A common goal is to be so successful you make money in your sleep. As it turns out, some people are making that a reality. Just as there are food bloggers and travel gurus, we’re seeing the rise of the sleep influencer. Now, this isn’t exactly a brand new concept. Some of the earliest forms of sleep influencers found success in early 2017.

Popular sleep influencers past and present: 

  • Ice Poseidon (Twitch/YouTube): Text-to-speech videos that resulted in $5,000 in one night. 
  • Alex Shannon (Instagram): Travels around the world and sleeps in luxury hotels.
  • Celina Myers (TikTok): Shares videos of herself sleepwalking. 

Currently, TikTok trends of live streaming sleeping videos are all about the community that flourishes in the comments. The landscape on Twitch is significantly different. Back in 2017, Ice Poseidon started streaming videos on himself sleeping with text-to-speech features so his viewers could interact. Fast forward to now, Asian Andy has revamped this practice and seeing impressive results. 

Andy has been producing content on both Twitch and YouTube for a while now, so he did have a following that would tune into his videos. He has over 45,000 followers and around one million subscribers on YouTube. Andy has made meaningful sums of money from his past videos, though none as successful as his latest sleep stream, which earned him $16,000. 

The concept of his videos is pretty simple. Andy tries to sleep while his viewers try to wake him up through a text-to-speech function that allows them to play loud music, make his alarm go off, or even have Alexa imitate dog barking. Every person who tries to wake him up must pay for the privilege.

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Be Like Andy

Needless to say, Andy isn’t getting much sleep during his streams. Now, we don’t know the rest of Andy’s sleep habits, but we know his chosen path of sleep influencing isn’t exactly restful. Whether because of a job or other responsibilities, the average person likely wouldn’t be able to recover from strings of sleepless nights. 

Your Body Needs Sleep

Sleep deprivation can impact how you function –– from your attention span to how you read other people’s emotions. It’s even linked to serious health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and depression.

As much as we would like to believe we can bounce back after multiple sleepless nights, it’s just not a realistic picture for the average person. Sleeping well and sleeping enough is crucial for essential bodily functions like muscle repair and immune health. 

It’s recommended that adults average seven to nine hours each night, though how many you need will depend on a number of factors. For example, if you exercise or expend a lot of energy on a daily basis, you’ll want to give yourself closer to nine hours, given the stress you put on your body. 

Stop and think about your level of alertness. Are you happy with where you are? If not, allow yourself to get an extra hour or two of sleep a night. Not getting enough sleep can lead to a lack of alertness, weight gain, emotional imbalances and other health concerns. Try these strategies to improve your overall sleep health. 

Strategies You Can Use To Get Good Sleep

Find your routine

Your body has a natural sleep-wake cycle –– also known as a circadian rhythm –– that you should adhere to. It’s one of the most important strategies for consistently getting good sleep. 

Our bodies crave a routine. It’s a good idea to try and fall asleep and wake up in the same 20-minute window when possible. Yes, that does mean that staying up late or sleeping in on the weekends will interrupt your schedule and impact your sleep. 

Avoid big meals before bed

What you eat and drink before bed will impact how you sleep. So it’s best to avoid caffeinated drinks or big meals. Nicotine and alcohol should also be avoided before sleep as much as possible. 

Just as going to bed stuffed can lead to discomfort while sleeping, going to bed hungry can make it hard to fall asleep. It’s okay to have a snack before bed; just think about what you’re eating. Spicy, fried or greasy foods will make it hard to fall asleep, while fruits or walnuts can help. Having a healthy late-night snack could help you fall asleep more easily. 

Create your happy place

You want your bedroom to be as conducive to sleep as possible, which could mean different things to different people. Generally cool, dark and quiet rooms will lead to the best night’s sleep. Research shows that between 60 and 67 degrees are the best room temperature possible. 

Light is another factor that might make it hard to fall asleep each night. 40% of people report that the last thing they do before they fall asleep is use their phone. Screen light essentially tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime so that you will stay up longer. Do yourself a favor and put your phone away at least 45 minutes before bed. 

Destress before bed

Admittedly it’s sometimes hard to turn your brain off and go to sleep, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Establishing a pre-sleep relaxation routine can help relax your body and mind. Start with the basics and work your way up to a full-blown routine. 

Common relaxation techniques: 

  • Reading a book
  • Deep breathing
  • Taking a hot bath
  • Stretching
  • Meditation 

Too Long, Didn’t Read?

Asian Andy’s videos are funny, and it’s frankly an impressive source of income for him. However, we can’t help but wonder how his sleep habits are suffering. Monetizing your sleeping habits may work for some, though we don’t recommend it as a lifestyle. This type of sleep deprivation can seem like an extreme example, but any level of sleep interruption impacts your body.