I’m not really sure what I thought sleepmaxxing was the first time I encountered the term on TikTok, but something about the double Xs made me assume it was somehow…raunchy?! On the contrary, sleepmaxxing is a buzzy wellness trend that basically means attempting to optimize sleep quality and quantity through various strategies, routines and tools. Tame, right? To learn more, including whether it’s actually healthy to try, I reached out to two sleep experts, Dr. David D. Clarke, MD, and  Dr. Ariel Neikrug, PhD.

Meet the Experts

• Dr. David D. Clarke, MD,  is the President of the Association for Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ending the chronic pain epidemic. Dr. Clarke holds an MD from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. His organization’s mission is to advance the awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of stress-related, brain-generated medical conditions. Learn more at Symptomatic.Me..
•  Dr. Ariel Neikrug, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and sleep medicine specialist from UC Irvine School of Medicine. Dr. Neikrug’s core research interests are in the development, implementation and evaluation of treatments for sleep disorders in chronic disease populations. His research has focused on better understanding sleep and activity rhythms disturbances in chronic disease and how treating sleep and rhythm dysfunction in chronic disease may impact biopsychosocial factors (e.g., sleep, fatigue, circadian rhythms, mood, cognition and quality of life).

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