Expert warns Beware of sleep tips on the internet - they could be fatal
Whether it's mouth plasters, kiwis or swings on the neck strap - increasingly absurd sleep tips are circulating on social media under the hashtag "Sleepmaxxing". Experts warn that many of them are ineffective and some are even life-threatening.
11.08.2025, 08:35
13.08.2025, 16:32
SDA
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- The "Sleepmaxxing" social media trend propagates methods such as "neck swinging" or "mouth taping", some of which are dangerous and scientifically unproven and can lead to injuries or even death.
- Experts warn that such tips are not only ineffective, but can also be counterproductive for people with sleep disorders, as the obsession with perfect sleep increases stress and thus the problems.
- Influencers are exploiting the trend commercially, for example by selling mouth patches or melatonin products, even though professional associations advise against their use for insomnia.
Night-time mouth patches, kiwis before going to bed or swinging through the air with a belt under your chin and neck: Influencers are fuelling a growing obsession under the collective term "Sleepmaxxing" (roughly: optimizing sleep). However, not all of the recommendations circulating actually ensure a restful night's sleep: the trend hides many dubious claims without any scientific basis - some of which can even be fatal.
Night-time mouth plasters, kiwis before going to bed or swinging through the air with a belt under your chin and neck: Influencers are fuelling a growing obsession under the collective term "sleepmaxxing" (roughly: optimizing sleep). However, not all of the recommendations circulating actually ensure a restful night's sleep: the trend hides many dubious claims without any scientific basis - some of which can even be fatal.
One of the supposed miracle cures for insomnia is "neck swinging", which has become particularly popular in Chinese online services: It involves people hanging in the air with padded belts under their chins and at the back of their necks, allowing their bodies to swing back and forth. "Those who try it claim that their sleep problems have improved significantly," says a video on the online service X that has been viewed over eleven million times - but there is no evidence of this.
On the contrary: ever since a Chinese state broadcaster reported at least one death in connection with neck swinging, experts have been sounding the alarm. This is a good example of "how online media can normalize the absurd", says Timothy Coulfield, an expert specializing in misinformation from the University of Alberta in Canada. "Sleepmaxxing" routines like these are "ridiculous, potentially harmful and without scientific basis".
A taped mouth against snoring?
Another popular practice among sleep optimizers is so-called "mouth taping", the nightly taping of the mouth with a specially developed plaster. Numerous influencers recommend this type of plaster to promote nasal breathing. According to them, "mouth taping" ensures better sleep, promotes oral health and reduces snoring - these claims also remain without any evidence.
In fact, a study by the US University George Washington came to the conclusion that these claims cannot be scientifically proven. Medical experts also warn that taping your mouth shut at night could be dangerous - especially for people who suffer from sleep apnoea.
Other scientifically unproven tips for better sleep touted by "Sleepmaxxing" influencers range from eating two kiwis right before bedtime, to weight blankets and wearing blue and red tinted glasses.
Counterproductive effect
"Some of these tips may be harmless for people who generally sleep well," says British sleep expert Kathryn Pinkham. But for people with actual sleep problems, many of the "Sleepmaxxing" tips shared could be "actively detrimental or even harmful".
Adequate sleep is rightly considered the cornerstone of good health. But experts warn that "Sleepmaxxing" could lead to an excessive, obsessive preoccupation with perfect sleep: According to Pinkham, poor sleep is often exacerbated by a "fear of fixing it" - a fact largely ignored by "Sleepmaxxing" influencers. "The more we try to control sleep with tricks or rigid routines, the more alert and stressed we become," says Pinkham.
Financial incentive for influencers
Some "sleepmaxxing" influencers are also trying to profit financially from the growing popularity of the trend by promoting products such as mouth patches, sleep-inducing drink powders and "Sleepmax gummy bears" with melatonin. However, the US Academy of Sleep Medicine advises against melatonin for the treatment of insomnia in adults, citing conflicting medical evidence regarding its effectiveness.
Regardless of the specific tip: according to experts, a doctor should always be consulted in the event of real sleep problems. "Sleepmaxxing" tips, on the other hand, could exacerbate the problem. "For people with genuine sleep problems, this type of advice often means additional pressure rather than relief," explains Pinkham.
