A TRENDING video on TikTok shows people apparently dozing off in seconds after a practitioner applies pressure to their neck or shoulders.
Proponents claim the technique resets the brain and relieves stress, and the clips have racked up views across social media platforms.
But is this so-called therapy actually dangerous enough to kill?
Verdict:
TRUE
A viral therapy known as "six-second sleep" that has been spreading across TikTok is not only medically unrecognised but potentially fatal, according to a fact-check by MyCheck.my.
Videos promoting the technique show individuals appearing to fall unconscious briefly after a practitioner applies pressure to areas such as the neck, shoulders or nape, before regaining consciousness in a dazed and disoriented state.
Proponents of the method claim it resets the brain's centre and relieves stress and negative energy from the body, with many who underwent the procedure reporting that they felt refreshed, as though they had enjoyed a long, restful sleep.
MyCheck.my found several TikTok posts from various treatment centres promoting the technique, with videos presented in a visually engaging manner and framed as a traditional Malay practice with a long history of safe use.
No medical evidence was presented to support those claims, and no warnings about health risks were included despite the procedure involving pressure on sensitive areas such as the neck and nape.
The Health Ministry confirmed to MyCheck.my that the method is not recognised by any medical or health body, including the ministry and the medical fraternity, and is not a recognised field of practice under the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016 (Act 775).
"This practice does not fall under any modern medical method or any recognised traditional medical practice," the ministry said.
The Health Ministry said there was no scientific basis or medical evidence to support the effectiveness of a method that applies pressure to the neck to induce temporary loss of consciousness.
"Based on clinical assessment and an evidence-based medical perspective, this action is not a valid therapeutic intervention or health treatment.
"Rather, it is a form of high-risk physical action that has the potential to cause serious harm to the individuals involved," it said.
The ministry said the practice could cause a reduction in oxygen supply to the brain and result in significant medical complications, including sudden fainting, stroke, carotid artery injury, cardiac arrhythmia, cerebral hypoxia, permanent brain damage, seizures and risk of death.
It also said the method raised serious concerns given that it was being widely promoted on social media and digital platforms that are easily accessible to the public, potentially encouraging people to seek the treatment without understanding the actual risks involved.
The ministry said the practice violated the principles of non-maleficence and informed consent, causing patients to be misled into believing that the state of unconsciousness was "sleep."
"Therefore, this practice is unsafe and poses a public health threat, is not supported by scientific evidence and should be avoided in the interest of safety.
"It is important for the public to only seek medical services that have been proven effective from registered medical practitioners, including for traditional and complementary medicine treatment in recognised fields of practice from registered practitioners," the ministry added.
The ministry noted that the issue had previously been covered in the December 2025 edition of its e-magazine MyHealth, in an article titled "The Six-Second Sleep Trend: Healing Illusion or Real Danger."
The article explained that the therapy did not involve actual sleep but rather physical pressure on the neck that caused a person to faint due to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, a phenomenon known in medical terms as induced convulsive syncope.
Health advocacy platform Public Health Malaysia (PHM) explained that the sense of relief felt by those who underwent the procedure was merely a temporary effect caused by stress hormones, not a health benefit.
"When the brain is deprived of oxygen, the body immediately activates its emergency system. Hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline, along with a surge of dopamine and endorphins, are released to save the brain.
"This can trigger a temporary sense of relief, lightness or euphoria. In reality, it is the body's reaction after nearly facing danger," PHM said.
PHM likened the sensation to that of a person who nearly drowned but managed to breathe again, noting that while the breath felt like a great relief, the near-drowning experience itself was neither safe nor good for the body.
PHM also noted that the brain receives oxygenated blood through two main pathways, the carotid arteries on the left and right of the neck and the vertebral arteries running through the back of the nape, and that the brain has no oxygen reserve, meaning blood flow must be continuous at all times.
Medical doctor Dr Muaz Radzuan said in a TikTok video that the technique was not recommended at all due to its dangerous effects.
"The six-second sleep therapy occurs because the oxygen supply to the brain is blocked, causing a person to faint briefly, but the technique is extremely dangerous and can cause seizures, stroke or brain damage," he said.
Another medical doctor known as dr.affixfm said on his Threads account that the risk of sudden death was higher if the method was repeated.
"The risks of the method include stroke (particularly due to carotid plaque rupture), prolonged hypoxia, permanent brain damage or sudden cardiac arrest due to vagal overdrive. Repeat it multiple times and the risk of sudden death increases.
"Not funny at all. You're seeing someone with risk of sudden death," he said.
A person who had undergone the therapy shared their experience in response to dr.affixfm's post, claiming the procedure caused severe pain and trauma and provided no health benefit whatsoever.
"When pressure was applied to the left and right behind the ears in the neck area, it was very painful, extremely painful, and that pain was what caused the fainting sensation," the individual said.
MyCheck.my concluded that the "six-second sleep" therapy, in which patients appear to fall asleep before regaining consciousness in a disoriented state, does not constitute healthy sleep as claimed, and that those who underwent the procedure were in fact briefly rendered unconscious due to disrupted oxygen supply to the brain.
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