Sleepmaxxing: what works, what doesn't, and where mouth tape fits
Sleepmaxxing is the practice of improving your sleep with a stack of habits, products and routines, from a steady wake time and a cool, dark bedroom to nasal breathing support, supplements and a proper wind down.
I'm Brodie, mom of four boys and the co-founder of Tapeher with my husband Phil. For a long time I was tired in a way coffee couldn't touch. I tried supplements, sleep routines and expensive products, and nothing moved the needle. So when sleepmaxxing exploded online, I understood why. People are desperate for a good night's sleep, and I was one of them.
Here's the routine I wish someone had handed me. It's simple, it's in order, and it includes the one thing that changed my sleep the most.
The sleepmaxxing checklist
- Wake up at the same time every day
- Get daylight within the first hour
- Cut caffeine by early afternoon
- Keep alcohol and heavy meals away from bedtime
- Take 30 minutes to wind down with low light and no scrolling
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet
- Support nasal breathing at night
- Add extras like magnesium one at a time, if at all
Everything below explains how, and why.
What is sleepmaxxing?
Sleepmaxxing is the pursuit of optimal sleep through a layered combination of supplements, wearable trackers, smart mattresses, cooling systems, mouth tape and increasingly elaborate bedtime routines. It started on TikTok and Reddit, and one source counts over 125 million social media posts tagged with it.
Some of it is noise, and I'll tell you which parts. But the reason it took off is real: more people finally see sleep as the foundation for everything else. I'm all for that.
How I got here: four boys, no sleep, and a reluctant tape
I was the mom who was up early and running on fumes by 2 p.m. I tried everything I could think of, and nothing changed.
Then I tried mouth taping. I'll be honest, I was skeptical, and I only gave it a shot because I was out of ideas. It changed things for me. My restorative sleep went from roughly two hours a night to over four, and I started waking up feeling like myself again.
The problem was the tape itself. The options I could find were poor quality, irritating on sensitive skin, or covered far more of my face than I wanted. So my husband Phil and I spent about a year developing and testing our own. It's a smaller, gentler, hypoallergenic X shape. That became Tapeher (and Tapehim for the guys).
Now, on to the routine.
Step 1: pick a wake time and stick to it
If you only do one thing, do this. One source calls a steady bed and wake time the strongest evidence in all of sleepmaxxing, including on weekends.
It's not exciting, but it works, and it's free. Pick a time you can keep even when Saturday feels like it deserves a lie in. With four boys in the house, my weekend wake time iis not really up for debate anyway.
Step 2: get daylight and move
Try to get outside soon after you wake up. Five to 15 minutes in the sunlight sets the tone for better sleep. On a grey Ontario morning, standing at a bright window with your coffee still helps.
Move your body during the day too. A walk counts. You don't need a special program.
Step 3: be smart about caffeine and alcohol
If you like caffeine in the morning, avoid it within six to eight hours of bed. For most people, that means an early afternoon cutoff.
Alcohol is trickier because it feels like it helps. Once its sedating effects wear off, it disrupts restorative sleep. If you keep waking at 3 a.m., look at what you had after dinner.
Step 4: build a wind down (this is where my tape goes on)
Thirty minutes of low light and no scrolling is enough. Dim the lights, wash your face, read, stretch, journal. It doesn't need to be fancy. It needs to be the same every night, so your body learns what's coming.
My wind down ends with my nightly nasal breathing routine, which I'll get to in a minute. When it's part of the ritual, it stops feeling like a "thing" and starts feeling like brushing your teeth.
Step 5: make your bedroom cool, dark and quiet
Cooler rooms help. One source says a cool temperature increases time in deep slow wave sleep, and a common target is 15 to 19 degrees Celsius. In an Ontario winter, cracking a window does the job.
Block the liight with blackout curtains or a sleep mask. If your room isn't fully dark, a mask makes a difference, and we make a silk one. Add a fan or white noise if you need to cover the street, or the boys.
Step 6: nasal breathing, the piece most sleepmaxxing routines skip
This is the step that changed my sleep almost instantly, so I'm going to spend some time on it.
Why breathing through your nose matters at night
Your nose is built to warm, humidify and filter the air you breathe. Your mouth isn't. A lot of us breathe through our mouths at night without realizing it, and that's a common reason people wake with a dry mouth, a sore throat or a foggy head, even after a full night in bed.
