The Expert-backed Secrets I Swear By For The Best Beauty Sleep EVER – And Why It’s The Most Important Part Of Your Routine: POLISHED With Elise Wilson

Welcome to Polished with Elise Wilson, where Daily Mail’s qualified makeup artist and hair stylist answers your questions, shares advice and trials the up-and-coming beauty and skincare trends so you don’t have to.

It’s easy to roll your eyes at the term ‘beauty sleep’, because it sounds like something out of a fairytale, doesn’t it?

A soft-focus fantasy where you drift off in silk pyjamas and wake up looking airbrushed. I wish!

But there is far more truth to the idea than most of us realise.

Over the past few years, as skincare routines have become more complicated and expensive than ever (even I’m getting priced out of the market), the simplest beauty booster has been right in front of us all along.

Real, restorative, high-quality sleep. The kind that smooths out fine lines, keeps our hormones happy, and leaves us looking like we’ve had a facial rather than a full eight hours.

Not to alarm you, but poor sleep raises cortisol levels, which speeds up skin ageing and inflammation too, according to Australia’s top sleep expert Olivia Arezollo.

But when we do actually get some good-quality shut-eye, our body produces human growth hormone, and that, my friends, is what triggers collagen production and cell repair.

Around 70 percent of this happens during slow-wave sleep, which is why it’s literally called ‘beauty sleep.’

I know I’ve noticed that when I’m well-rested, my skin looks clearer, makeup sits better, and I just feel… glowier, which is a great feeling.

But when I’ve had one too many late nights (or spent three hours too long scrolling TikTok in bed), the evidence is written all over my face the next morning – dull skin, puffy eyes, and the kind of dehydration that makes my concealer look like chalk under my eyes.

In recent months, I’ve trialled a handful of new bedtime rituals, with some grounded in science and others inspired by the internet (read: TikTok), to see if I could actually wake up looking and feeling better.

From magnesium sprays to mouth taping to hair volume hacks, these are the surprisingly effective sleep habits that have turned my nighttime routine into my very own beauty treatment.

Although, knowing me, this could easily become a two-part special because I could write an entire column on my nightly skincare routine alone. Stay tuned.

Wake up with bounce

I won’t pretend my hair magically styles itself overnight, but I’ve recently been changing up my routine and now wash and style my hair before bed.

I’ve been trying the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System in Ltd Edition Frosted Diamond ($399.99).

Aside from being possibly the prettiest hair tool I’ve ever owned, and a whole lot cheaper than a Dyson Airwrap, it’s actually very good.

I use the curling attachments to add a bit of bounce at the front, tie it up loosely with a silk scrunchie, and sleep on my trusty silk pillowcase (always) to fight frizz.

In the morning, my hair still has that effortless curve and volume, like the kind that makes it look like I’ve actually tried.

Mouth taping

Yes, I’ll admit it, I’m a mouth breather. Not a snorer (thankfully), but the type who sleeps with her mouth open wide enough to ‘catch flies’, as my mother would say. It ain’t pretty.

So when TikTok went wild for mouth taping and nasal dilators, I had to try it. I have a small nose – cute, sure, but with tiny airways that make breathing through it tricky.

Now, I pop in a pair of Mute Snoring Relief Nasal Dilators ($27.99) and use Yhemday Breathable Mouth Tape ($12.98 for 30) before bed.

The first few nights were rough (I woke up mid-slumber and ripped it off like a hostage), but now I sleep right through and don’t feel them at all.

I no longer have a dry mouth upon waking, no more stinky morning breath, and I get up feeling more hydrated and a lot less groggy.

The best dry shampoo hack

As someone with fine hair that leans (very) oily, I’ve been betrayed by dry shampoo’s many times, promising the earth.

That is, until I learned the trick of spraying it before bed.

Dermatologist Dr Lindsey Zubritsky shared the hack on TikTok a while back, explaining that when you apply dry shampoo at night, it has hours to absorb oil as you sleep, rather than trying to mop it up in the morning.

So now, I spritz my roots before I hit the pillow and let the product do the hard work overnight.

When I wake, my hair feels clean and lifted, and there’s a lot less greasiness.

magnesium

If there’s one product that genuinely helps me sleep (and therefore, glow), it’s magnesium.

I’ve been using the Salt Lab Magnesium Oil Spray ($39) on my legs before bed and the results are wild – I even clocked a 94-sleep score on my Ultrahuman ring after using it! Picture for evidence.

Sleep expert Olivia agrees that magnesium is a must, crediting magnesium glycinate and ashwagandha both helping to lower cortisol and support muscle relaxation.

‘Together, they help you unwind faster and get into deep sleep, where the beauty benefits actually happen.’

For nights when my brain won’t shut off, I add a Biosource Calm + Relax supplement ($27) to the mix, and I sleep like a log.

Stay cool

I’ll admit, I only discovered cooling bedsheets because I saw Drew Barrymore raving about them on Instagram, but I’m really glad I did.

The Rest Evercool Sleep System (from $240) feels like sleeping on a chilled cloud, and it’s been a total game-changer during warmer nights in my stuffy apartment.

Olivia also said overheating is one of the worst sleep saboteurs, as it inhibits melatonin production, which we need to fall and stay asleep.

‘Plus, it increases sweat and cortisol, both of which can age skin faster,’ she added.

‘A cool, dark room is essential but thermoregulating bedding takes it to the next level.’

My sheets from Rest® use ultra-fine, breathable fibres to wick away moisture and keep my body at the perfect temperature all night long.

The 12-minute ritual

I’ve been a long-time LED mask fan because the results are too good to give up.

Last week I got my hands on the new TheraFace LED Mask Glo from Therabody ($499), and it’s already the most comfortable version I’ve used thanks to the adjustable head strap that sits on top of your head.

With over 500 medical-grade LEDs, it delivers a full-face treatment in just 12 minutes.

It also has a vibra-wave scalp massage built in, so it feels like a spa moment while you’re watching Netflix. And yes, you can comfortably see out of it, thanks to its protective built-in rubber eye sockets.

With LED my skin looks noticeably glowier, especially when I’m consistent, and Olivia says that’s no coincidence.

‘Collagen production and cell repair happen overnight, so pairing LED with a solid sleep routine doubles the impact.’

Oh, and if you want to combine a bit of two-in-one when it comes to getting some exercise in while reaping some extra skincare benefits of far infrared light, they have places for that now.

I recently signed up at Sweat and Tonic in Sydney’s Eastern Suburb of Maroubra to see what all the fuss was about when it comes to ‘heated workouts’.

Not for the faint-hearted, this unique new gym operates each fusion class under far infrared heat (like in a sauna, but not quite that hot) to help you sweat more, detox, reduce stress, improve circulation, and improve your skin too.

Trust me, a great night’s sleep and extra glowy skin are guaranteed after one of these classes. What’s not to love?

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely my own and do not reflect those of any brands or companies mentioned. This content is not sponsored or endorsed.