A good night’s sleep is the basis of a good day ahead, yet many of us hit the sack without really thinking about the process. Now, however, Gen Zers across the US are collectively working on improving the quality and quantity of the sleep they get by being mindful about when and how they sleep.
Called ‘sleepmaxxing’, or sleep optimisation, the trend has seen people opting for a wide array of ways to make their sleep time better. This includes some more obvious choices, such as no television or mobile phones half hour before bedtime, and ensuring they take their make-up off and get their skincare routine done.
Others, meanwhile, have started taking magnesium supplements before bed, which can help people sleep better for longer, therefore helping you feel less tired during the day. They’ve also started monitoring their sleeping patterns using trusty mobile phone apps, as well as making sure their rooms are entirely dark.
All of this is great, though some have gone somewhat further, choosing to tape their mouths in a bid to stop themselves snoring (which doesn’t work!), or even obsessing over achieving perfect sleep score ratings on the sleep monitoring apps.
Overall, experts are pleased to see people taking a more active approach to sleeping better, especially as better sleep means more energy, a more resilient immune system, and even better weight control.
Even so, they have issued a warning about taking things too far, which can in itself cause anxiety. So, in other words, while it’s great to prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep ahead of getting into bed, it’s also important not to be consumed by it!