Health Update: Are sleep hacks the next frontier in wellness? – What Experts Say

Nothing in my life is set up for good sleep. Firstly, I have two young kids who wake up multiple times at night. But before that, I loved sleeping (and occasionally eating) late, watching TV, and playing Candy Crush into the wee hours. I’m also pretty sure I’m perimenopausal, so that’s not helping either.

But the older I get, the more worried I am that bad sleep is ruining my long-term health. It is well-known that bad sleep can lead to issues such as increased depression and anxiety, higher blood pressure and even weight and hormonal issues.

Singapore consistently ranks at the bottom of global sleep charts. On average, residents clock just seven hours of sleep a night—below what’s recommended. In 2024, UK-based global market research firm YouGov ranked Singapore as the country most in need of more sleep, reporting that 54 per cent of Singaporeans get less than the recommended seven hours nightly. The study also found that despite this, eight in ten Singaporeans were already using some form of “sleep hack”.

These hacks ranged from upgrading mattresses or pillows to keeping bedrooms screen-free and maintaining a consistent bedtime. Eight per cent of respondents said they used earplugs, while 15 per cent relied on sleep supplements or medication.

But can sleep hacks actually improve your sleep—or do the numbers suggest otherwise?

Sleep Hack 1: Upgrading your mattress

There is definitely growing interest among Singaporeans in improving their sleep, but the term “sleep hacks” can be misleading. Tyler Peh, founder of Singapore mattress brand Woosa isn’t a fan of the word. “Good sleep isn’t about shortcuts — it’s about getting the fundamentals right, creating the right conditions for consistently good sleep, and then turning that into a habit.” 

Woosa has spent ten years in the mattress market, exploring new technologies and materials. Their mattresses are spring-free and use a combination of high-quality foam and latex to ensure your weight is evenly distributed throughout the night.

“When support is right, there’s less tossing and turning, which naturally leads to more restful sleep. If you’re consistently waking up tired, sore, or needing a long time to feel functional in the morning — even after enough hours of sleep — that’s often a sign your mattress is no longer supporting your body properly and may be time to change.” 

My honest review:

At their showroom at Tan Boon Liat, Woosa offers customers the opportunity to try out their mattresses plus their remote-controlled bedframes that let you adjust the mattress to suit your needs, such as an anti-snoring mode.  

They also have private nap pods, which made me feel like Goldilocks, going from bed to bed looking for the one that was “just right”. I will admit, despite being there with two other people, I really did think I might fall asleep there. 

Sleep Hack 2: Invest in a weird pillow

Thanks to this story, the amount of targeted advertising for sleep aids I’ve gotten recently made researching this story quite easy. Of course, not everything was “legit” but one thing that caught my eye was a Singapore-made pillow by Cradlesloth. 

According to founder Javin Soh, the unique shape and structure all came together in consultation with a range of experts. “We consulted chiropractors to better understand what a posture-led pillow should realistically achieve,” says Javin. “A great deal of attention went into the contouring, including the degree of elevation and curvature needed to support the neck and upper spine without overcorrecting.” 

The main focus of the pillow is to improve the ergonomic spinal alignment and pressure distribution. The shape also specifically supports the neck, shoulders and upper spine across different sleep positions. This reduces overnight muscle tension, especially for people who spend long hours at a desk. Sleep hygiene was also something they took into consideration by using antibacterial and hypoallergenic materials. “Allergens and bacteria buildup are often overlooked, but they can quietly affect sleep quality, particularly for light sleepers or those with sinus sensitivities.”

My honest review:

I’ve had the pillow for about a week now. The positioning takes some getting used to, and I wasn’t sure if I would like having my head fixed in one position. But after the first night, I woke up feeling like this was something quite different. 

I had never enjoyed memory foam before, but I really did feel more supported and slept better. Now if I could only do something about my kids waking up in the night and asking me to sleep in their room half the time…

Sleep Hack 3: Consuming all-natural sleep aids

While supplements are not a popular sleep hack amongst Singaporeans, they can be a useful way to regulate your sleeping patterns. This doesn’t mean jumping straight into sleeping pills or melatonin, as more natural remedies can be even more effective.

Says Miriqa co-founder Geraldine Lim, “I was looking for a way to overcome sleep issues related to motherhood. [With conventional sleep medication] long-term use can be associated with dependency and tolerance, and I personally disliked the next-day grogginess — especially when my workload is heavy, and I need to be fully alert.” 

For Miriqa’s Deeper Sleep supplement, she began researching ingredients that could improve quality without the side effects and found valerian, a root widely used in Western countries but less common in Asia. “What stood out to me was how it helps calm the mind and reduce anxiety — because for many people, sleep issues aren’t about being tired, but about not being able to switch off mentally. Through extensive research and personal testing, I also realised that combination formulas work far better than single-ingredient solutions. Sleep is multi-factorial and addressing it from just one angle often isn’t enough.” 

She also adds that improving sleep is not a one-off act. “Consistency is just as important,” she says, adding that the natural ingredients in the supplement work by supporting balance over time, especially for people dealing with chronic stress or hormonal changes. 

“Taking Miriqa Deeper Sleep one to two hours before bedtime gives the ingredients time to be absorbed and to gently calm the nervous system and relax the body.”

My honest review:

I’ve actually been taking the Miriqa Deeper Sleep supplement for quite some time. It really helps when my insomnia peaks (but oddly doesn’t help in the lead up to my period). Taking it regularly really helped me develop better sleep habits, so when I feel like I’ve fallen into bad habits, I try to take it for a week or two as a reset.

When to consider seeing a sleep doctor for chronic insomnia

Even after you overhaul your sleep environment and commit to better sleep habits, your sleep may not improve. If that’s the case, it might be time to consider underlying health issues.

Two such possibilities are obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and insomnia.

“OSA is a medical condition in which the upper airway collapses during sleep despite the patient’s attempts to breathe. This can lead to drops in blood oxygen levels, fragmented sleep in the brain, and even awakenings in the middle of sleep,” explains Dr. Crystal Cheong, a Senior Consultant specialising in sleep surgery at the National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

With insomnia, a person has difficulty falling or staying asleep, which leads to poor daytime functioning, mood issues, and worry about their sleep,” she says. In some cases, insomnia can become chronic even with good sleep hygiene, often driven by anxiety or subconscious mental associations that link sleep, or the bedroom itself, to stress.

Solutions include being assessed for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), typically through an overnight sleep study. For insomnia, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) involves a series of sessions with a sleep-trained professional to help reset the sleep–wake cycle and reshape unhelpful beliefs about sleep. “It has been proven to be more successful than medication alone at resolving chronic insomnia,” Dr Cheong shares.

Why revenge bedtime procrastination is slowly killing you

Dr. Cheong also reiterates the importance of getting the right number of hours of sleep and putting aside digital devices at night (aka giving up revenge bedtime procrastination). 

“The widespread accessibility to technology, even among older adults, encourages constant scrolling or watching videos into the wee hours of the morning, to the point that it is often used as an aid to fall asleep. Unfortunately, the blue light emitted by these electronic devices can be detrimental to sleep quantity and quality, and the constant mental stimulation may not be helpful for winding down or restful sleep.” 

So there you have it, reduced screen time isn’t just recommended for kids. If you don’t want to purchase a weird starfish-shaped pillow or blow your bonus on a new mattress, start with the most affordable sleep hack on this list – leave your devices outside.