Lack of sleep ‘can make you appear less attractive’

Getting an insufficient amount of sleep can affect a person's physical attractiveness, according to new research.

The Karolinska Institute study has offered evidence that the concept of "beauty sleep" can be considered legitimate, with restricted sleep shown to have a negative impact on people's facial appearance and social appeal.

To assess this, 25 university students were asked to get a good night's sleep for two nights in a row, followed a week later by two consecutive nights in which they were restricted to only four hours of sleep.

When photos of the subjects were shown to 122 strangers from Stockholm, it was deemed that the same individuals looked less attractive when tired than they were when well-rested.

Tired-looking subjects were also evaluated as being less healthy, with the assessors saying they would be less inclined to socialise with individuals who looked like they had gotten insufficient sleep.

The research authors said: "An unhealthy-looking face, whether due to sleep deprivation or otherwise, might activate disease-avoiding mechanisms in others."

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