The old wisdom concerning beauty sleep was verified by Swedish scientists. People who had a good night’s sleep look healthier and more attractive than those who suffer under a lack of sleep. Test persons interpreted a tired face as being unattractive and unhealthy.
In a study, scientist John Axelsson and his team from the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, evaluated the faces of 23 people with different degrees of being slept off. Here, the scientists were able to note that lack of sleep is negatively influencing our attractiveness. With their study, the team of scientists wants to draw the attention to the increasing problem of sleep disturbances.
After a night with at least eight hours of sleep, the participants in the age from 18 to 31 years were photographed between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. For the second photo session, the participants were not allowed to sleep the night before the session and the two preceding nights not more than five hours each.
All participants were without make-up and had to look into the camera as neutrally as possible. Following, the pictures were shown to 65 test persons, six seconds each. Subsequently, they had to judge the attractiveness, health and degree of being slept off of the people shown in the pictures.
The result was clear: in the tired condition the participants received a lower rating in all three criteria than after one night with sufficient sleep. For the scientists an evidence that lack of sleep is visible in the face and that a tired person appears unattractive.
Several studies already proved the connection of lack of sleep and health. Furthermore, a connection between health and attractiveness is proven.