how we all got tricked into buying better sleep

happens to the best of every generation

In the past year, I've become sort of obsessed with optimizing my sleep. Let me tell you about my routine: a tart cherry mocktail (magnesium glycinate + pure tart cherry juice, not concentrate), extra magnesium glycinate capsules, spearmint tea, blackout curtains, silk pajamas (they're more breathable), and a square 6-7 hours a night. I used to have an Oura ring too, but got tired of wearing it.

But all this optimization got me thinking - why have we all become so obsessed with perfecting something we're naturally designed to do?

the sleep industrial complex

When did sleep become something we had to buy? Remember when we just... went to sleep? Now we've got sleep drinks, sleep gummies, sleep apps, sleep trackers, weighted blankets, cooling mattresses, heated mattresses, sleep masks, white noise machines - it's endless.

It's fascinating how something we literally evolved to do naturally has become a multi-billion dollar industry. And here I am, buying tart cherry juice like it's medicine.

we’ve seen this before

This didn't happen overnight (pun intended). Millennials were the ones who really kicked off this modern sleep obsession. Remember when Casper arrived and suddenly mattresses came in boxes? That was wild. Suddenly we had mattress influencers. Mattress unboxings. Mattress reviews.

And it wasn't just Casper - Purple, Leesa, Tuft & Needle - they all showed up with the same basic pitch: "Your sleep is broken and our foam rectangle will fix it."

But here's what's interesting - they weren't just selling mattresses. They were selling the idea that sleep was something you could optimize. Something you could hack. Something you weren't doing right.

capitalism ig

So why now? Why are we all suddenly treating sleep like it's a skill we need to master?

Maybe it's because we're more burned out than ever. Maybe it's because our phones have us so wired that actually shutting down feels impossible. Maybe it's because we've optimized every other part of our lives, so sleep was the final frontier.

Or maybe it's just that capitalism found one more natural human function it could monetize.

trends don’t ever truly die

What's funny is that every generation thinks they've figured out sleep. Our grandparents had their sleeping pills and strict bedtimes. Our parents had their memory foam and white noise machines. We've got our sleep trackers and tart cherry juice.

Same basic function, new packaging, fresh marketing.

at the end of the day

I'm not saying all these sleep products are useless. My tart cherry mocktail genuinely helps me sleep better. But I do wonder if we've overcompensated. If we've turned something natural into something complicated.

Maybe good sleep isn't something you need to buy. Maybe it's something you need to allow.

Then again, I'm writing this after drinking my sleep concoction, so who am I to talk?

What's your sleep routine? Do you have one? Are you a "just close your eyes" gal or are you deep in the sleep optimization rabbit hole like me?