NEARLY half of Brits have tried social media hacks to improve their sleep – including eating kiwi fruit before bed and stuffing onions in their socks.
A study of 2,000 adults in the UK found they have attempted an average of two different sleep methods seen online over the last year.
4
4
These include avoiding blue light before bed (39 per cent), listening to white, brown or sleep noise (31 per cent), and drinking herbal tea (28 per cent) in a bid to send themselves to the land of nod.
Others are taking more unconventional advice from influencers, such as eating kiwi fruit before bed (seven per cent), having a ‘sleepy girl’ mocktail (seven per cent) and even putting onions in their socks overnight (six per cent).
But the research, which polled 13,000 adults across 12 countries, found Brits are more sceptical than the rest of the world when it comes to sleep hacks, with 48 per cent having tried them in the last year.
However, this pales in comparison to an average of 71 per cent across the globe, including in the USA, Australia, France and China.
Read more Health
SNACK HAPPY
The real reason behind 9pm snack attack starts HOURS earlier than you think
TRAGIC TWIST
I wasted thousands on Mounjaro to fix agonising PMOS – GP diagnosis was wrong
4
4
This comes as leading sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo has partnered with Novotel to create a sleep masterclass as part of the hotel chain’s worldwide Longevity Week.
The week runs from 7–13th September, other partners include Olympic surf champion Kauli Vaast, food creator and recipe developer Alfie Steiner, Paris-Saint Germain Legend and ex-footballer Javier Pastore and wildlife photographer and marine biologist Kaushiik Subramaniam.
Olivia Arezzolo, said: “It is important to give ourselves the best chance of a successful night’s sleep as we wind down in the evenings.
“Sorting fact from fiction and uncovering which viral fads are worth your time can feel like a minefield.
Most read in Health
LETHAL PLATE
Man, 64, given hours to live after eating pub roast led to multi-organ failure
HEARTACHE
I blamed my son’s shoulder pain on his college bag – now he’s got weeks to live
POX ALERT
Fears of fresh mpox outbreak as new case confirmed in Brit holiday hotspot
DOC SHOCK
One child, 9, dead and 208 patients harmed by rogue surgeon at major NHS hospital
“While some popular sleep hacks have a scientific basis, many are oversimplified, exaggerated or simply ineffective.”
The study also found that despite 66 per cent of UK adults saying social media makes wellness advice harder to trust, 26 per cent have followed online sleep tips even though they doubt their ability to spot misinformation.
But of those who had tried magnesium sprays, oils or supplements, only 17 per cent found they helped them sleep better.
While just five per cent found bedtime ‘sleepy girl mocktails’, drinking tart cherry juice or eating a kiwi before bed effective, with this dropping to four per cent of those who had popped onions in their socks.
Perhaps more surprisingly, only 31 per cent thought avoiding blue light or screens before bed had improved their sleep.
Listening to white noise helped just 26 per cent, and using sleep tracking devices were effective for just 14 per cent of people.
The research, carried out via OnePoll, also found 16 per cent of Brits have followed a sleep trend only to subsequently discover it wasn’t backed by science.
But 65 per cent claim to be more interested in their long-term health than they were five years ago, with 69 per cent believing getting enough sleep is vital for living a longer, healthier life.
It emerged 39 per cent wish they were better at getting their precious hours of shut eye, while 56 per cent admit they wouldn’t describe their current sleep pattern as good quality.
Olivia Arezzolo, added: “We want to help people take a more informed approach to wellbeing by sharing practical, science-backed habits that can make a real difference to everyday health.
“Good sleep isn’t about finding a miracle cure or viral shortcut.
“It’s about building sustainable routines that work for you and understanding that the choices you make each day can have a lasting impact on your long-term wellbeing.
RECOMMENDED STORIES
“That’s why the week will explore how small, everyday choices around eating, sleeping, moving and connecting with others can support better long-term wellbeing.
“With practical advice and inspiration from the Novotel 37 Collective – a team of experts sharing simple, achievable ways to help people sleep better, feel better and support healthier, longer lives.”