Restless nights might be a sign you need to move before bed but it can also indicate your mattress doesn't meet your sleep needs — the best mattress toppers can help.
Is the best way to fall asleep fast to act like a macaque with a mojito? Yes, according to TikTok's viral drunken monkey sleep hack, although the method focuses on gentle, loose movement rather than slurring to marmosets.
My usual fall asleep hacks include light exercise and calm thoughts (plus the best mattress for my sleep style.) The drunken monkey technique fits surprisingly well into my bedtime routine.
I'm no stranger to odd sleep hacks (I'll never mouth tape again) so I gave the drunken monkey a go, emulating a free swaying tipsy tamarin before bed.
And I can't lie, I thought I must be drunk to b giving this a go. However, movement before bed can benefit your sleep and when I looked past the silly name, I found the drunken monkey might be what your sleep needs.
What is the drunken monkey sleep hack?
The drunken monkey method was founded by TikTok user @jakecrossmanhealth who claimed that even though the method is "so stupid" it had helped him sleep "the full night for the last three nights."
To get started, you stumble your way to the nearest zoo, head to the bathroom with a couple of monkeys and tell them; "I love you guys so much, no seriously, we need to do this again, I love you... is this my song?"
No, hang on, that's something else I'm working on.
The drunken monkey sleep method refers to a specific element of intoxicated ape: loose and free movement.
With the drunken monkey hack you emulate the movements of a tipsy baboon, engaging your body from head to toe in a loose-limbed, free flowing semi-dance.
Here's how to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart (or wider)
- Start swaying your hips from left to right
- As you shimmy, begin rotating your shoulders
- Swing and wave your arms — by this point, your entire body should be moving
- Keep going for roughly one minute
You can keep the movements slow and relaxed or add a little more vigor, depending on your comfort and energy levels.
However, we don't recommend anything too energetic, as this might have the opposite effect, leaving you with too much adrenaline to sleep.
Can acting like a monkey actually help you sleep?
As with many TikTok sleep hacks, there's not much in the way of scientific backing for the drunken monkey method. However, there are some potential benefits to a tipsy pre-bed wiggle.
Jake Crossman, drunken monkey pioneer, claims the method gets extra blood flow to your extremities so that you can "relax easier once you're sleeping."
A little light exercise before bed can been shown to lower stress levels and ease digestion. Calming, controlled movement such as yoga and Tai Chi can potentially increase your sleep duration by up to two hours.
And while the drunken monkey method might not have quite the same impact, it follows the same principals of easy, achievable movement you can do that won't send your heart rate rocketing.
There's also a mental benefit: when you're moving like a drunken monkey, it's hard to think about anything except how silly you look. That's a good way to put stressful thoughts behind you and stop your brain racing before bed.
Following the monkey hack can also help screen addicts put their phone down for the night — you don't want it in your hand when you start swinging.
My experience with the drunken monkey method
With lights dimmed, teeth brushed and feet spread, I began to swing my body around like a drunken money.
At first, all I felt was mild embarrassment — not surprising as I stood in the semi-dark shaking my hips and swinging my arms.
By the end of the minute I still felt stupid but I could also appreciate that my limbs were looser and my mind was elsewhere. Before drunken monkey-ing I'd been thinking about work the next day. After, I had monkeys on my mind.
I'd also become aware of some tension in my shoulders, compelling me to stretch before bed. This is a good habit I always intend to do but often forget, so I appreciated the motivation.
When I'd finished my minute of monkeying about, followed by some stretching, I'd managed to literally shake off some lingering excess energy.
None of this resulted in any noticeable change to my sleep (both quality and quantity) but I appreciated the addition of movement in my pre-bed routine. For those who go straight from work, to couch, to bed, the drunken monkey is an easy way to introduce some motion.
However, if you already engage in yoga, Tai Chi, or other calming evening workouts, I wouldn't ditch them for the drunken monkey hack.
Other easy exercises to try before bed
Don't want to do the drunken monkey? Here are some (less strange sounding) methods to add movement to your evening...
1. Yoga or Tai Chi
Research suggests that engaging in yoga or Tai Chi before bed could increase both the overall quality and quantity of your sleep, potentially adding up to two hours of shut-eye to your night.
These exercises encourage controlled movement, body awareness and meditative thought, helping prepare your mind and body for bed.
2. A relaxed evening stroll
An early evening stroll can help you sleep better by regulating your circadian rhythms, releasing energy and calming anxious thoughts.
Be careful with the timing and intensity of an evening walk. Don't push too hard, too close to bedtime or you might find your heart rate spiking
3. Light stretching
Struggling to fit movement into a busy evening routine? Some light stretching before bed can help engage and relax the body, without disrupting your nighttime plans.
