What is 'sleepmaxxing', the viral wellness trend everyone is talking about?

In today's lifestyle, getting proper sleep is becoming a challenge increasingly. The digital era of social media and unrealistic productivity expectations have resulted in many people suffering to get quality sleep at night. The common lack of sleep among many people has led to the "sleepmaxxing" trend, which has gone viral on social media.

In India, 61 per cent of people sleep less than six hours a night, according to a recent data. While people are struggling with sleep disorders due to academic pressure, work stress, and insomnia, influencers have started promoting the "sleepmaxxing" trend that aims to promote relaxation and a better night's sleep.

What is sleepmaxxing?

The sleepmaxxing trend involves achieving "perfect sleep" by eliminating any distractions. Sleepmaxxers, people who practice this method, use various products or supplements to enhance their sleep quality. These may include sleep trackers, chin straps, mouth tape, and magnesium foot spray.

Many influencers have promoted this trend on social media, often endorsing products used to improve sleep quality. Amid several people struggling to get desired sleep, this trend has gone viral, and so have the sleep aid markets.

According to reports, it is estimated that the Indian sleep aid market would generate a revenue of $28 million by 2024, while the United States where sleepmaxxing originated would make $32,024 million.

Effects of sleep deprivation

Lack of sleep is often the cause of many health problems. It can lead to chronic health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and mental health illnesses.

In today's fast-moving life, many fail to get proper sleep, despite knowing the importance of it. Factors such as increased screen time and lack of physical activity have contributed to more people having sleep issues.

What do experts say about sleepmaxxing?

While sleepmaxxing aims to improve sleep quality, it may have the opposite effect on some people. It can result in orthosomnia, which is a term to describe an obsessive pursuit of achieving the perfect sleep. It results in anxiety and stress among people and worsens sleep quality.

Some experts also worry this trend is creating increased dependency on technology and devices to achieve proper sleep instead of benefiting individuals.

"Probably none of these are going to help you get a better night's sleep. It's most important that you're comfortable. So if some of these things help you feel more comfortable, great,'' Vanessa Hill, a behavioural sleep scientist at the Appleton Institute, told NYT.

(With inputs from agencies)