Grounding Sheets Promise Better Sleep. But Does the Science Hold Up?

The Trend: Walking barefoot through the grass has a whole wellness theory behind it — and now it’s coming to your bed. Grounding, a trend first popularized by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, is the idea that your body soaks up negatively charged electrons from the Earth, which some say calms inflammation and improves sleep. Now, grounding sheets — woven with materials like silver or carbon thread and connected to an outlet — are bringing that belief indoors.

What People Are Saying: Fans swear by grounding sheets for helping them experience deeper rest and fewer aches and pains. But research remains thin, and the few studies completed are small and funded by companies that sell grounding products. Plus, the human body already holds about 10 octillion electrons, so the few you’d pick up from a sheet are unlikely to make much of a difference.

What to Know: Science doesn’t back the electron theory, and the original version of grounding still costs nothing. So instead of buying fancy sheets, perhaps kick off your shoes and touch grass for real.