Does Your Favorite TikTok Sleep Hack Actually Work? Viral Sleep Hacks Debunked

Are you an avid social media user? Thanks to social media, you can share content with your family and friends in the blink of an eye. Some of the most popular videos that circulate around social media are “life hacks—” creative ways to perform simple tasks, like cooking, cleaning, and even sleeping.

These life hacks are supposed to be easier or better ways to do everyday tasks. But do they actually work?

A lot of sleep hacks from TikTok have been going viral— including mine about how to get back to sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night, with over 1.5m views.  

I’ve even written an article about one of them that many people are doing right now, often incorrectly. But do they actually help you sleep better? There are a lot of false health claims on social media, and it can be hard to tell what’s real and what’s not, especially if the trick seems legitimate.

So let’s examine 7 viral sleep hacks to see if they actually help you sleep— or if you need to say good night to your favorite TikTok sleep hack.

Do These 7 Viral TikTok Sleep Hacks Work?

Let me begin by spoiling the answer— no, some of these hacks do not work at all. However, a few of them are the real deal. So let’s separate fact from fiction so you don’t lose sleep over any bogus sleep hacks.

1. Drinking “Lettuce Tea” Before Bed

While the right kind of tea can help you sleep, lettuce tea is not one of them.

The viral sleep hack originally posted by TikTok user Shapla Hoque claims that lettuce has sleep-promoting properties— and that the lettuce tea can make you feel sleepy within 30 minutes of consumption.

I’ve debunked this one before on PopSugar and Everyday Health. It’s complete baloney. A test on mice showed that lettuce may have some effect on sleep duration— but not sleep onset. In this study, the mice were also drugged with a sedative just after they were given the lettuce extract. So if the mice were sedated, it’s highly unlikely that it was the lettuce extract that helped them fall asleep.

Studies on mice aside, there is no evidence in humans showing that lettuce will help you sleep. But if you want a tea that will help you sleep, I recommend trying banana tea— I’ve even shared how to make it on TikTok!

2. The “Military Sleep Hack”

Also known as the military sleep method, this TikTok sleep hack is advertised as the method soldiers use to fall asleep anytime, anywhere— even on the battlefield. Not only that, but it can apparently help you fall asleep in 2 minutes flat.

You start the technique by laying flat, and clearing your mind. Then you relax each muscle in your body— from your head down to your toes. You essentially want each part of your body to “shut down” to let you sleep.

This technique may sound familiar to my longtime readers. That’s because this is essentially progressive muscle relaxation— but not quite.

Progressive muscle relaxation does help you sleep— but there are a few key differences between the military sleep method and actual progressive muscle relaxation. Here’s how to do the technique properly:

• Instead of starting at your head, start at your feet and move upward.
• Tense each muscle group before you relax them. This promotes awareness of the stress or tension in your body, so that you are better prepared to release it.

3. Using Crystals to Promote Sleep

The hack claims that certain crystals— such as amethyst, rose quartz, and moonstone— can help you calm your mind and fall asleep more easily.

Let me be frank— this is completely bogus. At best, it may offer a placebo effect.

Instead of using crystals to help you sleep, try one of my favorite TikTok sleep tricks: counting backward from 300 by threes. It’s like counting sheep, but your mind is so occupied by trying to count backward by odd numbers that you won’t even be thinking about falling asleep. Not to mention, it’s so boring that you’ll be asleep in no time!

4. Wearing Socks to Bed

This simple sleep hack states that wearing socks to bed can help you get better sleep. This actually can work!

One study published by the Journal of Physiological Anthropology observed 6 young men and examined how well they slept when they wore socks to bed, compared to when they did not.

The researchers found that the participants that wore socks to bed almost 8 minutes faster than those who did not. They also slept for 32 minutes longer, and experienced significantly fewer nighttime awakenings.

Wearing socks can definitely help you sleep better if you deal with cold feet at night— but this hack may not be for everyone. If you’re uncomfortable wearing socks to bed, then you probably want to skip this one.

Related: What to Wear to Bed for Better Sleep

5. The 4-7-8 Technique

Longtime readers will probably recognize this sleep hack too! I’ve been a fan of the 4-7-8 technique for years— because it works. I’ve even shared this technique on TikTok! It just goes to show that you should never underestimate the calming power that a deep breath can have.

The 4-7-8 technique helps lower your heart rate, which can make you feel tired. By focusing on your breathing, you’re also able to calm your mind and fall asleep more easily. This can be especially effective if anxiety or worry has been keeping you up at night.

Here’s how to do it:

• Slowly inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds
• Slowly exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds
• Repeat as needed

It’s that easy. Give it a try tonight— I think you’ll find this much more effective than lettuce tea.

6. Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy uses essential oils from plants to help promote health through pleasant scents. It’s used as a natural remedy for many health problems from a stuffy nose and an upset stomach to insomnia.

Your sense of smell is directly wired to the emotion and memory centers of your brain. That’s why some smells have such a strong and evocative effect on you. For example, the smell of your mom’s homemade cookies or the smell of the ocean after a childhood trip to the beach might make you feel calm or nostalgic.

Aromatherapy can be an excellent way to help you get a better night’s sleep. Here are a few essential oils I recommend for better sleep:

• Lavender
• Vanilla
• Citrus
• Jasmine

To use essential oils, you can use a diffuser, add oil to a bath, or inhale directly from the bottle. Never apply essential oils directly to your skin. Undiluted essential oils can cause skin irritation, rashes, or even burns.

7. Reducing Your Bedroom’s Temperature

This bedtime hack is the simplest of the bunch— just turn down the thermostat to make your bedroom cooler and fall asleep more easily.

This TikTok hack is also true— I’ve even posted about it! In fact, when it comes to sleep, the cooler the better. For most people, the ideal bedroom temperature is 65 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s because hot temperatures can make you more likely to get up during the night, and can decrease the amount of time you spend in REM sleep.

However, if you or your bed partner tend to sleep cold, this may not be the right sleep hack for you. Alternatively, if your partner sleeps cold but you sleep warm— there is a way to compromise without touching the thermostat.

One of the best ways to do this is with the ChiliSleep system. This unique mattress pad allows you to adjust the temperature on your side of the bed only, so you can always sleep comfortably, no matter the room temperature.

Why You Should Always Take “Life Hacks” With a Grain of Salt

Everyone’s heard the saying “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” You’ve probably also heard that you shouldn’t believe everything you see on the Internet. Both are very important pieces of advice to remember if you ever see a particularly enticing life hack on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube.

Most life hack videos are carefully edited to look as alluring as possible. This can be especially tricky if the hack they’re showing doesn’t actually work— and most of them don’t.

The fact is, many life hacks are dubious at best, and dangerous at worst. A distressing number of people have gotten injured— or worse— when putting fake hacks to the test. So if you see a life hack video that seems too good to be true, do your research before you try it yourself. It could save you a lot of frustration if the hack doesn’t work— it can even keep you and your family safe.

Put These Sleep Hacks to Rest

While there are some legitimate sleep “hacks” on social media, most of them are completely bogus. But for every hack that doesn’t work, there is one that does. But if you want a healthy TikTok sleep hack that does work— minus the dancing around and pointing at words on the screen, take a look at my TikTok!

And remember, if it seems too good to be true, always do your research before you give it a try. That extra caution can potentially save you a lot of time, frustration, and even heartache.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD, FAASM

The Sleep Doctor

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