Is the internet&rsquo;s &ldquo;sleepmaxxing&rdquo; invention a revolution or another overhyped trend?

The latest wellness trend to dominate TikTok is sleepmaxxing, a so-called blueprint for mastering the art of the perfect night's sleep. Over the past few months, hashtags like #sleepmaxxing and #sleepbetter have racked up 96.8 million posts on the social media platform featuring elaborate bedtime rituals, calming breathing exercises and a curated arsenal of sleep gadgets and accessories. From dreamy mocktail recipes to data-driven sleep scores, creators are dishing out advice that ranges from the seemingly scientific to the downright bizarre. Think magnesium supplements, a kiwi-eating pre-bedtime ritual or cranking the AC to polar levels. And let's not forget the shoppers shelling out for high-tech mattresses and ergonomic pillows, all in the name of achieving REM nirvana. But here's the real question: Should you trust these hacks or are they just another case of internet noise? To cut through the confusion and get some expert-backed tips, we turned to Dr Nurul Yaqeen, a consultant in respiratory and sleep disorders at Sunway Velocity Medical Centre, and Dr Yasmin, a certified cognitive behavioural therapist and psychotherapist. &ldquo;Sleepmaxxing is about optimising your routine and environment for better rest,&rdquo; explains Dr Yasmin. It&rsquo;s part of a broader shift toward prioritising mental and physical well-being &mdash; a movement she&rsquo;s all for. The appeal? Better sleep means waking up ready to crush the day. But not all advice is equal: some tips are rooted in science, while others are pure internet hype. Dr Nurul offers foundational habits that are practical and work: stick to a consistent sleep schedule, wind down without screens, skip caffeine after lunch and manage stress to calm a busy mind. These basics can improve your sleep without the gimmicks. That said, there&rsquo;s a fine line between improving your sleep habits and obsessing over them, cautions the expert. Putting too much pressure on yourself to hack the perfect night&rsquo;s sleep might backfire as obsessing about &ldquo;perfect&rdquo; sleep can lead to another phenomenon called orthosomnia. &ldquo;The anxiety of trying to sleep perfectly can make it harder to rest,&rdquo; warns Dr Yasmin. Dr Yasmin also points out that while wearables have their appeal, they might not be ideal for everyone. &ldquo;Trackers often suggest that sleep needs improvement, but they frequently measure sleep without complete accuracy and focus solely on hours slept. Inaccurate reports of a &ldquo;bad&rdquo; night can affect not just your perception of sleep but also your performance and mental well-being the next day,&rdquo; she explains. Don&rsquo;t ditch your sleep tracker yet as some studies suggest these devices can be surprisingly effective &mdash; potentially even outperforming actigraphy, a medical-grade tool for tracking sleep data. The key? Use your tracker as a guide, not a gospel. If its readings don&rsquo;t align with your feelings, it&rsquo;s worth taking the data with a pinch of salt and trusting your experience. The internet never runs out of wellness hacks, but when it comes to sleep, Dr Nurul Yaqeen urges caution &mdash; especially with trendy fixes like magnesium powder. &ldquo;The so-called &ldquo;sleepy girl mocktail,&rdquo; a mix of cherry juice and magnesium powder, is something to avoid as there&rsquo;s very little evidence it works,&rdquo; she explains. &ldquo;You&rsquo;d be better off with a warm herbal tea if you like a comforting drink before bed.&rdquo; The devil&rsquo;s in the details, too &mdash; many TikTok recipes skip measurements, and too much magnesium can create problems, like frequent (and urgent) trips to the bathroom. As for supplements, Dr Nurul emphasises that melatonin should only be used if prescribed by a physician. &ldquo;Over-the-counter or internet-sourced melatonin can have wildly inconsistent dosages,&rdquo; she warns. &ldquo;And unless you have a sleep disorder, your body produces melatonin naturally.&rdquo; The best way to enhance melatonin production is to stick to a consistent sleep schedule and dim your lights in the evening. In simple words, sleepmaxxing can be helpful if you keep it simple and personalised. Focus on how rested you feel, not as per the latest gadget or TikTok hack. After all, great sleep isn&rsquo;t about perfection &mdash; it&rsquo;s about balance.

Should you be practicing 'sleepmaxxing'?

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Should you be practicing 'sleepmaxxing'?

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