Unconventional sleeping hack is helping people get the 'best sleep' of their life: 'It works wonders'

People go to strange lengths to fall into a restful sleep. Essential oils, glasses of warm milk, soothing baths, reading a good book; things like these are very commonly noticed in people’s bedtime rituals. However, it is very seldom that these tips work. In January 2024, TikTok user Callie Galey (@calliegaley) shared a hack dubbed “sweatshirt sleep hack,” which comes with the promise of a deep slumber. The hack instantly became popular. “It’s so comfortable. I don’t know how to explain it,” Callie said in the video.

The Mississippi-based woman described that she had been getting the “best sleep of her life” for the past four days. “I’m gonna show you how I hacked this system. All you need is a sweatshirt,” she said while cuddling in her nighttime blanket and holding her sweatshirt over her head. “Get the sweatshirt. Fold it in half, the sleeves hang down. Sweatshirt over the top half of your head. Leave your nose and your mouth open,” she explained while wrapping her head with the sweatshirt. She then told her followers to grab the arm sleeves and wrap them around the face.

Although she had come up with this idea out of “desperation,” when she tried it, this simple hack, she said, worked wonders for her, “I have been getting the best sleep of my life. So comfortable... it works wonders.” The video has been viewed 19.3 million times. Nearly 2.4 million liked the video, and more than 9,500 people left their comments.

The hack seemed to divide people. While some agreed that the hack worked for them, others said it could end up causing suffocation. @.ol1ive, who resonated with the hack, said, “That’s why I still sleep with a blanket. I wrap it around my face.” @ahopesunshine added, “All my life I’ve wrapped small blankets around my head similar to this bc of the comfort it gave me. Can’t sleep without it.”

But not everyone shared the same opinion. @lifewith_lelo, for example, commented, “I’d wake up thinking I’m being held hostage!” @breananeal2 wrote, “Unfortunately I would start dreaming that someone was choking me and wake up in a panic, I also have sensory issues tho.” Many others offered their own tips and hacks. Like, @isabellalanter suggested a “sleep mask” before sleep. She said it had been a game-changer for her.

Another woman named Nandini Maharaj reviewed this hack in Apartment Therapy, writing, “After trying the sweatshirt sleep hack, I found that it works best when I need to take a midday nap. The weight of the fabric allows me to tune out the sound of traffic and birds chirping. With my eyes covered, I’m less tempted to look at the notifications on my phone.”

According to Dr. Jessica Andrade, a board-certified physician and brand ambassador for Natrol, this process of sleeping with a blanket or sweatshirt wrapped around one’s head is termed “swaddling.” Swaddling is known to create feelings of comfort and security, she told Bustle. It can comfort one from anxiety. Andrade added that the slight pressure offered by the heavy cloth creates a “cocoon-like effect,” which promotes relaxation and improves sleep quality.

However, there is another expert who thinks this sweatshirt hack is a bad idea. Dr. Michael J. Breus (@TheSleepDoctor) explained in a YouTube Short that wrapping anything around one’s neck during sleep could lead to breathing obstructions. “There’s no universe where I’m going to tell people to wrap a sweatshirt around their head and tie it around their neck,” he said.

You can follow Callie Galey on TikTok for more interesting lifestyle hacks!