Main content

Is sleepmaxxing actually helpful?

And is the science behind sleep trackers legit?

Researching ways to improve your sleep has been popular for years but now it鈥檚 evolved and there鈥檚 a whole new genre of social media content called 鈥楽leepmaxxing鈥�. It shows ways you can build your perfect night鈥檚 sleep, by taking magnesium supplements, using black-out curtains or white noise machines. Experts say the popularity has boomed thanks to the accessibility of smart watches which give users sleep scores. We hear from Ollie, who tracks his sleep and is aiming for the perfect score.

麻豆社 reporter Ashitha Nagesh who鈥檚 been reporting on the trend, tells us why some experts advise against multi-layered sleep routines and an obsessive fixation with sleep called orthosomnia.

Plus, sleep expert Sophie Bostock tells us how reliable popular sleep trackers are and what they are really measuring.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Mollie Perella, Emily Horler and Benita Barden
Editor: Verity Wilde

Available now

10 minutes

Last on

Fri 2 Oct 2026 02:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 1 Oct 2026 17:50GMT
  • Fri 2 Oct 2026 02:50GMT

Podcast