Health Experts Debunk 3 Popular Sleep Hacks: Try These Alternatives Instead

Bed rotting

“Bed rotting” refers to staying in bed for extended periods of time to boost rest, often to the point of neglecting responsibilities and social interactions, with the hopes of improving restoration. According to the AASM survey, this has been adopted by nearly a quarter (24%) of Gen Z.

“While spending time in bed can be beneficial for rest and recovery, too much time spent in bed can have negative effects on mental and physical health,” said Morse.

While she encourages the occasional relaxation and restoration efforts, she said protracted periods of time spent lying in bed for any other reason than sleep or sex may jeopardize the health of your sleep, and with that, your medical and mental health could be at risk too.

Sound like an overreaction? Morse said it’s not.

“Your mind can be conditioned to associate things that aren’t meant to be together. So, if you retreat to your bed to ‘rot’ away your anxiety, bad day, recent breakup, or other daily challenge, lying in bed can start to make you revisit these negative emotions and lead to difficulties falling and staying asleep,” she said.

Spending a lot of awake time in bed makes people associate the bed with being awake, “making the bed less of a ‘protected’ place for good quality sleep,” Jade Wu, PhD, sleep medicine psychologist and Sleep Advisor at Mattress Firm, told Healthline.

In extreme cases, and for those who may have other medical risk factors, prolonged inactivity from lying in bed can lead to issues like muscle atrophy, decreased cardiovascular fitness, and increased risk of obesity, added Morse.

Sedentariness generally doesn’t make people feel better and can have a negative impact on mood, sleep, and metabolic health, said Wu.

“Sometimes when we’ve been over-doing it, it can help to give ourselves a chance to rest, though generally, I would reserve that for situations where you’ve truly been doing intensive exercise, working overtime, or going through something extraordinarily taxing,” she said. “I wouldn’t make a general habit of it just for the sake of avoiding starting the day.”

Try this instead: if you’re overwhelmed with work or life, rather than staying in bed for prolonged periods of time to refresh, Wu suggested finding a quiet change of scene in nature, practicing mindful meditation or yoga, or reading a book.

Drinking a magnesium “sleepy girl mocktail”

Nearly 9% of survey respondents have tried drinking magnesium to help with sleep. The “sleepy girl mocktail” trending on social media is made of a half-cup of pure tart cherry juice, a tablespoon of magnesium powder, and sparkling water.

Drinking magnesium or taking magnesium supplements is generally safe when done within recommended guidelines, said Morse. Magnesium is a mineral that is important for multiple body functions, especially neurologic functioning, which affects sleep.

However, research on the impact of magnesium supplements on sleep has not yielded consistent results, but some data shows higher dosing may improve sleep quality.

“The limitations of the research are typically related to the type of magnesium studied and small groups of participants, which raises questions on the ability to apply this information,” said Morse.

For instance, a 2023 systematic literature review made a connection to magnesium status and sleep quality in observational studies and a small study from 2012 reported that people who took a daily dose of 500 mg of magnesium for eight weeks indicated that they had fewer subjective insomnia symptoms than people who received the placebo.

However, large-scale randomized control trials have not shown a specific correlation between supplementing with magnesium and improvements in sleep quality.

Morse said that if you’re going to try magnesium to enhance sleep, take note that magnesium formulations are used medically for stomach issues like constipation, indigestion, and heartburn and can cause loose stools or diarrhea.

Try this instead: Talk with your doctor about magnesium before trying it or about other supplements or medications that may be more effective and tailored to your sleep issues.

Sleeping in 90-minute increments

Of those who took the AASM survey, 9% said they tested the effectiveness of sleeping in 90-minute increments.

The idea of sleeping in 90-minute increments is based on the concept of the sleep cycle, which lasts about 90 to 120 minutes for adults and 50-to-60-minute cycles during early childhood.

Each night, the brain goes through multiple sleep cycles, each lasting 90 to 120 minutes, and the cycles consist of different stages of sleep: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM (NREM) sleep, explained Morse.

“Unfortunately, the idea misses out on the fact that each cycle can vary,” said Morse. “While the 90-minute increment idea can be attractive to some who are trying to get a better handle on achieving their best night’s sleep, it will likely miss the mark. When you prioritize a full night of restful sleep, you’re more likely to feel refreshed and energized, regardless of whether you wake up at the end of a specific cycle.”

For those trying to take a daytime nap, Wu said to aim for around 30 minutes and avoid going over one hour because longer naps can negatively impact nighttime sleep. Also, there is evidence linking longer napping to higher risks for heart disease in the long run.

“If you are sleeping at night, there is no reason to purposefully interrupt sleep at the 90-minute mark,” said Wu.

Extraordinary circumstances are an exception, like a soldier on a mission, an ultramarathoner who is running for 24-plus hours, or someone experiencing jet lag.

“Then it’s okay to nap for any amount of time that is needed to catch up on sleep that the body needs, including a 90-minute nap if that’s what’s feasible,” said Wu. “But there is nothing special about 90-minute cycles that warrants trying to sleep in these increments.”

Try this instead: Instead of sleeping in 90-minute increments, Morse recommended focusing on getting into a regular sleep schedule and shooting for seven to nine hours of sleep a night, which is likely to bring a higher return on investment.

Helpful sleep habits to consider

While there are many attractive sleep “hacks” on social media, they are enticing because they don’t require a lot of effort. “But if good sleep health were as simple as taking a supplement or staying in bed all day, we wouldn’t have so many millions of people with sleep problems in the U.S.,” said Wu.

If you’re at a loss for ways to get better quality sleep, consider the following strategies:

• Don’t force anything related to sleep. Instead, Morse said to uncover what is causing the resistance. “The challenge here is that there are over 70 types of sleep disorders, plus innumerable medical and psychiatric disorders that can contribute to difficulties sleeping,” she said. “Forcing someone to be in bed can actually worsen these issues.”
• Getting lots of bright light exposure during the day, ideally by being physically active outdoors can help boost sleep quality.
• Set a consistent sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time, or within an hour of that time, every day helps regulate your body’s internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally.
• Practice good sleep hygiene. Try to create a relaxing bedtime routine by making your bedroom quiet, keeping the room at a comfortable, cool temperature, and limiting exposure to bright light in the evenings, said Morse.
• Discuss hacks you’re interested in with your doctor. Sharing solutions you find online with your doctor is a good first step. “Sometimes what we find is that the solution you want to discuss actually helps you and your [doctor] uncover what the real problem is. And, now they are able to tailor treatment to your specific situation,” said Morse.