Last updated: October 2026
Sleepmaxxing is a social media trend for optimising sleep with routines, gadgets and supplements. Some tips are backed by evidence, such as a consistent wake time, daylight, a cool dark bedroom and less late caffeine and alcohol. Others aren’t: a 2025 review warned mouth taping may be harmful for people with sleep apnoea.
Below: popular sleepmaxxing tips rated by evidence, a simple routine that works, and what to skip. If you just want to drop off quicker, see how to fall asleep fast.
Sleepmaxxing tips rated by evidence
| Tip | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Same wake-up time every day | Worth doing | Anchors your body clock; core of CBT for insomnia |
| Morning daylight | Worth doing | Helps set your body clock |
| Cool, dark, quiet bedroom | Worth doing | Heat, light and noise disrupt sleep |
| No caffeine after midday | Worth doing | Caffeine lingers for many hours |
| Less alcohol | Worth doing | Disrupts the second half of the night |
| Weighted blanket | Maybe | One trial in people with anxiety or depression found less insomnia; others are less clear |
| Eye mask and earplugs | Maybe | Useful if your room is light or noisy |
| Sleep trackers | Use lightly | Handy for trends, but obsessing over scores can raise anxiety |
| Mouth taping | Skip | A 2025 review found little benefit and possible serious harm in people with sleep apnoea. See mouth taping: does it work? |
| Sleepy girl mocktail | Harmless ritual | Little evidence. See sleepy girl mocktail |
A simple sleep routine that works
- Pick a wake-up time and stick to it, weekends included.
- Get outside within an hour of waking.
- Stop caffeine by midday and keep alcohol low. See caffeine and sleep.
- Wind down for 30 to 60 minutes: dim lights, a warm drink, a book, no work emails.
- Go to bed when sleepy, and if you’re awake for more than about 20 minutes, get up until you feel sleepy again.
See protecting your sleep when the clocks change and why you wake at 3am.
What to skip
- Mouth taping, especially if you snore loudly or might have sleep apnoea.
- Melatonin bought online: it’s prescription-only in the UK, and imported products vary wildly in strength. See melatonin in the UK.
- Stacking lots of supplements at once, especially with alcohol or sleeping pills.
- Chasing a perfect sleep score. How you feel in the day matters more.
Supplements
Supplement evidence for sleep is small and mixed. Magnesium contributes to normal psychological function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. See natural sleep aids ranked by evidence, magnesium for sleep and CBD for sleep. Add one thing at a time so you know what helps.
Our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a warm evening drink, and our Sleep CBD Oil combines broad spectrum CBD with passion flower. The FSA’s 10mg a day figure for CBD is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication.
When to see a GP
See a GP if poor sleep lasts 3 months or more, or you snore loudly, stop breathing or gasp in your sleep, or feel very sleepy in the day. The NHS offers CBT for insomnia. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
FAQs
What is sleepmaxxing?
A social media trend for optimising sleep with routines, gadgets and supplements. Some tips are evidence-based; others, like mouth taping, aren’t.
Is mouth taping safe?
A 2025 review found little evidence of benefit and possible serious harm for people with sleep apnoea or blocked noses. It’s best avoided.
Do sleep trackers help?
They can show trends, but worrying about scores can make sleep worse. Use them lightly.
What is the best sleepmaxxing routine?
A fixed wake-up time, morning daylight, no late caffeine, little alcohol, a cool dark room and a calm wind-down.
Do weighted blankets help sleep?
One trial in people with anxiety or depression found less insomnia with a weighted blanket. Evidence in others is less clear.
Sources
- Rhee J et al. Breaking social media fads and uncovering the safety and efficacy of mouth taping: a systematic review. PLoS One, 2025.
- Ekholm B et al. A randomized controlled study of weighted chain blankets for insomnia in psychiatric disorders. J Clin Sleep Med, 2020.
- Ebrahim IO et al. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 2013.
- NHS. Insomnia.
