somnolent bliss, whether it’s better done alone. Our obsession with getting enough shut-eye stems, I suspect, from the fact that so many of us feel tired all the time.
Akin to their cursed revival of low-rise jeans, the TikTok generation have repackaged a perennial preoccupation and given it their own spin: sleepmaxxing. Co-opting its name from another online phenomenon (looksmaxxing), the term refers to any number of hacks that purport to improve sleep.
Beginning the day with exposure to sunlight, to align the body’s internal clock
Keeping consistent bed- and wake times, even on weekends
Limiting afternoon naps to no more than 30 minutes
Reducing caffeine intake later in the afternoon
Avoiding heavy meals right before bed
Reducing screen exposure before bedtime
Developing a calming pre-bedtime routine, such as reading, meditation, or deep breathing.
Donna Lu is Guardian Australia’s science writer
Antiviral is a fortnightly column that interrogates the evidence behind the health headlines and factchecks popular wellness claims Continue reading...
