5 Trendy Sleep Hacks That Are Worth Questioning

If you've ever gone down a late night internet rabbit hole searching for a better night's sleep, you know the advice out there can be overwhelming, and not all of it holds up. Some tips are backed by solid research, while others are more marketing than science, or even risk making sleep problems worse.

On today's blog, we'll look at some of the most popular internet sleep advice that you'll want to proceed with caution on.

Melatonin. Melatonin is a powerful hormone that tells our body when it's time to prepare for sleep. Many people do experience positive effects, like falling asleep faster, when taking a melatonin supplement, but there are a few things to consider.

Melatonin doesn't address middle of the night wakeups, and in some cases it may even make them worse once the supplement wears off, so it's important to think about which problem you're actually trying to address.

Second, in most countries melatonin is only available by prescription. In the US, it can be bought over the counter, but it isn't well regulated. A 2023 study found that some melatonin gummies contained up to 347% of the dosage listed on the label. Taken in high amounts, melatonin may cause side effects including bad dreams, morning grogginess, nausea, or constipation.

So if you're considering melatonin, it's always best to talk with your doctor and get a prescription when possible, so you know exactly what dose you or your child are taking.

Tracking everything. It seems like we're tracking and optimizing everything these days, especially sleep. Getting an accurate baseline can be helpful in some cases, but for many people, constantly paying attention to their sleep actually makes it worse.

A new term, orthosomnia, has emerged to describe the negative effects that come from an obsession with getting the "optimal" night's sleep. This focus often leads to stress and anxiety over poor sleep scores, which in turn leads to poorer sleep, and sometimes even insomnia.

Spend more time in bed. I heard it recommended on a popular podcast recently that if you want more sleep, you should just spend more time in bed. For people who aren't getting enough sleep simply because they aren't giving themselves the opportunity to, this can be good advice. But the problem with this blanket recommendation is that if it's already taking someone an hour to fall asleep, and we tell them to go to bed an hour earlier, they're now lying awake for two hours instead of one, which can make sleep problems even worse.

It's important to identify the underlying issue before trying this particular sleep "hack."

Expensive bedding. Silk pillowcases, bamboo sheets, weighted blankets. Companies are constantly trying to sell us luxury items with the promise of a better night's sleep.

There's nothing wrong with treating yourself to these things if you enjoy them, but problems arise when we start to believe they'll solve our underlying sleep issues. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking we just need to buy one more thing, spending more time and money without necessarily seeing better results.

Magnesium lotion. Magnesium deficiency is a real and common health concern that can impact sleep, but rubbing magnesium lotion on the skin hasn't been shown to be effective. Skin generally acts as a protective barrier, meaning larger minerals like magnesium can't easily pass through into the bloodstream.

That said, having a relaxing bedtime routine that involves applying lotion, magnesium or otherwise, can still help you fall asleep faster. Since magnesium lotion carries a low risk of harm (aside from the cost), it's fine to use, but if you have a diagnosed magnesium deficiency, it won't be a substitute for oral supplementation.

Final Thoughts. At the end of the day, there's no single hack, supplement, or product that can replace the basics when it comes to sleep. Aiming to keep a consistent schedule, a nightly wind down time, and a regulated nervous system will generally help more than anything you can buy.

When in doubt, it's always worth checking with your doctor before adding something new to your (or your child's) sleep routine, so you can feel confident you're doing what's actually going to help.