Nasal breathing is the way your body is designed to work. The trick is staying with it while you're asleep, when you can't think about it.
What mouth tape does
That's the whole idea behind mouth tape. It's a small, gentle strip that reminds your lips to stay together, so you breathe through your nose all night. It's not a big dramatic thing. It's a nudge.
I'll be upfront about the research: the evidence on how well mouth taping works is still uncertain, and most studies are small. I'm not going to tell you it's medicine. What I can tell you is what it did for me, and what I hear from the community we've built around it: people wake up feeling more rested.
Mouth tape and nose strips together
If your nose gets stuffy at night, nose strips help hold the nostrils open so nasal breathing feels easier. Lots of our customers wear a nose strip and mouth tape together, and it's one of the most common combinations we hear about.
How to get started
Keep the first night simple.
Pick a night when your nose feels clear and you're relaxed. Put the tape on for a few minutes while you're still awake, so you know how it feels before you fall asleep. Give yourself a few nights to adjust, because most people need a little time. Take it off the moment it doesn't feel right.
One important note: Tapeher is a sleep habit product, not a treatment for snoring or sleep apnea. If you have a blocked nose, a breathing condition or a sleep disorder, check with your doctor before you start.
Which Tapeher is right for you
The original Tapeher is our X shaped tape, made from 95% cotton and 5% spandex. It's third party tested, PFAS free and hypoallergenic, so it's soft on sensitive skin. If you're nervous about trying it, the Tapeher Mini is smaller and a good first step. Tapehim is the same idea for guys.
Step 7: what about supplements, food and red light?
This is where sleepmaxxing gets crowded, so keep it simple.
Magnesium. It's one of the most popular sleepmaxxing habits. Magnesium glycinate has the most consistent evidence among sleep supplements, especially for people who are deficient. But some medical conditions can worsen with magnesium supplements, so ask your doctor or pharmacist first.
Kiwis and tart cherry juice. Some foods are chosen because early studies have explored a link to sleep. They're harmless as an evening snack, but don't expect miracles.
Red light. The evidence is thinner here. Only a few studies have linked it with improved sleep. Nice to try if you're curious, not a place to spend first.
What to skip
Cold plunges before bed. Despite the hype, some research suggests intense cold close to bedtime can delay sleep onset.
Stacking everything at once. If you change nine things in one week, you won't know what worked.
Chasing perfect scores. More on that next.
Track lightly, then stop
A ring or tracker can help you notice patterns. But when the numbers become a source of stress, it can backfire. That has a name, orthosomnia, and it makes sleep worse, not better. Sleep psychologist Shelby Harris describes the trend as becoming hyper fixated on sleep hygiene and tracking.
I care about how I feel in the morning more than what a score says. If you wake up feeling good, that's the win.
Your two week sleepmaxxing plan
Days 1 to 3: Set your wake time and get daylight in the first hour.
Days 4 to 7: Move your caffeine cutoff earlier and build your 30 minute wind down.
Days 8 to 10: Cool, dark, quiet bedroom. Add a mask or white noise if needed.
Days 11 to 14: When the rest feels normal and your nose is clear, add nasal breathing support.
Change one thing at a time so you know what's helping.
FAQ
What is sleepmaxxing?
It's the practice of improving your sleep through habits, products and routines, from a steady wake time and a cool bedroom to nasal breathing support and supplements.
How do I start sleepmaxxing?
Start with the free stuff: a consistent wake time, morning light, an earlier caffeine cutoff and a simple wind down. Add extras one at a time.
Is nasal breathing part of sleepmaxxing?
Yes, and it's one of the pieces most routines skip. Mouth tape and nose strips are simple ways to support it at night.
What does mouth tape do?
It gently encourages your lips to stay closed so you breathe through your nose while you sleep. It changed my sleep, but it isn't a medical treatment.
Can I use mouth tape and nose strips together?
Many people do. Nose strips help open the nostrils, and mouth tape supports keeping your mouth closed.
How long before I notice a difference?
Give consistent habits two to three weeks before you judge them, and give mouth tape a few nights to feel normal.
If you want to add nasal breathing to your routine, you can find Tapeher, Tapehim, the Minis and nose strips at tapeher.com.