4 hours Ago By [email protected] (Kevin Jiang)
Can’t sleep? Have you tried gorging on kiwis and pineapple, applying magnesium foot spray and performing whatever “pineal gland meditation” is before bed? “Sleepmaxxing” is the hottest new TikTok trend, with millions of users sharing viral “hacks” to achieve better sleep — some of which are backed by science, and others ...
not so much. Dedicated sleepmaxxers will practice a laundry list of these tips simultaneously in search of the perfect night’s sleep, from lowering the temperature of their room to inserting nostril expanders and taping their mouths shut . Insomnia is on the rise as more people are living with anxiety, given the stressful times we live in, experts say.
So how can we get our best Insomnia is on the rise as more people are living with anxiety, given the stressful times we live in, experts say. So how can we get our best “The rise of sleepmaxxing shows a growing cultural emphasis on sleep health, which is actually a positive shift,” Dr. Mandeep Singh, a clinician scientist who heads the Sleep, Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (SleAP) program at UHN and Women’s College Hospital, told the Star.
“However, the concern is that this trend is blending evidence-based strategies with some unproven and even risky methods which could cause confusion and may, in fact, worsen sleep.” The hyper-focus on optimizing one’s sleep could end up backfiring, too. “People become so fixated on their sleep .
.. that it in fact worsens their sleep because it worsens the anxiety related to their sleep,” Singh noted.
Does “sleepmaxxing” work? It depends which “sleep hacks” you incorporate into your own life, according to Azadeh Yadollahi, a senior scientist who leads SleepdB, the sleep lab at UHN’s KITE research institute. Some of the advice, like avoiding blue light before bed, getting at least 30 minutes of sunlight during the day and sleeping in a cool, dark bedroom have been shown to work for mostly everybody. “All these things have been known as good sleep hygiene,” she said.
Other hacks are more dubious, like taping your mouth shut before bed. A YouTuber streamed his attempt to stay awake for 11 days straight, but sleep experts that spoke to the Star warned that doing so can have dire A YouTuber streamed his attempt to stay awake for 11 days straight, but sleep experts that spoke to the Star warned that doing so can have dire It is better to breathe through your nose, Yadollahi explained, because your sinuses help to warm and moisturize the air before it reaches the lungs, allowing for better absorption. Taping your mouth closed could help promote this function — but if your nose is fully blocked and your mouth is taped up, you may not get enough oxygen and end up harming your sleep quality, she said.
Additionally, a recent review of 177 studies noted there’s little scientific consensus on whether mouth-taping actually works, and warned that most of its purported benefits according to social media aren’t backed by evidence. Other TikTokkers might recommend supplements, like magnesium or certain fruits — but these may only help if you’re deficient in that nutrient, Yadollahi continued. “If you take all these (supplements), you’ll have the most expensive poop,” she said.
“You’re giving something to your body that it doesn’t necessarily need.” That being said, a review from 2015 suggests about 63 per cent of the drug response from insomnia medication could be due to the placebo effect. Even if there’s little science backing the benefits of kiwis on sleep, it appears they may actually help if you believe hard enough.
For Dr. David Greenberg, a Toronto general practitioner who frequently speaks on sleep, it appears Canadians are feeling frustrated by their poor sleep quality — a recent Leger survey suggests nearly half of Canadians struggle with sleep — and are turning to social media for “miracle” solutions. “Rather than doing the easy, obvious things, like sleep hygiene .
.. they look for hacks,” he said.
“They’re all trying to look for interesting ways to optimize their health rather than just doing the regular everyday stuff.” In the end, obsessing over your sleep to the point where you’re completing lengthy checklists before bed could itself be contributing to sleep-related anxiety and disruption, Singh said. Research suggests this sleep disorder, called “orthosomnia,” has also been associated with a fixation on sleep trackers and sleep quality apps.
Tips for improving sleep quality My circadian rhythm — the internal 24-hour clock — has no rhyme or reason. I seem to be missing this biological pacemaker. My circadian rhythm — the internal 24-hour clock — has no rhyme or reason.
I seem to be missing this biological pacemaker. Some of the best, evidence-backed habits you can adopt to improve your sleep is to practice good sleep hygiene, according to Yadollahi. This includes avoiding sunlight and screens two hours before bed, relaxing before bed through meditation or a warm bath, moderately lowering the temperature of your bedroom (temperatures too hot or cold can also disrupt sleep), avoiding alcohol or heavy meals rich in sodium before sleeping and going to bed and rising at the same time every day, Yadollahi said.
It’s also helpful to exercise during the day — but avoid heavy exercise right before bed, she said. Greenberg added that it’s key to “reclaim your bedroom ..
. We’ve turned our bedrooms into flex space. It’s your office, it’s your dining room, it’s your entertainment centre, so when you go into your room (at bedtime), your brain doesn’t actually know why you’re there.
” He and Singh recommended putting your phone in another room and only using your bed for sleep and sex. Singh noted that in some cases, sleep disruptions are driven by deeper health issues such as obstructive sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome. If you’re experiencing daytime sleepiness despite seemingly getting a good night’s rest, it may be time to consult a health professional, he said.
“If you’ve identified sleep as being a problem, that’s a good time to see your doctor,” Greenberg said. Some might believe “I would go see my doctor if I had a really sore throat, but I wouldn’t go if I didn’t sleep for a few nights in a row,” he said. “Well, maybe it should be the other way around.
”.
