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Topics: Sleep, Health, News, World News, US News, Technology, Social Media, Mental Health
Liv Bridge
Topics: Sleep, Health, News, World News, US News, Technology, Social Media, Mental Health
There is nothing worse than waking up on the wrong side of the bed after a bad night's sleep.
Feeling groggy and agitated aside, a bad night's kip - especially if your sleep routine is consistently out of whack - can lead to health problems.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, chronic poor sleep can be a fast-track ticket to dementia, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and even cancer.
Meanwhile, regular rest is a great boost for mental health, helps us maintain a healthy weight, lower stress and keeps us fighting fit from illnesses.
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That's why the new 'sleepmaxxing' trend, which promotes maximizing not only the amount but also the quality of sleep each night, sits comfortably in the health and wellness space as a pretty good idea.
Top tips by 'sleepmaxxing' pros on social media include stepping away from digital devices, ensuring your sleep environment is as dark and cold as possible, and avoid drinking caffeine between six to eight hours before bedtime.
Others, however, have turned to some unorthodox methods, as they swear by a trove of gadgets and 'hacks', like blue light glasses, sleep masks, supplements, bonnets and tape across their mouth, cheeks and under their eyes.
And while looking somewhat ridiculous in the process, experts are now warning this extreme sleep regimen might not be all it cracks up to be.
Speaking to CNN, Dr Jag Sunderram, professor of medicine at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, said it is a 'good thing' people have realized the health benefits of regular, good sleep.
“In the past, it was thought that sleep wasn’t important,” the doc said. “I think the trend towards understanding that sleep is actually really important, the reason sleep is important and actually focusing on sleep is a good thing."
But Dr Rafael Pelayo, a clinical professor in the sleep medicine division at Stanford University, warns that while gadgets like sleep tracking apps can be handy when it comes to monitoring rest factors, they can also negatively influence users - and might not even be accurate in the first place.
As for stuffing your face with supplements like magnesium or even kiwi fruit, health experts say supplements aren't necessary for everyone and could be risky if they help to cover the signs of a deeper health issue or sleep disorder.
Dr Anita Shelgikar, director of the sleep medicine fellowship and clinical professor of neurology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, told the news outlet that 'some medical conditions can worsen with magnesium supplement use'.
Taping your face up to prevent mouth breathing - which has been associated with snoring, dry mouth and gum disease - could also do more harm than good, as the doctors say it could cause soft tissue damage.
However, kiwis can go back on the bedtime menu as she said they have antioxidants and serotonin precursors which some studies say could promote sleep.
What medics do agree on is the basic foundations for a good night's sleep can't hurt - like sleeping in a dark room that's between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit, pulling the plug on technology in the room and dodging both caffeine and alcohol.
Blue light from phone screens is a particular concern as it can keep the brain awake and interfere with the sleep hormone, melatonin.
Dr Shelgikar added: "Sleepmaxxing can backfire if it turns what should be a restorative process into a high-pressure chore."
That, and you could develop orthosomnia, a medical term for an unhealthy obsession with getting perfect sleep.
"For some individuals, being overly attentive to sleep optimization and sleep patterns every night can increase stress and worsen sleep over time," the doc concluded.