If we want to look attractive and healthy, we should get enough sleep, scientists report.
John Axelsson from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden decided to check the relationship between getting enough sleep and the attractiveness and health of modern people – constantly busy, suffering from insomnia or other sleep disorders.
23 people aged 18 to 31 were invited to participate in the project. Each of them was photographed at 14 p.m. and 15 p.m. in two life situations: the first photo showed the state after a perfect night’s sleep. Another was taken on a day when sleep was interrupted and the participant felt sleepy. Smokers were not allowed to participate in the study, and alcohol was forbidden two days before the project.
The photos were taken in a well-lit photo studio. Participants wore no makeup at all and their hair was to be loose. They all underwent similar cleaning and shaving procedures as well. They were asked to give a natural, relaxed look in both photos.
The photos were then presented to 65 observers who did not know what the night of the photographed looked like, to assess their attractiveness, health and fatigue. The evaluators found that people who were photographed after having had a bad night’s sleep look more tired, less attractive and unhealthy.