Expert weighs in on trending topics in sleep health

Something to ponder as we welcome the extra hour of sleep from the return to standard time: If we’re looking into sleep hacks—things like the “sleepy girl mocktail,” mouth taping, or something called “chronoworking”—does that mean we’re getting better at prioritizing sleep in our lives?

Dr. Jennifer Kanaan in UConn Health’s Sleep Disorders Center says some of these strategies for better sleep that are trending on social media can be helpful, some can be a waste of money, and some can be potentially harmful.

But overall, the fact that it’s even a topic of conversation, particularly among young adults, is promising to someone who’s spent most of her adult life trying to convince people that sleep health is important.

“What I really like about some of the things that are out there is that you’re really creating these sleep rituals, sleep routines; you’re inviting and not demanding sleep, and I think it’s very important to foster that,” Kanaan says.

“This is an opportunity. Sleep has never been ‘cool,’ right? Now all of a sudden it’s cool. It’s hip. It’s interesting. People want to get a good night’s sleep. In my lifetime, they’ve never wanted to get a good night’s sleep. So that I think is really exciting.”

Redirecting the energy to embrace sleep

The opportunity comes from harnessing the curiosity of people who are interested enough in better sleep that they’re spending time and money trying to achieve it. It’s a mindset that can make them more receptive to recommendations from sleep experts.

“For example, melatonin, if taken correctly, for people who have a delayed sleep phase, can help synchronize your sleep cycle to a cycle that is beneficial for you,” Kanaan says. “But I think the overall goal is really to get people to a point where they’re able to sleep without the assistance of a medication or supplement, and really to focus more on the rituals of sleep.”

That means carving out enough time to sleep, and developing an environment that’s conducive to sleeping by bringing down the temperature, light, and noise.

“Make sure your bedroom is cool enough; it’s 67 degrees,” Kanaan says. “A lot of people sleep hotter than they probably should. Make sure it’s quiet. Make sure devices are out of your room.”

For those whose phones have become an extension of their being, that’s where the worlds can collide.

“A device that’s plugged in, in your room, still emits a blue wavelength of light, and some people are very susceptible to that,” Kanaan says. “So putting those devices out of the room is super important. So is limiting the bed for sleep. You have your portable laptop and you hang out in bed and you chill and then you wonder why you can’t fall asleep at night.”

On top of the blue wavelength is the fact that a lot of what we see on our screens is designed to be stimulating. That gets the brain going, or works against it trying to slow down, neither of which is an invitation to sleep.

“If you’re someone who doesn’t want to leave the phone outside the room, I get it,” Kanaan says. “But see if there’s a way to make the phone work for you. You’re not working for the phone.”

She recommends podcasts or audio books in styles or about topics that are less likely to stimulate as a better use of the phone in the bedroom.

“It’s so important to understand that the algorithms many apps use are not designed for your health, they’re designed to get your money,” Kanaan says. “So you have to recognize that you have to set boundaries with your phone and with the algorithms, and allow your body to get the rest it deserves.”

The mocktail

What’s become known as “the sleepy girl mocktail,” usually magnesium powder, tart cherry juice and sparkling water, is said to promote relaxation. Its effectiveness may lie more within what it represents than what it actually does.

“For the average person, is magnesium powder detrimental? No. Does it help your sleep? Probably not,” Kanaan says. “The thing I like about the mocktail is it helps you develop a sleep ritual. The mocktail itself is probably not going to help you sleep better, but there may be a placebo effect that may help you with that ritual.”

Pets in the bed

The question of whether to share your bed with dogs or cats is one that comes down to situation.

“If the dog or cat takes up the majority of the space on the bed and you physically cannot move, that’s a problem,” Kanaan says. “If you have allergies, that’s a problem. Having said that, some people find it comforting, and so I would encourage those people to utilize that source of comfort. Some people need that tactile sense of something, they like a particular pillow or they like a particular blanket, and that’s OK, they have attachment objects.”

Mouth taping

The idea of taping your lips closed before bed, as a way to reduce snoring by forcing nose-breathing, is not among Kanaan’s recommendations. She concurs with her colleague, Adrian Salmon, who recently addressed this on UConn Today.

Chronoworking

A strategy that deals more with waking hours than bedtime routine is chronoworking, a term used to describe when people, mostly those who work from home, work in shifts that line up better with their internal clocks.

“If you figure out what kind of circadian preference you have—early bird or night owl—you can use it to your advantage,” Kanaan says. “You can do hard things at times of peak alertness. You can fold laundry when you’re a little bit drowsy, but you can work on your presentation when you’re in a period of peak alertness. Understanding your circadian rhythm and how to make it work for you I think is really important.”

Why it matters

Self-awareness can go a long way in optimizing sleep, and by extension, overall health. This can especially apply to young adults—college-age to early 20s—who are still maturing.

“They’re starting to read their instruction manual, like, ‘How does my body work? How does it change over time?’ They’re starting to really understand themselves,” Kanaan says.

“And this is an important part of understanding yourself. What time is optimal for you to get work done? How many hours of sleep do you need a night? Can you do catch-up sleep? This is all part of your instruction manual. You can use it to your advantage on a personal level, on a work level, on an athletic level.”

That also goes for things like how we heal, cope, manage stress, handle personal relationships, perform in school, and check impulsive behaviors. Better sleep has even been shown to help us respond better to medical treatment, including vaccinations.

Sleep disorders still sabotage

“It’s important to distinguish that, while some of the things that are described on TikTok are great habits, they may not completely solve your problem,” Kanaan says.

That’s because an underlying sleep disorder can work against whatever good sleep habits we try to develop. And that’s where a sleep medicine expert can help us get the most out of the choices we make.

“It’s not normal to snore. If your legs are causing you discomfort and preventing you from sleeping, that’s a problem. If you’re falling asleep at inappropriate times, that’s a problem,” Kanaan says. “And those are fixable.”

“Sleep is, is a no-cost, no-side-effect tool that can help them in whatever they want to achieve, whether it’s job or relationship or financial success or happiness,” Kanaan says. “For me, it’s super exciting to see that people are following these trends. They’re finally understanding that good sleep is important. And now we just have to take that enthusiasm and direct it in ways that we know work, that are successful and scientifically proven. Science is not a bad word.”