subs. (colloquial).—Sleep before midnight: on the assumption that early hours conduce to health and beauty.
1850. F. E. SMEDLEY, Frank Fairlegh, II., 120. The fair pupils have talked themselves to sleep … not until they have forfeited all chance of … getting a little BEAUTY-SLEEP before twelve o’clock.
1857. C. KINGSLEY, Two Years Ago, xv. ‘Are you going? it is not late; not ten o’clock yet.’ ‘A medical man, who may be called up at any moment, must make sure of his BEAUTY-SLEEP.’
1869. BLACKMORE, Lorna Doone, lxiv. Would I please to remember that I had roused him up at night, and the quality always made a point of paying four times over for a man’s loss of his BEAUTY-SLEEP. I replied that his loss of BEAUTY-SLEEP was rather improving to a man of so high a complexion.
1880. PAYN, A Confidential Agent, iii. ‘You must get your BEAUTY-SLEEP,’ cried he to his wife when Barlow had departed, ‘or you will have no colour in your cheeks to-morrow.’
1901. Pall Mall Gazette, 15 May, 3. 1. In point of fact, Hebe is too valuable not to be allowed her BEAUTY-SLEEP.
