Wake Up Pretty: The viral Trend That's Changing How We Sleep

A new bedtime ritual has taken over Gen Z's nighttime routine, and no, it's not a return to chamomile tea or journaling before bed. Dubbed the "Morning Shed", this viral trend on TikTok involves layering your face with collagen masks, taping your mouth shut, strapping your jawline, and wrapping your hair in silk before going to sleep. The idea? The more 'ugly' and covered you go to bed, the more flawless and glowing you'll wake up.

But is this really a self-care revolution, or a reflection of deeper anxieties around beauty, control, and consumption?

The "Ugly" Bedtime Glow-Up

Across TikTok and Instagram, videos of creators preparing for bed now resemble something between a spa night and a sci-fi movie. Red light masks, silicone patches, heatless curlers, and jawline bands are worn proudly, often under hashtags like #MorningShed or #UglyToPretty. By morning, creators peel everything off to reveal smooth skin, bouncy curls, and clear under-eyes, credited not to good sleep or hydration, but to the "shedding" process.

The phrase "the uglier you go to bed, the prettier you wake up" has become a kind of slogan for this aesthetic.

Trend analyst Aashi Rai explains, "It started as a joke, people overdoing their routines for laughs, but it turned into a serious habit. Now, there's a sort of competition to see who can do the most before bed."

The Wellness Disguise 

On the surface, Morning Shed seems to be about skincare, but it's closely tied to wellness culture. Advocates of mouth taping, for example, claim it improves sleep, prevents snoring, and enhances oxygen intake through nose breathing. Others swear by the benefits of overnight collagen absorption or reduced puffiness from jaw compression. Yet, experts are not entirely on board.

There's also a psychological angle. The trend gives the illusion of control, something many people crave in a world where they often feel powerless over their bodies, appearance, or routines. By following a precise set of steps before sleep, users hope to 'earn' their glow. But at what cost?

The Dangers of Taping and Tautness

Among the most controversial aspects of Morning Shed is the use of mouth tape. While nose breathing has proven health benefits, taping the mouth isn't a safe solution for everyone.

Sleep experts argue there are better, safer alternatives, like breathing exercises, posture correction, or nasal strips, to encourage nose breathing. But the TikTok version of wellness prioritises fast, dramatic visuals over subtle, long-term change.

Beauty or Burnout?

The Morning Shed trend might look like harmless self-care, but it also reflects a growing fatigue. People are tired of long skincare routines that promise too much and deliver little. They're frustrated with acne, dark circles, and beauty standards that seem unattainable. Morning Shed offers an answer: do it all at once while you sleep. But in trying to simplify, it may be adding more pressure.

Beyond personal health concerns, Morning Shed contributes to a larger issue, environmental waste. Most collagen sheets, patches, tapes, and overnight skincare products are single-use and non-recyclable. Multiply that by millions of users worldwide, and we're talking about tonnes of plastic and synthetic waste heading straight to landfills or oceans every day.

The production of these beauty tools also carries a carbon footprint, from packaging and transportation to chemical manufacturing. While users may wake up looking fresh, the planet is paying the price.

So, Is It Worth It? 

Like many viral trends, the Morning Shed walks the line between innovation and excess. There's no harm in trying new routines or experimenting with skincare, but when beauty becomes a performance, or when self-care means silencing your body's natural signals, it may be time to reassess.

Beauty shouldn't come at the cost of comfort, safety, or sustainability. And maybe, just maybe, it's okay to go to bed with messy hair and a bare face and still wake up beautiful.