When you’ve been staring at the ceiling for three hours, you’ll do some dumb sh*t to fall asleep. The internet’s newest suggestion is to pour salt on a cookie sheet and stand on it barefoot like you’re crushing grapes.
It’s called salt stomping, and wellness creator Tammy Weatherhead helped push it into the sleep-hack conversation this year. The instructions are simple: spread Epsom salt or sea salt in a shallow tray, stand there for about 10 minutes before bed, then cross your fingers. The explanation floating around online borrows from grounding, the idea that direct contact with natural elements could help with stress or sleep.
Some research supports grounding, but evidence for its sleep claims is limited. One frequently cited 2004 study included only 12 people, all of whom slept on conductive mattress pads. There was no control group. Sleep physician Lulu Guo told Sleep Foundation, “Overall, scientific evidence that shows grounding improves sleep is limited.”
A Sleep Doctor Called This Bedtime Hack One of the ‘Most Absurd’ He’s Seen
Salt stomping takes another leap. Most grounding research involves bare skin touching the Earth or conductive equipment connected to the ground — a cookie sheet full of salt beside your bed has neither. Sleep physician W. Christopher Winter was less diplomatic when Women’s Health asked him about the trend. “At this point in my career, it is tied with putting a bar of soap under your mattress as the most absurd sleep tip,” he said.
Still, standing there for 10 minutes could help, even if it feels a little woo-woo to most. Research has found that repetitive rituals can reduce anxiety in some situations, and bedtime routines give your brain something predictable to do while you wind down. A few minutes of mindfulness of the sensations under your feet could also calm your brain so you’re not ruminating on random things.
Standing barefoot on salt every night can also annoy your skin. Salt can dehydrate your skin, and the rougher crystals can scrape your feet. Cracked heels, eczema, or psoriasis probably won’t appreciate the experiment.
People with insomnia are an easy audience for this stuff because they’re desperate. Eventually, you’ll try almost anything once. Salt stomping gives you a little ritual before bed that might help you settle down. That’s about it.
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