Have you heard the term "sleepmaxxing" yet? It's everywhere on TikTok, and Gen Z is all about it.
"Sleepmaxxing" is a general term for when you obsess over getting the "perfect" night's sleep.
It usually involves sleep-tracking apps and at least one over-the-top hack, like "mouth taping." That's where you cover your mouth to force yourself to breathe through your nose all night.
"Sleepy girl mocktails" also got big this year. Fans of them claim you'll get the best sleep of your life if you mix cherry juice and seltzer water, then add in some magnesium powder.
A lot of sleep experts aren't sure the whole sleepmaxxing thing is actually a good trend though. Prioritizing your sleep is great, but OBSESSING over it might not be.
One expert said that from what they've seen, sleepmaxxing tends to backfire. It leads to stress and anxiety and ends up making your sleep worse overall.
There's even a term now called "orthosomnia" for when you become too focused on sleep-tracker data. Studies have found that data isn't always as accurate or reliable as people think.
So instead of sleepmaxxing, the better strategy might be to just relax . . . stick to a regular bedtime . . . and get your seven to nine hours a night.
(Daily Mail / NY Post)