Gen Zs Are Sleepmaxxing To Fix Burnout; Here’s What The New TikTok Wellness Trend Means

Arguably, a few pleasures in life may be more satisfying than a restful sleep. Everyone needs one, no matter who. However, ever since the industrial revolution in the 18th century and the rapid evolution of technology, a goodnight’s sleep has become a rare commodity. More so for the generation born after the advent of smartphones. Constantly bombarded with an endless feed of content on the infinity scroll, the youth has tried it all, from yoga to vipassana and everything under the sun that its practitioners claim to bring peace and rest. Youngsters are flocking to a new TikTok trend in town. Dubbed sleepmaxxing, the new wellness craze assembles gadgets and a few tricks to maximize your sleeping patterns.

Sleepmaxxing nerds curate devices like blue light-blocking glasses, mouth tapes, supplements to enhance sleep, eye masks, eating kiwis before crashing, and whatnot. Allegedly, the blue lights emitted by screens of gadgets, including TVs and smartphones, hinder sleep by hindering melatonin production. Some practitioners recommend a dose of red light as well. Others advocate for mandatory sleep trackers.

Meanwhile, experts believe certain practices in the trend may be more harmful than beneficial. Sl;eep trackers may cause excessive stress. Taping the mouth to stop snoring is not beneficial as it can damage soft tissues. Excessive obsession with a perfect sleep is dubbed ORTHOSOMNIA, a sleeping disorder that causes even more sleepless nights due to anxiety of not getting perfect sleep. How ironic.

#WorldSleepDay2025: Indians are not sleeping peacefully.
And a new trend has emerged to blanket this issue: #Sleepmaxxing.
Here is Esha Kushwah with all the details.
For the latest news and updates, visit: https://t.co/MVT9qbBq6n pic.twitter.com/roLk3Vs3kU— NDTV Profit (@NDTVProfitIndia) March 14, 2025

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you know it’s hard to avoid countless influencers touting a concept called sleepmaxxing. #HarvardHealth https://t.co/0Or7EQJqoU— Harvard Health (@HarvardHealth) March 6, 2025

Sleep is how we start and end every single day. So it’s no surprise we’re a little obsessed with how much we’re getting and how good it is. 🛏️ 👀
But the ‘sleepmaxxing’ trend on TikTok might be taking that obsession too far, writes Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse. ⤵️… pic.twitter.com/l4VWUETaWe— Big Issue (@BigIssue) January 19, 2025

Is TikTok’s ‘Sleepmaxxing’ trend yet another wellness fad – or is it glorifying SAD? https://t.co/IT2NH8XUID— Big Issue (@BigIssue) January 22, 2025

Sleepmaxxing is a hot new trend on TikTok – but is it actually good for you? Dr. Azadeh Yadollahi (@SleepdB_Lab), a senior scientist at KITE and leader of SleepdB sleep lab, shared her insights in a story in the Toronto Star today. https://t.co/fYyzQfOhbM @UHN_Research— KITE Research Institute (@KITE_UHN) March 13, 2025

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