This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s senior fall editorial intern Lauren Sanchez. Find her on Instagram at @lauren.sanchezz. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Just like we turn to the internet and scroll through social media for beauty hacks, workout plans, and diet tips, the latest routine everyone’s looking to perfect is their sleep routine. If you’re anything like me and struggle to fall asleep, the whole process can feel way more stressful and tedious than it should. Between tossing and turning, waking up for a glass of water, and replaying scenarios from the past in your mind, getting a good night’s sleep can truly feel like a task sometimes. But thanks to a new trend, people have been sharing how they’ve improved their sleep routines through what they’ve defined as “Sleepmaxxing”.
What Is Sleepmaxxing?
So, what’s the deal with sleepmaxxing? At its core, it’s about fine-tuning and enhancing your sleeping habits to maximize those crucial eight hours. Especially in today’s hustle culture, people are desperately exploring a variety of ways to boost both the quality of their sleep. Whether it’s investing in the latest sleep gadgets like sleep trackers or trying out new mindful methods, the goal is to create a thorough routine that leads to a better and deeper sleep.
Sleepmaxxing can also involve some lifestyle tweaks that can make a real difference. It can mean redesigning your sleep environment – like adding weighted blankets or sleeping with the fan on – or committing to a consistent sleep schedule that helps regulate your body’s internal clock. It can also be embracing pre-sleep rituals like drinking different kinds of herbals teas (or mocktails), using white noise apps to calm you down or creating mediation techniques. But the ultimate goal is for these ways to help you wake up feeling revitalized and ready to conquer whatever the next day throws at you. So what are some specific ways to help you “sleepmax” your night routine? We’ve got you covered!
Drink Up: “Sleepy Girl Mocktail”
While some may drink a glass of warm milk or water before bed, TikTokers created a new drink that’s a little more fun than the classics. The “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” blew up on TikTok earlier this year, with thousands upon thousands of creators posting videos of them whipping up their drinks before going to bed.
The “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” contains cherry juice, magnesium glycinate and sparkling water/soda and is made to help your body wind down before fully going to sleep. The cherry juice contains melatonin and tryptophan which can help regulate your sleep cycle. The magnesium glycinate can help create calming effects on the nervous system and make it easier to relax.
Mouth Sleep Tape
Mouth taping is just as straightforward as it sounds: a simple piece of tape over your lips to keep your mouth closed, usually while you snooze. The practice is believed to enhance dental health and promote a better night’s sleep by encouraging you to breathe through your nose. This can help prevent common issues like dry mouth, bad breath and even gum irritation.
When choosing mouth tape, comfort is key – after all, if you’re aiming for a peaceful night’s sleep, you want something that feels good on your skin and stays in place throughout the night. Plus, a comfortable tape will minimize any tugging or pulling when you remove it in the morning, making your mouth taping experience that much more enjoyable and won’t hurt your skin!
Polyphasic Sleep
Polyphasic sleep is a fascinating approach that involves breaking your sleep into multiple short naps throughout the day, rather than the traditional continous eight hours of sleep at night. Advocates of this method argue that it can maximize the benefits of sleep by allowing for more efficient rest cycles.
By strategically timing these naps, you can fall into deep sleep stages more frequently, which can lead to enhanced alertness and improved cognitive function. It challenges the traditional idea that more sleep equals better sleep, suggesting that it’s all about quality and timing. But while this method might not be for everyone, experimenting with polyphasic sleep could open up new levels of productivity and energy – just what you need to enhance your sleep routine!
Chin Straps
Chin strapping is becoming a popular trend among those focused on sleepmaxxing, with promises to refine your jawline, tighten loose skin and even curb snoring.
Essentially, these are fabric bands that wrap around your head or ears, keeping your chin in a supportive position while you sleep through the night. By encouraging better alignment, chin straps can not only promote a more restful sleep but also enhance your look by alleviating tension in the jaw and neck area and reducing the appearance of double chins.
Sleeping Aid Apps
When it comes to enhancing your sleepmaxxing routine, sleep apps can be game-changers. Apps like ShutEye, Better Sleep, Calm and Noisli offer a range of features designed to help you relax and drift off more easily!
From guided meditations and audiobooks to sleep tracking, these tools make it easier to create an ideal sleep environment. While many of these apps do come with subscription options, most offer free trials, so you can test them out and see which ones resonate with you the best. Whether you’re looking for a calming bedtime story or white noise sounds, there’s likely an app that can support your journey toward better rest.
Should You Try Sleepmaxxing?
Embracing sleepmaxxing can significantly enhance various aspects of your life. For starters, improved sleep leads to a better mood and greater emotional regulation, making it easier to navigate daily challenges. With more restful nights, you’ll experience sharper cognitive function, boosting your memory, focus, and decision-making skills.
But while it’s great to focus on improving your sleep, don’t get too caught up in perfecting your sleep schedule! Obsessively tracking every hour or feeling anxious about not getting enough rest can actually create more stress. Remember, striving for flawless sleep doesn’t always lead to better rest. At the end of the day, it’s all about finding what works best for you and your sleeping habits. It’s best to listen to your body, prioritize what helps you relax and aim for balance rather than perfection!
What do you think about sleepmaxxing? Are there other methods we missed that you use to help maximize sleep? Let us know in the comments below!
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