What is 'sleepmaxxing', and is it the latest trend we don’t need?

Dr Lizzie Hill says good sleep hygiene is the basis of much of the trend

It is important to have a relaxed relationship with your sleep to avoid unnecessary anxiety, experts advise. Picture: iStock

'Sleepmaxxing' is one of the newest trends online currently, and it focuses on optimising sleep with stacked interventions such as consistent bedtimes, a cool bedroom, and even tracking sleep. However, some of these have been described as counterproductive.

“A lot of it is based on what we call sleep hygiene — it’s just good sleep practices and very basic things like having your room cool and comfortable, dark and quiet,” says clinical scientist Dr Lizzie Hill. “It is also ruling in other things like working out how many hours you need to get the right amount of sleep, having a regular bedtime and rise time. It’s things that we’ve been doing for a long time but repackaged in a new format to be a bit more buzzy for social media”.

So what works, and also what to avoid when it comes to optimising sleep?

Regular bedtimes

“Have a regular bedtime and rise time,” Hill says.

“For example, going to bed at roughly the same time every night, getting up at roughly the same time every morning — weekends and weekdays. If you really want your sleep and circadian rhythm to be as solid as it can be, then regular bedtimes and rise times can be helpful.”

Sleep and circadian rhythm specialist Dr Kat Lederle adds, “It’s not prescribed by me when my clients go to bed and when they get up because everyone has their own chronotype [your body’s natural sleep and wake patterns] and that’s where circadian rhythms come in.”

She explains that everybody has a body clock in the brain, and that sets the timing for their sleep window: “Some people are early people, some are late, some are in the middle. It’s about finding out what your own sleep window is, how long it is, the timing, and then trying to ensure that you keep those as regular as you can.”

Stay off electronics

Hill explains that a big thing to avoid is electronics and stimulants close to bedtime.

“Keeping things like scrolling on your phone and so on for earlier in the evening can help,” she says.

Also, cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine earlier in the afternoon is important.

Get enough light and dark

“Get yourself to morning light,” Lederle says.

“Going outside and seeking light in the morning helps.”

Hill adds: “Dim light and darkness at nighttime also matter and are the best way to strengthen your body clock.”

Avoid the gimmicks

Hill says: “There’s a lot of gimmicks, devices, and ways to part with your money out there. You don’t really need supplements, diets, devices and blankets — it can be really basic.

“There’s real basic things you can do without parting with lots of cash. Just generally having a healthy lifestyle, avoiding smoking, getting enough exercise — that all helps with sleep as well.”

Avoid obsessing over sleep

Both experts explain how obsessing with sleep can actually have negative effects on it.

Lederle says: “There is a so-called sleep disorder whereby someone is sleeping perfectly fine, but they get worried that they’re not sleeping well enough and they might use a tracker.

“I’m not against trackers but obsessing over sleep brings up anxiety, tensions, cortisol, and adrenaline.

“Where we’re anxious, the brain thinks we’re in danger, and the last thing it will let you do is fall asleep, so it can backfire.

“You should have a relaxed relationship with your sleep. It’s your foundation for your health, wellbeing, and for your ability to perform. Just allow the body to do what it naturally can do, which is fall asleep.”

Hill adds: “Other things that are sort of downright dangerous and not really recommended include mouth taping, which we wouldn’t recommend as a practice.”

How long can it take to get your routine?

Getting into a sleep routine is one of those things that you have to stick with — it’s not a quick fix, Hill explains.

“Usually to make any sort of major behaviour changes, you’re looking at at least a couple of weeks to a month,” she says.

“That’s where devices and your sleep diary can help because if you are actively trying to make those changes, it’s a great way to actually visualise that over time.”

Hill adds an important note for those who struggle with sleep: “If you do routinely wake unrefreshed in the morning, if you snore, if you’re very restless at night, and you are concerned about your sleep, then you should always see a GP to discuss that further.”