Adolescent Sleep Patterns, Gen Z “Sleepmaxxing” Trend, and Neurodeterioration

Adolescent Sleep Patterns, Gen Z “Sleepmaxxing” Trend, and Neurodeterioration

Growing up, bedtime was a frequent point of discussion among my peers. Our conversations often turned into competitions, seeing who had gone to bed the latest the night before. The notion was that the less sleep you got, the more “cool” and mature you were. 

In the research article, “An update on adolescent sleep: New evidence informing the perfect storm model,” Stephanie J. Crowley et al. expand on Mary A. Carskadon’s 2011 “Perfect Storm” model of adolescent sleep, which proposed that insufficient and inappropriately-timed sleep during adolescence results from biological, psychological, and social/environmental factors. The researchers emphasize that changes in bioregulatory mechanisms interact with—and perpetuate—psychosocial pressures (e.g. social networking) to stay awake longer, ultimately reducing total hours slept during adolescence.

However, in recent years, an opposing trend has emerged in a slightly older population: “sleepmaxxing.” This online health trend has taken hold of Gen Z, with influencers proudly displaying their elaborate nighttime routines and niche remedies intended to maximize sleep quality and resolve sleep issues. Influencers incorporate an array of products ranging from mouth tape and nostril expanders (that encourage nasal breathing), to jew straps (which keep the mouth closed), pillow mists, and magnesium-infused mocktails. 

For many, early bedtimes have become a point of pride. Conversely, the New York Times article “How the Pursuit of Perfect Sleep Can Backfire” details how the trend may be counterproductive. Twenty-six-year-old Sarah El Kattan describes what the trend has done for her sleep patterns, with journalists noting, “The more she thought about sleep, the worse things became. At night, she knew every passing minute was another minute of sleep lost, and her obsessive thoughts created a vicious cycle that kept her awake for even longer” (Lindsay, 2024). 

Researchers also note that the benefits of many “sleepmaxxing” products are debatable, and that the very ritual of preparing for sleep may be more effective than the tools themselves (Lindsay, 2024). 

Furthermore, there are potential harmful physiological effects. Dr. Matthew Walker, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, notes that mouth tape may actually reduce needed oxygen to the brain if the nose is obstructed (Lindsay, 2024). 

This concerns many neurologists, as scientists have found strong correlations between breathing issues and dementia. While the exact mechanisms are unknown, sleep apnea—or the condition where breathing repeatedly stops and restarts during sleep—has been linked to an increased risk of dementia (Smith, 2024). 

In the New York Times article, “How Poor Sleep Affects Your Risk of Dementia,” Dr. Diego Carvalho, an assistant professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Sleep Medicine, explains this “may be because sleep apnea limits the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain, which can increase brain inflammation and damage blood vessels and cells” (Smith, 2024). 

The brainstem, which is associated with sleep regulation and circadian rhythm, is one of the first areas to be affected by tau protein accumulation, a crucial feature of Alzheimer’s disease pathology (Smith, 2024). 

While researchers have found evidence linking poor sleep patterns during midlife to neurodegenerative diseases, they have not yet determined whether sleep during adolescence and early adulthood increases later-life risk (Smith, 2024). However, it is likely for many people that early-life sleep patterns carry into midlife, eventually affecting risk for dementia. 

The updated “Perfect Storm” model of adolescent sleep helps explain how these poor routines develop. In particular, Stephanie J. Crowley et al. describe research showing that reduced slow-wave activity—or low-frequency, high amplitude waves—measured with EEG during adolescence reflects increased sensitivity to prior sleep loss and is associated with more frequent bouts of nighttime waking. 

These bioregulatory processes are then cemented with psychosocial pressures to go to bed later, eventually creating unhealthy sleep patterns and impacting focus and academic performance (Crowley et al., 2018). 

Overall, in order to reduce potential neurodegenerative harm caused by poor sleep in midlife, it’s vital that healthy patterns of sleep are developed early during adolescence.  

References

Crowley, S. J., Wolfson, A. R., Tarokh, L., & Carskadon, M. A. (2018). An update on adolescent sleep: New evidence informing the perfect storm model. Journal of Adolescence, 67, 55–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.06.001 In text: (Crowley et al., 2018)

Lindsay, Kate (2024, September 8). How the pursuit of perfect sleep can backfire. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/08/well/better-sleep-quality.html (Lindsay, 2024)

Smith, D. G. (2024, July 15). Poor sleep in midlife is linked to a greater risk of dementia. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/well/mind/sleep-dementia.html (Smith, 2024)