beauty sleep

American

noun

Informal.

sleep before midnight, assumed to be necessary for one's beauty.
any extra sleep.

beauty sleep British

noun

informal sleep, esp sleep before midnight

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of beauty sleep

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But, she said she had to step down "to catch up on a much needed decade's deficit of beauty sleep".

From BBC • Jul. 28, 2022

"As we all got older we had many conversations about life, faith, morals, health, and the importance of getting your beauty sleep," recalled the country crooner.

From Fox News • Jan. 12, 2020

Being more diligent about getting my beauty sleep.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2015

For the next few days, though, she just hopes to unwind with a routine that sounded not very different from her training regime: hitting the gym and getting in her beauty sleep.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 17, 2013

There was no beauty sleep for Thyon Nero.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023