To appear attractive and healthy, it is best to sleep well at night, according to a study by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (Sweden) that is published in the special Christmas issue of the magazineBritish Medical Journal. It is thefirst time a scientific study shows that good sleep contributes to beauty.
The study, led by John Axelsson and dubbed ‘Sleeping Beauty’, involved 23 people between the ages of 18 and 31 who were photographed between 2 and 3 in the morning on two occasions, once after a normal sleep and once after staying awake without sleeping. They were not allowed to drink alcohol for the two days prior to the experiment, and smokers were excluded from the experiment.
The photographs were taken in a well-lit room and the distance to the camera was fixed. During both photo sessions the participants did not wear makeup, had their hair loose or in a ponytail if it was long, and underwent similar washing and shaving procedures. They were asked to maintain a neutral and relaxed facial expression for both photos.
Then, 65 observers who did not know whether or not the subjects had slept rated the photographs based on their attractiveness and assessed whether the individuals appeared healthy or not, and tired or not tired. Theobserversthey judgedthe faces of participants who had not slept as less healthy, less attractive and more tired.
The authors believe that this research is important in today’s society, as the number of people suffering from sleep disorders is on the rise.
