Most sleep tips shared on TikTok are supported by scientific evidence

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting, held in Houston, Texas, June 1–5, found that most sleep tips shared on TikTok are supported by empirical evidence.

The research findings show that of 35 unique sleep tips shared in popular videos, there was empirical support for 29. Only six sleep tips were unsupported by scientific evidence.

"These results suggest that the sleep research and sleep medicine communities have done a good job of promoting appropriate tips for sleep hygiene," said lead author Brian T. Gillis, who has studied sleep for eight years and is an assistant professor of marriage and family therapy in the College of Human Sciences at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. "This means the public is learning what we want them to know about sleep in a place—social media—where many people feel comfortable learning health information."

Over a two-day period, the researchers transcribed the most-viewed TikTok videos that used the tags #sleephacks, #sleephygiene or #sleeptips, then coded them to identify all sleep tips, ultimately collecting a total of 295 sleep tips (including repeated recommendations) across 58 videos.

Tips were categorized into seven themes and compared to findings from randomized control trials, nonrandomized control trials, and studies of correlational associations in peer-reviewed articles.

Evidence supporting sleep tips included shorter time to fall asleep, longer sleep duration, increased deep sleep or REM sleep, higher sleep satisfaction, or reduced daytime sleepiness.

Gillis noted that many adults view social media as a source of health information, and many do not verify the accuracy of the information with a health care professional.

"Given this trust in health advice shared on social media, it's essential for content creators to provide medically sound guidance," Gillis said. "Health advice on TikTok is unregulated, but our research indicates that sleep recommendations seem to be an area where content creators are getting it right."

Healthy sleep is fundamental to health and well-being. If you're having trouble sleeping, talk to a medical professional for help before trying social media tips. Your doctor may refer you to the sleep team at a sleep center that is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Study co-authors included Emily R. Scott and Joycelyn R. VanAntwerp, who are graduate students at Auburn University, and Jack Peltz, assistant professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Brockport.

The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal SLEEP and will be presented Tuesday, June 4, during SLEEP 2024, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.