The Study:
The study was conducted by John Axelsson and his team at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The article explains that "23 healthy adults from ages 18 to 31 were first photographed after eight hours of sleep, wearing no makeup. The same adults were photographed again after sleeping only five hours and being kept awake for a full 31 hours, with the same lighting and camera settings." After this the photos were shown to 65 "untrained observers" who rated them on various topics. Ultimately the study found that "sleep-deprived individuals appear less healthy, more tired, and less attractive than those who have received a full night's worth of sleep."
What to do?
It is apparent that a lack of sleep can have a negative effect on your physical appearance so it is important to get an adequate amount of sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that teens get "9 1/4 hours of sleep each night to function best (for some, 8 1/2 hours is enough). Most teens do not get enough sleep — one study found that only 15% reported sleeping 8 1/2 hours on school nights." As for adults, 7-8 hours is about average. The Foundation does recommend taking short naps during the day to improve short term alertness.
Healthy Sleep Tips
The Natural Sleep Foundation gives 10 tips for healthy sleeping on their site. Many sites and professionals recommend that you have a comfortable place for sleeping. Ultimately, try to plan your schedule around allowing yourself to get as much sleep as possible! Just ask yourself if you are getting your beauty sleep!?
