Sleeping beauty

By Acting Beauty Editor Jessica Hopper

Spring is almost upon us (hurrah), which not only means blue skies instead of grey, it means that nights will be getting shorter, the days longer - and the last thing us beauty-conscious ladies want is to head out of hibernation looking like we should have stayed put!

To be a springtime stunner, you\'ll need the know-how on getting a good night\'s (beauty) sleep. There are myriad magical tips and tricks to try, so here\'s to waking up with the ‘wow\' factor.

The science bit

It\'s called ‘beauty sleep\' for a reason, ladies. When you doze, you\'re getting more than rest - you\'re giving your body the chance to restore and recuperate. During ‘deep\' sleep, a special secretion of growth hormones help repair and rebuild tissues, whilst many of the body\'s cells increase their production of proteins, needed for cell growth and to repair any dastardly damage from skin-nasties like stress or ultra-violet rays. There is also evidence to suggest that skin cells regenerate faster at night than during the day.

Catch zome Zzzzs

There\'s an art to getting the perfect beauty sleep, and grabbing a quick snooze during your commute just doesn\'t cut it. When we skip sleep, it shows on the outside - dark circles, puffy peepers and skin flare-ups all being unwelcome signs of a restless night.

A proper shut-eye session is the most vital beauty tip of all; you should be getting at least 8 hours a night to ensure a beautiful morning. But there are a few beauty boosting, overnight treatments you can use to give nature a helping hand...

Reach for retinol

First, invest in a good night cream - this beauty bedtime buddy for your complexion will optimise the benefits of beauty sleep, strengthening the skin and combating free radicals from your day. Most skin types benefit from a nightly dose of retinol, a skin-saving spin-off of Vitamin A. It helps speed up skin cell-turnover, banish lacklustre morning complexions and brings a whole new meaning to the phrase \'rise and shine\'.

Philosophy\'s Help Me (£38, www.philosophy.com) is very retinol-rich and provides a deeply cleansing facial while you catch some ZZZs. It clears pores, evens skin-tone and reduces the appearance of fine lines. If you\'ve got a favourite night cream you want to stay true to, you can still incorporate retinol into your nightly regime by simply mixing Philosophy\'s Hope & a Prayer PM Capsules (£28 for 30) with your usual nightly moisturiser - easy peasy.

Sleep on silk

The skin-savvy know a silk pillow is one of the best beauty investments you can make. Unlike cotton - an absorbent fibre, silk doesn\'t absorb moisture, so you can be confident your face creams and any overnight hair conditioning treatments you apply will remain in intact whilst you sleep. It has also been suggested that satin silk can help prevent unwelcome lines and wrinkles, and prevent hair from snagging and snapping, thus keeping it silky smooth.

Sleep-over hair treatments

It\'s not just our skin that can benefit from a good night\'s (beauty) sleep- our locks need some overnight loving too. Why not treat them to a monthly deep conditioning without the need for messy traditional treatments that require hot towels, Clingfilm and time! Simple apply before bed and upon waking, see and feel the difference. Be sure to try the new John Frieda Frizz Ease Overnight Repair Crème Serum (£15, Boots)

Beauty unmasked

Before you climb between the sheets, why not pop a beautifying eye mask over your peepers? There are countless beauty-boosting masks available on the market, although I particularly love the Talika Eye Therapy Mask (£35, www.beautique.com). Worn overnight, it delivers a dose of antioxidants and ceramides to the eye area, fighting off dehydration to banish telltale signs of a late night, like bags and dark circles. It\'s especially good after a heavy night!

Beauty sleep for feet

Sandal season is nearly upon us, so to maximise your beauty sleep for those tootsies, invest in a pair of skin-softening sleep socks and kiss goodnight to winter-weary feet and hard patches.  The Sanctuary Moisturising Socks (£5, Boots) are particularly good, and purse friendly too!

Sleep well...

So there you have it - the art of the beauty sleep revealed.

Here\'s to a gorgeous night\'s sleep!