Gen Z are 'sleepmaxxing' to get a good nights kip

Gone are the days of drifting off to a good book or counting sheep - as Gen Z are increasingly going to every length to ensure a good nights kip.

The popularity of sleep optimisation - now dubbed sleep maxxing - has been increasing in recent months with young people are going to painstaking lengths, including mouth taping, mocktail sipping, and magnesium foot spritzing, to improve their sleep.

The trend towards improving sleep, is likely a result of people's desire to get more of it, since only a quarter of British people are getting the amount of sleep they think they need. 

According to one Woolroom poll earlier this year, two thirds of Brits are getting by on just six hours sleep a night - far less than the seven to nine hours recommended by the NHS.

The obsession with advancing sleep, has exploded on TikTok, where insomniacs have sought a smorgasbord or sleepy remedies, generally aimed at improving the circadian rhythm.

Methods expand well beyond old school techniques of counting sheep or dotting a few drop of lavender oil on the pillow - with sleep seekers now making sleepy mocktails, taping their mouths shut and taking magnesium before bed.

One popular method purported to achieve a higher quality of sleep is mouth taping - a practice which has sleepers quite literally taping their mouths closed to try reduce snoring and bad breath.

On TikTok, mouth taping has over 250 million tags, with hundreds of videos showing people using sleep hack to get a better nights sleep.

The method works to force sleepers to breathe through their noses, which is usually the cause of snoring and sleep apnea. However - the results of mouth taping are currently only anecdotal with little research to support the claims.

Another of those popular sleep remedies it's the Sleepy Girl Mocktail, a concoction of tart cherry juice and magnesium, which TikTokers promise will achieve 'the the best sleep of their lives'.

However, some experts have warned that the mocktail may do more harm that good since magnesium can have a laxative effect.

Magnesium, in high doses, can relax the muscles in the gut and stomach, increasing the feeling of urgency, warned nutritionist Toby King.

Others have warned of the counter-intuitive effect of the sugar in the cherry element of the drink, which can spike bloody pressure and make falling asleep even harder. 

More extreme techniques involve using an Oura ring - which retails for £395 plus a subscription fee - to track and monitor sleep patterns. Other pricey sleeping aids include a 'sunrise alarm clock', which is intended to wake you up according to your circadian rhythms.

Most sleepmaxxing remedies are divisive among wider audiences as with every new ritual, experts have criticised methods which fail to have been verified by science.

According the James 'The Sleep Geek' Wilson at Mattress Online, the trend of sleepmaxxing could be actually be making things much worse, since it is making people obsessive about nightly routines.

He told FEMAIL: 'In my day to day work, the trend of Sleep Maxxing is actually causing most people who try it to sleep worse.'

This is because it can cause orthosomnia, which is James explained leads to some 'being overly obsessed with our sleep, searching for perfect sleep, and eventually leading to anxiety and stress about the sleep we are getting.'

'Of course, this is not useful, as when we are stressed and anxious we sleep worse,' he warned.

Commenting on some specific trends within the community, he said the sleep girl mocktail was 'unlikely to help significantly' but at best, could act as a placebo.

While mouth taping could have even more severe consequences such a choking. 'There is no proof the practise improves sleep, and it masks the main symptoms of a serious sleep disorder called "sleep apnea",' he said.

'These symptoms are snoring and choking, and it causes those living with it stop breathing in the night. The potential risks far outweigh the anecdotal benefits, that often come from people who are trying to sell the tape used,' he continued.

'Nasal breathing is good for our wellbeing, the best way to do it more at night, is consciously practise doing it during the day.'

The term orthosomnia was first coined in 2017 by researchers from Rush Medical College and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine who noted that there was an increase in people seeking treatment for self-diagnosed sleep issues.

Writing in The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the researchers compared the fixation to the eating disorder, orthorexia, concerned that there was a growing 'perfectionistic quest for the ideal sleep'.

While the recommendations say the same, attitudes towards getting a good night have changed markedly in the last decade as Gen Z demand a full night in bed. 

Professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the director of a sleep center at the school. Matthew Walker told The New York Times: 'People — especially Gen Z — have reclaimed their right to a full night of sleep, and they have done that without embarrassment.'

And for those who don't fetch their desired eight hours kip, this can take a toll on their mental wellbeing as poll by bedding firm Woolroom found that 40 per cent of people reported heightened stress levels after a bad night's sleep.

The same poll also found that 36 per cent said they felt anxious when they didn't sleep properly.

However, James from Mattress Online said he believed the TikTok trend has its roots in slightly more sinister soils. 

He said: 'It has become more and more prominent over the past few months due to podcasters and influencers giving a platform to practices and theories that have little or no evidence, and promoting brands that sell the products behind these trends, which they often have undisclosed commercial arrangements with.'

Instead of obsessively experimenting with cure-all remedies online, James suggested starting out by first understanding what kind of a sleeper you might be.

Solving the root of the problem can lead to find the most effective antidote. 

He said: 'The best way to sleep better is to understand who you are as a sleeper, work out what it is stopping you sleeping, and look for the best advice and/or products to resolve that specific problem.'