WASHINGTON: From mouth taping to rope-assisted neck swinging, a viral social media trend is promoting extreme bedtime routines that claim to deliver perfect sleep — despite scant medical evidence and potential safety risks.
Influencers on platforms including TikTok and X are fueling a growing wellness obsession popularly known as “sleepmaxxing,” a catch-all term for activities and products aimed at optimizing sleep quality.
The explosive rise of the trend — generating tens of millions of posts — underscores social media’s power to legitimize unproven health practices, particularly as tech platforms scale back content moderation.
One so-called insomnia cure involves people hanging by their necks with ropes or belts and swinging their bodies in the air.
“Those who try it claim their sleep problems have significantly improved,” said one clip on X that racked up more than 11 million views.
